Kentucky opens as home underdog against No. 17 Tennessee

After coming up short against one UT in overtime this weekend, Kentucky will get a crack at another UT next weekend.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the tall buildings in Las Vegas are calling for another Kentucky loss. Our friends over at BetMGM have the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers opening as an 8.5-point favorite to beat the Wildcats on Saturday (October 25) at Kroger Field.

The point total has been set at 52.5, projecting a final score of roughly 30-22 in favor of the Vols. Elsewhere, ESPN Analytics gives Tennessee a 75.1 percent chance of winning.

Behind an excellent effort from the defense, Kentucky was able to cover the 14.5-point spread against Texas, losing 16-13 in overtime. But the Wildcats’ offense once again struggled to find the end zone more than once. Can Bush Hamdan and Co. change that next Saturday? The oddsmakers believe UK will at least break the 20-point mark for just the second time this season against an SEC foe.

All that being said, the Tennessee offense is on another level compared to what Texas brought to Lexington. The Volunteers produce one of the most dangerous offensive attacks in the entire country, led by QB Joey Aguilar, who has 15 passing touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards through the air in his seven games played. Tennessee had eclipsed 30 points in every game this season before running into Alabama over the weekend, losing 37-20 on the road.

The Vols will be looking to get back on track against Kentucky, while the ‘Cats will hunt its first conference win of the season. Kickoff next Saturday is set for 7:45 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

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