CBB: Tennessee Vs. Kentucky preview and prediction
The No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers (24-6, 14-3 SEC) will take on No. 13 Kentucky (22-8, 12-5) on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville. (4 p.m. ET, CBS). The SEC regular season champion Tennessee Volunteers will be looking to sweep the Kentucky Wildcats for the second time under Rick Barnes.
Tennessee is coming off a huge road victory against South Carolina. It was their 3rd straight top-20 win and clinched the second SEC regular season title under Rick Barnes. Tennessee now has seven top-20 wins and looks to finish the season strong against the Wildcats. Tennessee has been on a tear winning 9 of their last 10 games. However, Kentucky is getting red hot beating Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabama, and Mississippi St. In Kentucky’s last 4 games, they have averaged an eye-popping 103 ppg. However, Kentucky’s Achilles heel is defense and I don’t think they can even spell it up there in the bluegrass state. Tennessee should be able to create enough stops to keep a lead and get their 4th straight Q-1 win against a top-20 team to put an exclamation point on a championship season.
The Matchup
According to ESPN, the Vols have an 84.9% chance to win this game at home. Both teams field dynamic offenses led by two of the best guards in the league. It should be a showdown between SEC POTY leader Dalton Knecht and Antonio Reeves. Both are averaging over twenty points a game and 50% shooting from the field. While Kentucky doesn’t know the definition of defense, they do have four players averaging double digits a game. If Tennessee’s stout defense slips up at all to Kentucky’s electric offense it could be lights out fast, but expect Rick Barnes to have this team ready for that offense and for Zeigler to keep improving like he has the past 5 games.
Tennessee is 14-1 at home and only allowing 69.6 points a game. Conversely, Kentucky is 6-3 on the road and giving up 82.9 points a game. The bottom line is this game should be electric but defense wins championships.
Score Prediction:
Tennessee 89, Kentucky 78: Both teams are peaking at the right time. However, Tennessee is just on a different level right now and is playing as a complete unit on both sides of the ball. Tennessee’s defense will make enough stops and Kentucky won't have an answer for Knecht and company.
