Most programs in the country would take what the Kentucky Wildcats have done so far this season. But this is Kentucky and any rough patch draws intense criticism from fans and the media. And the Cats are experiencing a rough stretch losing two straight with the most recent setback at home to South Carolina as a 20-point favorite. That came after the Cats were blown away 78-52 at Alabama. John Calipari is a legend in Lexington, at least when he’s winning games and NCAA titles. Even with 10 wins in their first 16 games the faithful are booing Coach Cal. Things could change in a hurry with a Kentucky upset of the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, January 14, 2023 at 12 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. The game will be televised live on ESPN. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball schedule.
College Basketball Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Those same people booing Calipari probably dropped some coin on the Wildcats at some point this season. Hell, I’d be pissed too if the team I’m backing hasn’t earned a payout in 10 consecutive games. Teams lose games; that’s just how it goes. But when you’re a blueblood like UK you’re not supposed to lose by 26 points to Alabama. And you certainly shouldn’t lose to unranked South Carolina at home when favored by 20 points. But that’s where the program is right now. Losing to ranked opponents is nothing new, but not beating any of them is. The Cats lost by 16 to Gonzaga, 10 to UCLA and recently by 26 points to Bama putting them 0-3 SU and ATS against stiffer competition.
Losing to Colorado in the first week of the season has prevented the Vols from going higher than No. 5 in the national rankings. They’ve done their best to get over that setback going 13-1 SU and 9-5 ATS since. The only loss in that stretch was at then No. 9 Arizona. The Vols extended their current winning streak to five with a 77-68 win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday improving to 8-0 SU and 6-2 ATS in home games. The Vols were double-digit favorites in four of their last five games earning a payout in three of them while cashing the OVER in three straight games.
Kentucky Wildcats
Reigning player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe is doing his best to keep Kentucky in games. In an attempt to overcome the Gamecocks on Tuesday, Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler played all 40 minutes combining for 29 points. Tshiebwe, who averaged 17.3 points and 15.3 rebounds last season, is having another stellar campaign. He scores 16.0 points with 13.1 boards and recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 boards against South Carolina. Unfortunately the help hasn’t been there.
Lacking depth to begin with, things could be worse with Jacob Toppin out with a shoulder injury and Cason Wallace leaving the last game early with a back injury. Toppin and Wallace are two of four players averaging more than 10 points per game while each contribute more than 26 minutes of game action a night.
Tennessee Volunteers
By no means is it a stretch to consider the Vols a national championship contender. Oddsmakers have taken notice of their experienced roster and recent run of success to lower their futures odds putting them among the Kansas’s and UCLA’s of the college basketball betting sphere. They’re geared for the NCAA Tournament after two early exits. And because of that several key players returned to give it another shot.
Seniors Santiago Vescovi (12.9) and Olivier Nkamhoua (11.6) lead the team in scoring. While the Vols average 75.5 points, the defense is what sparked them to 14 wins in 16 games. They lead the country defending field goals and behind the arc and they give up just 53.4 points a game to rank second nationally. And the team takes as much pride in stopping opponents as it does anything else. They’ve also silenced some good teams holding Kansas to 50 points and Maryland to 53. The Vols conceded more than 70 points in each of their two losses.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Like most everyone else I lost confidence in Kentucky. The game plan against them is simple right now: slow Tshiewbe and your chances of beating the Cats improve. Sure the dude’s a beast and the Vols won’t completely shut him down. But they will limit what others do, and with UK likely shorthanded this looks like another Vols home win.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
Check out the latest odds at BookMaker
