No. 7 Tennessee is set to host Kentucky for a night game in Neyland Stadium as it looks to remain in the thick of the College Football Playoff race. The Wildcats are limping into Knoxville after a disappointing home loss to Auburn last week.
Tennessee is coming out of a bye week after defeating rival Alabama at home a couple of weeks ago. The Volunteers were able to gut out a win in the second half after being shutout in the first half for the third consecutive game. If Tennessee is going to progress down the stretch, it will start with quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who has completed 63.5% of his passes for 1,413 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
The good news for the Vols is that the defense has been clicking all year. That unit ranks third in the country in total defense while allowing just 259 yards of offense per game.
That means a struggling Kentucky offense will face an uphill climb. In last weekend’s loss to the Tigers, the Wildcats scored just 10 points, and coach Mark Stoops pulled starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff in favor of Gavin Wimsatt. For the time being, Stoops has not announced which player will start against the Volunteers.
The Kentucky defense has shown the ability to hang with some of the best teams in the conference, as it did in a close loss to Georgia and an upset win over Ole Miss. However, the Wildcats let Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter explode for 278 yards and two scores last week.
Where to watch Tennessee vs. Kentucky
- When: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7:45 p.m. ET
- Where: Neyland Stadium — Knoxville, Tennessee
- TV: SEC Network
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Tennessee vs. Kentucky spread, odds
Tennessee is a sizable 16.5-point favorite against Kentucky, according to the SportsLine consensus. The over/under is 45.5 points.
Tennessee vs. Kentucky series history
Tennessee has won seven of its last nine games against Kentucky.
- Oct. 28, 2023 — Tennessee 33, Kentucky 27
- Oct. 29, 2022 — Tennessee 44, Kentucky 6
- Nov. 6, 2021 — Tennessee 45, Kentucky 42
- Oct. 17, 2020 — Kentucky 34, Tennessee 7
- Nov. 9, 2019 — Tennessee 17, Kentucky 13
