Tennessee vs. Kentucky preview, prediction: Week 9 college football picks

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When: Sat., Oct. 29

Time: 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT

TV: ESPN community

Stream: fuboTV (Begin your free trial)

Extra faculty soccer on SI: Faculty soccer scores | Faculty soccer rankings | Faculty soccer schedule

Odds, level unfold, betting strains

Line: Tennessee -13

Tennessee ATS: 6-1

Kentucky ATS: 5-2

Over/beneath: 63.5

Moneyline: UK +370, UT -578

FPI choose: Tennessee 82.9%

Tennessee vs. Kentucky picks, predictions: Week 9 faculty soccer odds, unfold, strains

Tennessee vs. Kentucky: What it’s worthwhile to know

1. QB battle. Two of the SEC’s three finest quarterbacks will likely be on the identical area Saturday. Hendon Hooker has been the engine behind faculty soccer’s No. 1 whole offense, throwing for over 2,000 yards whereas hitting on nearly 71% of his passes for 18 TDs and 1 choose. Kentucky’s Will Levis is a projected first spherical NFL Draft choose finishing nearly 70% with 13 scores and 5 INTs. He ought to discover some lanes in opposition to a Vols secondary that ranks one hundred and thirtieth out of 131 in FBS in move protection, as he did final season in an in depth sport.

2. Nobody can cease the Vols. Or specifically, Jalin Hyatt. The broad receiver went off in opposition to Alabama, catching six passes, scoring on 5 of them, and going over 200 yards. Hyatt has scored two or extra TDs in three straight video games and has scored 12 occasions this season. Kentucky’s top-15 ranked move protection has its work lower out making an attempt to gradual him down. Particularly if the Vols get Cedric Tillman again within the rotation. Having these two deep threats on the market on the similar time may very well be an excessive amount of for the Wildcats.

3. Kentucky catch-up. One of the simplest ways to maintain Tennessee from scoring is to carry the ball and maintain that offense off the sector. That is one thing UK can do reasonably nicely, not dominating time of possession, however holding the ball for round 35 minutes per sport and persistently strikes the chains. Levis should not have an excessive amount of bother attending to 300 yards within the air (UT Martin did) and he’ll have assist in again Chris Rodriguez, who’s nearly to 400 yards and has 3 TD in 4 video games this season. 

Quick Info

+ Kentucky has held its final 11 opponents to 24 factors or fewer, going 9-2 in that point

+ Tennessee is 2nd nationally scoring factors on 61.3% of drives

+ Levis is seventh nationally and 2nd in SEC in move effectivity (173.3 ranking)

+ Vols are 1st nationally scoring 50.1 factors per sport

+ UK has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 11 straight video games

+ Jalin Hyatt is 1st with 8 catches of 40-plus yards

+ Kentucky is 20-9 in video games determined by 7 or fewer pts since 2016

+ Vols are eighth nationally permitting 90.0 speeding yards per sport

+ Kentucky has allowed 30 or fewer factors in 53 of its final 59 video games

+ Tennessee is 14-0 when main at halftime and 0-6 when trailing beneath Josh Heupel

+ UK is 4-34-1 all-time in opposition to ranked Tennessee groups

+ Vols have scored 40 factors in 12 of Heupel’s 20 video games at UT

+ Kentucky is 45-7 beneath Mark Stoops when main at halftime and 10-43 when not

+ Tennessee’s 351 factors thus far are 1st nationally and the SEC’s most via 7 video games since LSU in 2019

+ Wildcats are 7-32 beneath Stoops permitting greater than 30 factors

+ Tennessee has scored 30 factors in 10 straight video games

Tennessee vs. Kentucky Prediction

Breaking information: Tennessee can rating a landing a minute if it will get into rhythm. It has the quarterback and the receivers to match nearly any crew within the nation level for level.

And it should not have an excessive amount of bother defending Hendon Hooker within the pocket in opposition to a Kentucky edge rush that leaves a lot to be desired.

However the Wildcats have the facility to gradual this factor down, stability its offense out, and steadily transfer the chains and bleed clock. And the precision in Levis’ proper arm to check the Vols’ lackadaisical again seven with some regularity.

Tennessee will not be too phased by Kentucky’s makes an attempt to tug down the tempo of the sport, with the weapons to get deep fast and make up for misplaced time with a wide range of routes that may put the Wildcats out of place and create area within the deeper portion of the sector.

Faculty Soccer HQ Prediction: Tennessee 38, Kentucky 27

In keeping with AP prime 25 ballot

1. Georgia (31 1st-place votes)
2. Ohio State (18)
3. Tennessee (13)
4. Michigan
5. Clemson (1)
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Oregon
9. Oklahoma State
10. USC
T-10. Wake Forest
12. UCLA
13. Penn State
14. Utah
15. Ole Miss
16. Syracuse
17. Illinois
18. LSU
19. Kentucky
20. Cincinnati
21. North Carolina
22. Kansas State
23. Tulane
24. NC State
25. South Carolina

Comply with Faculty Soccer HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Fb