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Saturday’s kickoff from the Neyland Stadium is set for 7:45 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

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Exclusive BetMGM bonus code ROCKY50: Kentucky vs Tennessee odds & preview

The seventh-ranked Volunteers bring 6-1 and 3-1 SEC records into the rivalry game. Coming off the bye, UT is 5-2 against the spread after winning 24-17 as a 3.5-point underdog to visiting Alabama on Oct. 19.

Kentucky, on the other hand, is 3-5 and 1-5 in the SEC following consecutive losses to Vanderbilt (20-13), Florida (48-20) and Auburn (24-10). The Wildcats are 4-4 ATS but have failed to cover in those last three contests — all as a favorite.

Since 2000, Tennessee has won 21 of the 24 head-to-head meetings and has covered in 18 of them, including each of the last three.

The Vols won 33-27 last season in Lexington as a 4-point road favorite and rolled 44-6 as a 10.5-point home favorite in 2022.

BetMGM has the Vols as -17.5-point favorites for Saturday’s game as of Thursday and -1,000 on the moneyline. The Wildcats were catching +625 on the moneyline with a game total of 45.5 points. The odds for Kentucky vs Tennesee are subject to change.

Tennessee’s last four games have come in under the total after opening with three consecutive overs. Oddsmakers have adjusted, though, as Saturday’s game will be the first with a total lower than 55.5 points.

Kentucky, meanwhile, is 6-2 to the under on the season.

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A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Kentucky police detective of using excessive force on Breonna Taylor during a botched 2020 drug raid that left her dead.

The 12-member jury returned the late-night verdict after clearing Brett Hankison earlier in the evening on a charge that he used excessive force on Taylor’s neighbors.

It’s the first conviction of a Louisville police officer who was involved in the deadly raid.

Some members of the jury were in tears as the verdict was read around 9:30 pm Friday. They had earlier indicated to the judge in two separate messages that they were deadlocked on the charge of using excessive force on Taylor but chose to continue deliberating. The six man, six woman jury deliberated for more than 20 hours over three days.

Hankison fired 10 shots into Taylor’s glass door and windows during the raid, but didn’t hit anyone. Some shots flew into a next-door neighbor’s adjoining apartment.

A separate jury deadlocked on federal charges against Hankison last year, while in 2022, a jury acquitted Hankison on state charges of wanton endangerment.

The conviction against Hankison carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The death of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, along with the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked racial injustice protests across the U US.

Neither of the officers who shot Taylor – former Sgt John Mattingly and former Det Myles Cosgrove – were charged in Taylor’s death. Federal and state prosecutors have said those officers were justified in returning fire, since Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot at them first.

Hankison, 48, argued throughout the trial that he was acting to protect his fellow officers after Taylor’s boyfriend fired on them when they broke down Taylor’s door with a battering ram.

This jury had sent a note on Thursday to the US district judge Rebecca Grady Jennings asking whether they needed to know if Taylor was alive as Hankison fired his shots.

That was a point of contention during closing arguments, when Hankison’s attorney Don Malarcik told the jury that prosecutors must “prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms Taylor was alive” when Hankison fired.

After the jury sent the question, Jennings urged them to keep deliberating.

Walker shot and wounded one of the officers. Hankison testified that when Walker fired, he moved away, rounded the corner of the apartment unit and fired into Taylor’s glass door and a window.

Meanwhile, officers at the door returned Walker’s fire, hitting and killing Taylor, who was in a hallway.

Hankison’s lawyers argued during closing statements on Wednesday that Hankison was acting properly “in a very tense, very chaotic environment” that lasted about 12 seconds. They emphasized that Hankison’s shots didn’t hit anyone.

Hankison was one of four officers charged by the US Department of Justice in 2022 with violating Taylor’s civil rights. Thus far, those charges have yielded just one conviction: a plea deal from a former officer who was not at the raid and became a cooperating witness in another case.

After seven long, eventful months, the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team is back and is ready to tip off the Mark Pope era. The Wildcats’ opponent in the season opener will be the Wright State Raiders.

Wright State comes to Rupp Arena for a payment of $90,000 to give the Wildcats a respectable test. Coached by first-year head coach Clint Sargent, the Raiders were picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League and have the league’s preseason Player of the Year in forward Brandon Noel.

This will be the fifth game of the series, with Kentucky winning the previous four games by an average of 20.25 points.

Here’s what to watch for in Kentucky vs. Wright State to tip off the new season.

Defensive Litmus Test

Last season, Wright State had one of the nation’s best offenses, ranking fourth in points per game (86.5) and first in field goal percentage (53%). While they are under a new coach, Sargent has been at Wright State since 2016 and will play a similar style.

While they with pace, they do not rush things, and playing an inside-out game. Last season, the Raiders scored two-thirds of their points on two-point shots. That said, Sargent will likely shoot more threes than his predecessor.

This game should be a good litmus test for the Kentucky defense, which Pope says needs improvement. “We were actually dancing, recovering to the gap instead of recovering to the shooter,” he said of his preseason contests on Thursday.

This will be a great early test for the Cats, especially since Wright State has a very good forward in Brandon Noel, who recorded 19 points and 16 rebounds in a road win over Oakland last season.

Size Advantage

Wright State does not have a player in the rotation taller than 6’8, giving the Wildcats a clear size advantage with the trio of Andrew Carr, Brandon Garrison, and Amari Williams.

This should also create pressure inside the paint, allowing for shooters to be open. Also, this should help Kentucky on the boards, especially on the offensive glass. Mark Pope prioritizes this in his offense and wants to see his team improve on that from the preseason.

“I haven’t been super excited about us on the glass right now,” Pope said in his pregame presser. “We haven’t had the presence on the offensive glass, which is vitally important. How we play, we have got to have a presence on the offensive glass. And I think there were some times we got lackadaisical on the defensive glass. So I’d like to get much, much better there, much more sure there.”

Let’s see if Kentucky can assert itself now that the games are real, even if the team potentially does not have one of its best frontcourt players…

Amari Williams Injury

Early in Kentucky’s second exhibition game, Amari Williams suffered a leg injury, which forced him to miss the rest of the game. Thankfully, it sounds like it’s only a minor issue, but it does have Williams’ status in doubt for Monday night.

“Imaging was really good, really positive,” Pope said of Williams during a Thursday press conference. “He’s day-to-day right now. He won’t do anything — just free throws today, and we’re hopeful he’ll be back soon. But we’ll kinda proceed with all the caution and urgency that we possibly can.”

If Williams can’t go, it means Brandon Garrison will be the starting center after a solid showing in the exhibition season. While Garrison is more than capable of holding down the fort, Williams is the better overall big man. He’s also a better fit for Kentucky’s offense since he’s a good passer and can take the ball up the floor after grabbing a rebound.

Crowd/Energy

The Kentucky fanbase has been juiced with Mark Pope’s infectious energy since he was hired in April. That excitement has carried through the offseason and the first preseason exhibition game against Kentucky Wesleyan. However, for Minnesota State, the crowd was quite pitiful.

What will the crowd look like for Monday’s season opener? There will likely not be 100% attendance, but it will be interesting to see the turnout. There are several tickets still available online.

Opposing Players to Watch

F Brandon Noel, 6-8, 240 lbs

• 14.5 PPG
• 8.0 RPG
• Preseason Horizon League Player of the Year

*Stats from 2023-24 season

G Alex Huibregtse, 6-3, 205 lbs

• 12.3 PPG
• 3.3 APG
• Preseason Horizon League Second Team

*Stats from 2023-24 season

F Michael Imariagbe, 6-7, 220 lbs

*Stats from 2023-24 season

Time: 7:00 PM EST on November 4th

Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY

TV Channel: ESPNU

Announcers: Tom Hart and Jimmy Dykes

Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.

Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.

Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).

Rosters: UK | WSU

Stats to Know: UK | WSU

KenPom: UK | WSU

Team Sheet: UK | WSU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky as a 21.5-point favorite with an over/under of 157.5. EvanMiya gives the Cats a 92.9% chance to win. Bart Torvik and KenPom are slightly higher at 95% and 94%, respectively, while DRatings is at 93.1%.

Predictions: Bart Torvik and Haslametrics have Kentucky winning 91-71 and 93-73, respectively. EvanMiya and KenPom both predict an 86-69 win for the Wildcats. DRatings has Kentucky winning 96-81.

Send us your score predictions in the comments section!