Kentucky faces tough odds to beat Tennessee and make the Final Four

The Kentucky Wildcats face a tough challenge in the Sweet 16 as they prepare to take on SEC rival Tennessee on Friday night.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Wildcats enter the matchup as 4.5-point underdogs, meaning oddsmakers expect a close game but favor the Volunteers. Kentucky’s moneyline sits at +155, while Tennessee is the favorite at -188. The over/under for the game is set at 145.5 points, indicating expectations for a competitive but low-scoring affair by Kentucky’s standards.

Despite being the underdog, Kentucky has already defeated Tennessee twice this season, proving they can compete with one of the top teams in the country. Mark Pope’s squad has been playing good basketball at the right time, and if they can secure a third win over the Vols, they’ll move on to face either Houston or Purdue in the Elite Eight.

Looking at Kentucky’s Final Four odds, FanDuel lists the Cats at +600. In terms of the entire Sweet 16 field, nine teams have better odds of making the Final Four than Kentucky. Some sportsbooks give Kentucky the worst odds to make the Final Four out of the Midwest Region, though FanDuel has the Boilermakers trailing at +700 odds. Houston (-110) and Tennessee (+240) are ahead in the Midwest Region.

And finally, the FanDuel odds to win the national championship have Kentucky getting the sixth-lowest odds at +5500. Tennessee has the fifth-highest championship odds at +1600.

While the road won’t be easy, the Wildcats have shown resilience and the ability to step up in the biggest moments.

With their season on the line, Kentucky will need another strong performance from its key players to keep their championship hopes alive. If they can extend their winning streak against Tennessee, the Wildcats will be one game away from their first Final Four since 2015.