Tennessee has been the cinderella team throughout college football through the first nine weeks of the season. Hendon Hooker is on pace to potentially upset the Heisman Trophy voting while the defense has gotten the necessary stops needed to hold on to shootout wins.
While the Volunteer run has only gotten better through college football, Kentucky’s fast start in the SEC has faltered. Now ranked 19th in the country, a win over Mississippi St. has overshadowed two tough losses to South Carolina and Ole Miss.
Can Kentucky pull off a major upset against the vaunted Volunteer offense? Can Tennessee continue it’s winning ways?
We have everything on the upcoming matchup that you need to know here.
#19 Kentucky Wildcats vs. #3 Tennessee Volunteers
Where: Neyland Stadium
When: 7:00 pm – ET
How to Watch: ESPN
Spread: Tennessee -11.5
Over/Under: 61.0
The Matchup
There isn’t a better story in college football than Hendon Hooker and the Tennessee Volunteers. A matchup with Georgia is still on the horizon to even think of playing in Atlanta for the SEC title, but this offense is one of the best overall groups in college football history.
Kentucky has a very good quarterback on their own in Will Levis, but the overall team isn’t as strong as Tennessee’s. Levis could easily be considered a better quarterback prospect than Hooker and will probably be a first round selection out of college football in the spring of next year.
The real question will be two-fold. Can Kentucky find any answer for Tennessee’s powerful offense and can the Volunteers’ defense force any kind of errant throws from Levis.
Top Prop Bets
Props Courtesy of DraftKings sportsbook. For more, click here.
First Half Spread – Kentucky +7
Will Tennessee win on Saturday? I think it’s fair to assume that will happen. That doesn’t mean Kentucky can’t keep it close. Will Levis being on the road has a chance to silence the loud Tennessee crowd early and often on Saturday night and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Wildcats come out to the early lead.
It’s also based on what Tennessee has been able to do in second halves. As one of the best offenses in college football, it’s not outlandish to think the Volunteers could start slow but finish fast. In fact, I think it’s more of a when they start slow than if.
16.5 Second Half Points – Tennessee -125
Yea, you can bet the over on this one. Even if Kentucky is behind by a lot at halftime, Tennessee will want to put away their rivals by as much as possible.
Hendon Hooker being one of the best second half quarterbacks in college football also help here as well. I think it’s just a case of when the Volunteers get to over 20 points in the second half than if. This is one of the most lethal offenses in college football history and it’s something to take into account for any time there’s a points prop for each half.
