Tennessee Vs Kentucky Should Have Offenses In Full Force

Tennessee vs. Kentucky, 8:30 ET

I think some of the appeal of college sports is that you never really know what will happen. I guess you can somewhat say that about all sports, but with college, there is a lot of pressure on kids to perform that will never make it to the next level. That’s not a knock on them, it is a simple fact. Of the hundreds of kids that play division one basketball, how many make it to the NBA? Maybe 50 over the next couple of years. Yet there is some magic about the thrill of the more equal level of competition. The effort level is higher and the games seem more enjoyable. Betting on them might seem crazy considering you’re betting on an amateur to do something, but I’m a little crazy. And, I’m just crazy enough to think we can take a unit off of the books in a game between Tennessee and Kentucky.

Tennessee comes in as the #5 ranked team in the nation with a 15-5 record and a 5-2 conference standing. They’ve done a lot right this year as they look to build on the successful team from last year. It hasn’t always been easy, as the team has a pretty tough schedule, but they’ve obviously navigated it well and are ready to try and tame the Wildcats today. The Volunteers are coming off of a loss at the hands of South Carolina on Tuesday, a four point fall that happened on their home court. Simply put, that stuff can’t happen, but maybe this was a game where they were caught looking ahead to their matchup today and didn’t take the Gamecocks seriously enough. Their team is led by Dalton Knecht, a sharpshooter what averages 20.1 points per game right now. Expect Kentucky to key in on him and look to get the ball out of his hands. It might not matter though as he gets screens and the team clearly finds ways to get him the rock. Aside from him, Tennessee only has one other guy that averages in double digits and that is Jonas Aidoo who gets a lot of points from his rebounding and being a big presence down low. The balance of the team is a strength for Tennessee as they keep guys fresh and find ways to get them involved in the offense. 

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 17: Kennedy Chandler #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers drives against Jesper Granlund #35 of the Longwood Lancers during the first half in the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 17, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Kentucky, as you’d expect in this one-and-done Coach Calipari era, is full of talent but sometimes struggles to put together a full game. They are sitting at 15-5 and also coming off of a loss on their home floor. They dropped a game against Florida (I actually bet on it and was completely wrong as I thought they’d handle business against a Florida team that has struggled on the road this season). They also lost to the Gamecocks, just like Tennessee, only this game was in South Carolina which does make it a bit more excusable. I tend to give a lot of college teams passes when they lose on the road, but if they at least keep it close I can understand. In that game, Kentucky lost by 17, so they couldn’t even keep it close. While Tennessee only has one true primary scorer, and a bunch of other guys, Kentucky has five dudes that average 10 or more per game. Antonio Reeves and Knecht may cancel each other out in scoring, but I don’t see many others on the Kentucky squad that are promising for taking over games right now. 

This game is a little more closely matched than I would’ve thought on first glance. Tennessee is probably the better team, but on the road it is hard to back them. I like the balance the Volunteers have, but the athletic ability and home court advantage lie with Kentucky. Picking a side would be a guess more than a real play. I think the best way to go about this is to take the over 159 as both teams will look to exploit matchups and the guards will be on full display.