Kentucky hosts Tennessee in a key matchup in the SEC East. Both teams are looking to snap two-game losing streaks and get into position as the second-best team in the division behind national No. 1 Georgia. The Tennessee-Kentucky game frequently features cold, miserable weather, and the night started in Lexington in early November promises to continue that tradition.
Without further ado, let’s take a look into the college football odds and how you should be wagering over at the top-rated sportsbooks.
Saturday, November 06, 2021 – 07:00 PM EDT at Kroger Field
Kentucky hosts Tennessee in a key matchup in the SEC East. The Wildcats and Volunteers are both looking to snap two-game losing streaks and get into position as the second-best team in the division, behind national No. 1 Georgia. No. 18 Kentucky hopes to recapture the magic of its 6-0 start that had fans thinking College Football Playoff, while the Vols hope to get above .500 on the year and back to even in the SEC.
The Tennessee-Kentucky game frequently features cold, miserable weather. While this year’s showdown in Lexington is earlier on the calendar than usual, it will still be a nighttime early-November start and promises to keep the frigid tradition alive. Tennessee will be ready for the weather. “You’ve got to be the most excited team on the football field,” coach Josh Heupel said. “No matter what the elements are, man, you’ve got to be ready to go compete.”
Tennessee played the first eight weeks of the season, ending with a showdown against top-three Alabama in Week Eight, before finally getting a much-needed bye week last Saturday. The Vols were feeling the wear and tear by the end of that stretch and are hopeful that the week off will get them healthy and ready to go for the stretch run.
Defensive tackle Elijah Simmons, offensive lineman Cade Mays corner Warren Burrell, and safety/linebacker Theo Jackson missed all or part of the Alabama game with an injury. Several other players made it through the game but were hobbling, including quarterback Herndon Hooker, center Cooper Mays and running back Tyson Evans.
“I don’t want to say anything concrete at this moment,” Heupel said of the injured offensive players. “I do think all those guys are leaning towards having the opportunity to play. We gave most of those guys the bulk of the time off last week. Seeing those guys back in the building today moving around a little bit. We’ll figure out more when we get on the field Tuesday, Wednesday but I think those guys will have an opportunity to play.”
If Heupel’s assessment is accurate, Tennessee would have its projected starting line intact for the first game since the SEC opener against Florida on Sept. 25.
Kentucky ran out to a 6-0 start, including wins over Missouri, Florida, and LSU. They’ve lost the last two both by double-digit margins on the road, to No. 1 Georgia and Mississippi State.
The key for Kentucky to getting back on a winning track will be to rediscover its running game. Chris Rodriguez Jr. is the second-leading rusher in the SEC and was averaging 128 yards per game with five touchdowns over the first six games. Georgia held him to seven yards on seven carries. Mississippi State did almost as well, limiting him to 34 yards on eight carries. He was averaging 6.4 yards per carry during the winning streak, which fell to 2.7 over the last two games.
All of that put pressure on Kentucky’s passing game to carry the offense. The Wildcats aren’t built that way, with Penn State transfer Will Levis serving as more of a game manager at quarterback. Kentucky runs the fewest plays per game in the SEC as the run game helps to control the clock and slow down the pace. They also rank twelfth in the league in passes per game, at just 26.
“For us, it’s about going back to being who we are,” coach Mark Stoops said. “One thing I didn’t like about last week is they were more physical than us. That can’t happen. They seemed to be more motivated at times, certainly more physical at times, executed better. They out-played and us and it’s up to us to get back to who we are. I can’t control what opponents do but I can control the way we do things.”
Kentucky’s ground game should find more holes in the Tennessee defense than it did the last two weeks. On a night that promises to be cold, for your college football picks, look for the Vols’ high-speed offense to slow down, while the Wildcats get back on track.
NCAAF Pick: Kentucky -1 (-108) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
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