3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Kentucky at Tennessee

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

When looking at FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds, No. 12 Kentucky against No. 8 Tennessee stands out as the top matchup of the day. This is perhaps the best rivalry the SEC has to offer and will be the first of two meetings, with the second coming on February 11.

To add to the intrigue, FanDuel Sportsbook is offering a promo for all customers betting on the Kentucky at Tennessee game taking place January 28th.

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You can claim this promo by signing into your FanDuel Sportsbook account and clicking the “Claim Now” button. You’ll then be rewarded a 50% Profit Boost Token to use for any wager on the Kentucky-Tennessee game happening January 28th, 2025. See full terms at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Kentucky at Tennessee Betting Picks

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Kentucky Under 69.5 Points (-106)

The Wildcats rank third in Bart Torvik's adjusted offensive efficiency and log 88.1 points per game (PPG) -- which is the third-highest mark out of 364 teams. This offense is not immune to off nights, though, as UK has scored under 70 points in two of its last five games.

Tennessee poses a tall challenge, boasting Bart Torvik's second-best adjusted defense. The Volunteers are already viewed as the more efficient team, ranked 5th in Bart Torvik while Big Blue is 20th. Additionally, the Cats are dealing with multiple injuries as guard Lamont Butler is out and forward Andrew Carr is questionable. Carr hasn't practiced "in a couple weeks" and was absent in Kentucky loss against Vanderbilt on Saturday.

More than likely, the Wildcats will be without two starters, and Butler (13.2 PPG) and Carr (10.9 PPG) make up two of the team's top four scorers. This couldn't come at a worse time against one of the nation's best defenses.

Look for the Vols' defense to be very disruptive tonight. UK is missing its starting point guard, and UT forces 13.5 turnovers per game (80th percentile).

The Volunteers' main concern will be defending the three as they allow 26.0 shots per game (10th percentile) while surrendering a 45.4% shot distribution from three-point land (8th percentile). Kentucky will likely live or die by the three tonight as it's in the 75th percentile of three-point shot distribution.

Regardless, the Vols have a way of making virtually every game scrappy and ugly. We saw that on Saturday as UT held Auburn (first in adjusted offense) to 53 points and a 30.5% field goal percentage (FG%). The Tigers are also in the 58th percentile for the quickest adjusted tempos in college basketball -- similar to UK in the 91st percentile for the quickest paces.

In line with Bart Torvik's game projections giving Kentucky 68 points, look for Tennessee to limit another quick-paced, electric offense to a frustrating night.

Jaxson Robinson to Make 3+ Threes (-102)

I'm not hot on Kentucky's offense tonight, but we did mention the Volunteers' struggles in defending the three. Losing Butler's 40.0% three-point percentage certainly hurts UK, but the Cats are still loaded with shooters. Jaxson Robinson is the name to watch.

Following a slow start from deep, Robinson has drained 18 of 35 three-point shots (51.4%) over his last four games. This kind of efficiency is bound to come down, but I'll keep riding the hot streak until it's over. He's averaged 6.8 three-point shots per game this season, and that's up to 8.8 during the four-game span.

FanDuel Sportsbook's three-point market for Robinson begins at 3+ made threes. He's reached this number in four straight, logging 4.5 made threes per game in that time.

When Butler was absent for two games in December, Robinson put up 14.5 PPG and 8.0 three-point shots per game. Both surpass his season averages of 12.9 PPG and 6.8 three-point attempts per contest. With that said, we should expect a larger workload for Robinson today, which also puts value on his 11.5-point prop.

Considering his blistering hot streak over the last four games, Robinson is perhaps the best player equipped to shoot the three for the Cats -- especially when Koby Brea (46.4% from three) has shot 26.9% from deep over his past five outings.

Zakai Zeigler Over 13.5 Points (-105)

Butler also makes a big impact on defense for the Cats, sporting a 2.75 Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR) -- via EvanMiya. That's the second-best mark on Kentucky, and Otega Oweh has the next-best mark in the backcourt (1.61 DBPR).

Standing at 6 foot 4, Oweh will likely be tasked with defending Tennessee's Chaz Lanier (18.0 PPG) or Jordan Gainey (11.1 PPG). Opting for a tall lineup by putting 6-foot-6 Jaxson Robinson at point guard could allow UT's Zakai Zeigler (5'9") to flourish as the quickest player on the court. With that said, Kentucky will likely give backup point guard Tyler Perry heavy minutes, and he's largely inexperienced as a true freshman who is already filling in for Kerr Kriisa -- who is indefinitely out with a foot injury.

The Wildcats are extremely thin at point guard, and putting a freshman on the senior guard Zeigler probably won't end well. Zeigler is second on the Volunteers with 12.3 PPG and has reached at least 14 points in four of his last five. For Kentucky, Perry has reached double-digit minutes in only two games this season. Freshman wing Trent Noah could also see elevated minutes, but he's appeared in only three games since December.

UK is 90th in Bart Torvik's adjusted defense. Someone on Tennessee is bound to thrive, and it will likely be Zeigler considering the Cats' point guard troubles. Plus, their best available defender on the perimeter (Oweh) will likely guard Lanier, who has a lofty points prop of 19.5.

With Zeigler logging 14.2 PPG over his last five, give me the over on his points prop of 13.5. Zeigler leads Tennessee with a 57.2% three-point shot distribution, and Kentucky is in the 15th percentile of three-point shot distribution allowed.

Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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