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It might not be the marquee game on the SEC slate, but Tennessee and Kentucky might have the most at stake.
The Volunteer season is effectively over with a loss. After getting whacked by Alabama, it’s 2-2 in the SEC and realistically out of the conference title chase.
With so many good teams that should get to ten wins, a third loss will almost certainly be the end of any College Football Playoff hopes.
Kentucky desperately needs something positive. Few coaches are on a hotter seat than Mark Stoops, and at 2-4 with a three-game losing streak, and after the close-call overtime loss to Texas, taking care of Tennessee at home would be a huge boost.
Tennessee Volunteers vs Kentucky Wildcats Preview: Last Chance for the Cats?
How To Watch Tennessee vs Kentucky
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Game Time: 7:45 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Location: Kroger Field, Lexington, KY
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Why Tennessee Will Win
Kentucky doesn’t score.
That’s not a problem when facing an offensively-challenged team like Texas, and Ole Miss and Georgia were held down reasonably well, but get up on this bunch fast, and it’s over.
The Wildcats haven’t scored more than 14 points since taking down Eastern Michigan back in mid-September.
The passing game isn’t awful, but the running attack is nowhere to be found. That’s just fine for a Tennessee defense that was ripped up by the rest of the SEC, except for Alabama last week.
The Volunteer offensive line has done a great job, the pass rush is still a terror - even if the defensive results aren’t always there - and Kentucky doesn’t have the pass protection or pass rush to combat any of this. However …
Why Kentucky Will Win
Kentucky is still Kentucky.
There hasn’t been a whole lot that has changed, except that the team isn’t winning the close games like it used to.
For all of the problems and issues, the team was right there against Texas. The 30-23 final score is a bit misleading, but it hung around with Ole Miss, and in the blowouts, the wounds have mostly been self-inflicted.
Four turnovers against South Carolina, two against Georgia, and those were the two ugly losses. Since the opener against Toledo, there was just one turnover in the three games besides the losses to the Gamecocks and the Bulldogs.
Penalties haven’t been a problem, keeping the tempo at its pace usually isn’t a big deal, and …
Tennessee vs Kentucky Prediction, Betting Lines
Tennessee should open this up fast.
Kentucky will once again fight the good fight, and it’ll even get the offense going a bit against a Volunteer defense that’s having a hard time getting control of games. The Vols will score right away and then get dragged into the muck.
Unlike the Texas game, though, Kentucky will have to deal with a functional offense in the second half.
Tennessee 31, Kentucky 23
Line: Tennessee -8.5, o/u: 54.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 3
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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