Kentucky vs Tennessee predictions, odds & picks for March 28 | 2025 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 

One of the much-awaited games in this year's March Madness Sweet 16 lineup is a showdown between two SEC powerhouse programs. On Friday, the third-seeded Kentucky Wildcats are set to face the second seed in the Midwest region in the Tennessee Volunteers.

Both teams notched steady victories in their second-round matchups and now bank on that momentum moving forward. On Saturday, the Volunteers toppled the seventh-seeded UCLA Bruins 67-58. Meanwhile, the Wildcats defeated the sixth-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini 84-75 on Sunday.

Both squads have had a long history of facing each other, meaning that their postseason fixture won't be any different as the two schools are looking to advance further in the national tourney. Let's see how both teams could fare in the much-anticipated matchup.

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Kentucky vs Tennessee prediction

The Kentucky Wildcats are in the midst of their first March Madness run under newl coach Mark Pop. They have exceeded expectations thus far after a tumultous start to the campaign. For the Tennessee Volunteers, they are in their 10th campaign under Rick Barnes, hunting for their first national title.

Pope's team is headed by its duo guards in Otega Oweh, who leads the team in scoring, and Lamont Butler, who is best known for his March Madness game winner when he was still a San Diego Aztec.

Along with these two, Kentucky's all-around lineup, which just needed to gel under Pope's system, is highlighted by Koby Brea, who can flat out shoot the lights out on any night.

On the other hand, the veteran tactitian in Barnes has players like the one-two punch of Chaz Lanier with his scoring, through which he leads the team, and Zakai Zeigler, who is touted as one of the best facilitators this season.

Given the kind of multi-faced lineup the Wildcats have, they evenly match this with their hard-nosed defense where they average more steals and blocks.

While the Volunteers are the favorites by many to move on to the Elite Eight, Kentucky is peaking at the right time in the latter stages of the campaign. The momentun they have gained could be enough for them to come out of Friday triumphant.

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Kentucky vs Tennessee odds

Team	Spread	Total	Moneyline
Kentucky	+4.5 (-110)	Over 144.5 (-110)	+160
Tennessee	-4.5 (-110)	Under 144.5 (-110)	-200

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Kentucky vs Tennessee picks

Pick #1: Kentucky (+4.5)

Pick #2: Over (144.5)

Pick #3: Tennessee (-4.5)

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Kentucky vs Tennessee head-to-head

Being in the same conference, the Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers boast a long-standing rivalry, but the latter is still the one on top as they lead their head-to-head record 163-78. In their most recent fixture, the Wildcats won by nine points, 75-64, against the Volunteers on Feb. 11.

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Where to watch Kentucky vs Tennessee

The Sweet 16 showdown between the Kentucky Wildcats (24-11) and the Tennessee Volunteers (29-7) is slated for Friday, March 28, in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with tipoff at 7:39 p.m. EDT. The game can be watched live on TBS.

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Kentucky vs Tennessee injuries

Tennessee will be without forward JP Estrella, who is still out with a foot injury. For Kentucky, veteran Kerr Kriisa is still nursing a foot injury, while key cog Jaxson Robinson may be out with an undisclosed setback.