Who will win Kentucky basketball vs Tennessee in SEC showdown today? Our expert prediction

Kentucky basketball has lost two straight games. It won’t have much margin for error to avoid a three-game skid. That’s because its next opponent, Tennessee, won’t make it easy.

The Volunteers were the last undefeated team in the country this season, starting the 2024-25 campaign 14-0 before a blowout defeat at Florida. UT is 17-3 overall, with all three of its setbacks occurring in conference play. And on the road. (It also lost at Vanderbilt and Auburn, respectively). But at home, coach Rick Barnes’ crew has been unbeatable, owning an 11-0 mark this season at Thompson-Boling Arena.

That works against the Wildcats, who are 1-3 in road games in 2024-25.

UT also has a knack for taking away one of the things UK does best: shooting the 3. As of Monday evening, Tennessee tops Division I in 3-point field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to sink only 25.4% of their attempts from distance. The Wildcats, on average, make 10.1 triples per game, the best mark in the conference.

As stingy as the Vols are defensively, they also possess one of the most dynamic scorers in the conference: Chaz Lanier, who transferred from North Florida, averages 18 points per outing (fourth best in the SEC) on 41.4% aim (125 of 302). Lanier leads the league in field goals made (125), 3-pointers made overall (71) and per game (3.55) and ranks third among SEC players in 3-point percentage (42.3; 71 for 168).

Here’s what to know about Kentucky’s SEC matchup against Tennessee today in Knoxville, Tennessee:

Where to watch Kentucky basketball vs. Tennessee

The contest between the Wildcats and Volunteers will air on ESPN. You can stream ESPN on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Authenticated subscribers also can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.

What time is Kentucky basketball vs. Tennessee?

UK and Tennessee are slated to tip off at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Kentucky basketball 2024-25 schedule

Oct. 23: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
Oct. 29: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
Nov. 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
Nov. 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
Nov. 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
Nov. 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
Nov. 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
Nov. 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 105, Georgia State 76
Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge) ∣ SCORE: Clemson 70, Kentucky 66
Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 90, Gonzaga 89 (OT)
Dec. 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Colgate 67
Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Ohio State 85, Kentucky 65
Dec. 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Brown 54
Jan. 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 106, Florida 100
Jan. 7: at Georgia | SCORE: Georgia 82, Kentucky 69
Jan. 11: at Mississippi State | SCORE: Kentucky 95, Mississippi State 90
Jan. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 81, Texas A&M 69
Jan. 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Alabama 102, Kentucky 97
Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt | SCORE: Vanderbilt 74, Kentucky 69
Jan. 28: at Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 1: vs. Arkansas (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 4: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 8: vs. South Carolina (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN/ESPN2
Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 15: at Texas, 8 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 19: vs. Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network
Feb. 22: at Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 26: at Oklahoma, 9 p.m., SEC Network
March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1/4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), 7/9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN/SEC Network
Kentucky basketball vs Tennessee prediction

Tennessee 76, Kentucky 62: The Volunteers’ lock-tight defense, on paper, already made this a difficult matchup for the Cats. Add to that Kentucky’s aforementioned road woes, where its only victory is a five-point escape at Mississippi State — a game in which UK led by just one (91-90) with two minutes to play. Perhaps most worrisome for the Wildcats, however, is their health. Or lack thereof. Guard Kerr Kriisa is still sidelined. Forward Andrew Carr sat out the Vanderbilt loss with a nagging back injury. And now, Lamont Butler is listed as “out” on the SEC’s latest availability report, which posted Monday night. The injury issues, and the problems the Vols present, are a recipe for disaster for the Wildcats. Expect a short-handed Kentucky club to put up a fight in the first half before its lack of depth bites the visitors in the second half of a double-digit defeat to its border state rival.