Tennessee vs. Kentucky odds, spread, lines: Week 9 college football picks, predictions by computer model
A pair of old SEC border rivals square off on Rocky Top this weekend as Kentucky visits Tennessee in college football's Week 9 action on Saturday.
Tennessee is the team of the year so far, moving to 7-0 following a landmark win over Alabama and coming off a thrashing of UT Martin, all behind the No. 1 total offense in the nation up to now.
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There isn't much margin for error in this game for Big Orange, which still has to play Georgia in what might be the play-in game for the SEC Championship out of the East Division.
Kentucky started off well enough, moving into the top 10 nationally, but has dropped two of the last three, beating Mississippi State as an underdog, and coming off a bye week to prepare.
What do the experts think of the matchup? Let's see how the College Football Power Index computer prediction model projects the game.
Tennessee vs. Kentucky picks, predictions
Week 9 college football picks: Tennessee vs. Kentucky
The computer is siding comfortably with the home team, as Tennessee has the 82.9 percent chance to defeat Kentucky on Saturday.
That leaves the Wildcats a 17.1 percent shot to spoil the Volunteers' perfect season and above falling below .500 in SEC competition.
The oddsmakers also favor the home team, as Tennessee comes in as the 12.5 point favorites to defeat Kentucky, according to the lines at SI Sportsbook, which set the over/under mark at 63.5 points for the matchup.
Tennessee checks in at No. 5 on the index's 131 college football rankings, projected to win 10.8 games this season, and with a 51.5 percent chance to make its first-ever College Football Playoff.
FPI ranks Kentucky as the No. 33 team nationally with a 7.4 win total projection and just a 0.1 percent shot to win the SEC East.
College Football Power Index
Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance.
Rankings and scores predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season, using a combination of analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, and a team’s schedule.
College football rankings
According to AP top 25 poll
1. Georgia (31 1st-place votes)
2. Ohio State (18)
3. Tennessee (13)
4. Michigan
5. Clemson (1)
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Oregon
9. Oklahoma State
10. USC
T-10. Wake Forest
12. UCLA
13. Penn State
14. Utah
15. Ole Miss
16. Syracuse
17. Illinois
18. LSU
19. Kentucky
20. Cincinnati
21. North Carolina
22. Kansas State
23. Tulane
24. NC State
25. South Carolina