chaz-lanier-cbs-5.jpg
Imagn Images

The third-seeded Kentucky Wildcats will take on the second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in an all-SEC Sweet 16 showdown in the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday. Kentucky is coming off an 84-75 win over Illinois on Sunday, while Tennessee upended UCLA 67-58 in the second round. The Wildcats (24-11), who are 134-56 in 64 NCAA Tournaments all-time, have not reached a Final Four since 2015, their second-longest drought ever. The Volunteers (29-7), who are 30-27 in 28 previous tournament appearances, have never made it to the Final Four.

Tipoff from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is set for 7:39 p.m. ET. This will be the third meeting between the rivals this season, with Kentucky winning both previous matchups. Tennessee is a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Kentucky vs. Tennessee odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 144.5. Before making any Tennessee vs. Kentucky picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-168 roll (+1815) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and has nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Kentucky vs. Tennessee and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Tennessee vs. Kentucky:

  • Tennessee vs. Kentucky spread: Tennessee -4.5
  • Tennessee vs. Kentucky over/under: 144.5 points  
  • Tennessee vs. Kentucky money line: Tennessee -207, Kentucky +171
  • UK: The Wildcats have hit the money line in 23 of their last 34 games (+13.10 units)  
  • TEN: The Vols have hit the team total under in 22 of their last 38 games (+4.75 units)  
  • Tennessee vs. Kentucky picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Tennessee can cover

Senior guard Chaz Lanier has had a dominant NCAA Tournament so far. In the 77-62 first-round win over Wofford, he poured in 29 points, while adding five rebounds and two steals. He scored 20 points, while adding four rebounds and two assists in Saturday's win over UCLA. The transfer from North Florida has started all 36 games he has played, averaging 18.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 31.3 minutes.

Senior guard Zakai Zeigler registered a double-double in the win over Wofford. In 36 minutes of action, he scored 12 points, while dishing out 12 assists and making two steals. He had 15 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals against the Bruins on Saturday. In 35 games, all starts, he is averaging 13.7 points, 7.4 assists, three rebounds and two steals in 34.1 minutes. See which team to pick here.

Why Kentucky can cover 

The Wildcats also boast a strong offense, led by junior guard Otega Oweh. In Sunday's win over the Fighting Illini, he poured in 15 points, while grabbing four rebounds. He had a near double-double in the 76-57 win over Troy in the first round, scoring 20 points and adding eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. In 35 games, all starts, he is averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals in 28.1 minutes.

Senior guard Koby Brea is also having a solid NCAA Tournament. The transfer from Dayton scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win over Illinois on Sunday. He had 13 points, four assists and two rebounds against Troy. In 35 games this season, including 15 starts, he is averaging 11.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.9 minutes. See which team to pick here.

How to make Tennessee vs. Kentucky picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 152 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Kentucky vs. Tennessee, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Tennessee vs. Kentucky spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned nearly $1,900 on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.