Kentucky vs. Tennessee college basketball odds: Wildcats short underdogs likely without TyTy Washington, Jacob Toppin

This writer's pick to win the national championship assuming full health is current No. 4 Kentucky (priced +1000), but the Cats most likely will not be at full health tonight at No. 16 Tennessee with five-star freshman guard TyTy Washington and junior forward Jacob Toppin both in doubt due to injury. The Vols, who are unbeaten at home, are 1.5-point favorites at Caesars Sportsbook. Click here for model picks. 

Tonight will mark the sixth time this season Kentucky is an underdog and the Cats are 2-3 straight up and against the spread in the previous five. They last were on Feb. 5 at Alabama (+1.5) and won 66-55. Kentucky has yet to lose a game when one of its eight primary rotation players was unavailable due to injury or illness, but I expect the Vols to win here if Washington and Toppin are both out – even if it's just Washington.

The nation's No. 15 overall recruit via sister site 247Sports, Washington left Saturday's 78-57 home win over Florida with a lower left leg injury. He had 10 points, six assists and five rebounds and is averaging 12.8 points, 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds on the season. Right after the game, John Calipari speculated Washington could miss a week or two, but X-rays revealed nothing major. Toppin (5.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg) has missed a handful of games this season with shoulder and ankle injuries and didn't play Saturday.

All of four of UK's losses have come away from home. The Cats' last loss was on Jan. 22 at Auburn when Washington only played eight minutes and scored four points before being helped off the court with a left ankle injury. He didn't return.

Kentucky is a game behind Auburn in the SEC and Tennessee (18-6, 9-3) is a game behind UK. The Vols haven't lost in SEC play since being trounced 107-79 in Lexington on Jan. 15. Washington had 28 points in that one as the Cats shot an amazing 68 percent from the field.

Since 2018, Rick Barnes has led the Vols to a 17-5 record in regular-season rematch games.  Dating to last season, the Vols have won 14 straight inside Thompson-Boling Arena. UT has won four of the last six meetings vs. Kentucky at home. Since Calipari has been in Lexington, Tennessee is the only program to have logged wins over Kentucky for six straight seasons. UT has beaten four AP Top 5 foes during the Barnes era, including three UK wins.

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