No. 17 Tennessee at Kentucky: How to Watch, Betting Odds, Key Stats & Info

Tennessee Football heads north to Lexington for a rivalry border battle against Kentucky on Saturday night at Kroger Field. The Vols will look for a big bounce-back game after suffering a loss at Alabama last weekend in Tuscaloosa. It’ll be Tennessee’s second straight SEC road game before returning to Knoxville next weekend for a home game against Oklahoma before the second and final bye week.

Kentucky is at the bottom of the SEC standings this year with a 0-4 conference record, but the Wildcats have at least been fairly scrappy at home with their league foes. Kentucky only fell by one touchdown to Ole Miss in the second weekend, and took Texas to overtime this past weekend. Still, though, the Wildcats’ best efforts have not resulted in a win. Kentucky will try to change things around in a rivalry game this weekend.

Get ready for the game with everything you need to know here:

Tennessee Football Preview: How the Vols Can Bounce Back Against Kentucky in Lexington

 

Betting Odds

Tennessee is currently a point underdog heading into the game on Saturday.

Here’s a look at some of the odds:

Click here for some of the top sportsbook promos and betting bonuses in the state of Tennessee.

Click here for some of the top sportsbook promos and betting bonuses in the state of Kentucky.

TN Sportsbook	Bonus Offer	Bonus Link
BetMGM	Bet $5, Get $158 in bonus bets	Claim Bonus — Use Code ROCKYBET
FanDuel	Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets Guaranteed	Claim Bonus
Caesars Sportsbook	Get a first bet on Caesars of up to $1,000	Claim Bonus — Use Code STARTGET

 

Previous Matchups

The long-standing rivalry between Tennessee and Kentucky leans heavily in the favor of the Volunteers. Tennessee has an 84-26-9 record against the Wildcats, with a remarkably dominant record since the 1985 season. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is 4-0 against Kentucky during his time in Knoxville, with two wins and two losses.

Tennessee and Kentucky will continue to square off as annual opponents in the new-look SEC scheduling format moving forward. Tennessee’s annual rivals include Kentucky, Alabama, and Vanderbilt. So, rest assured, the (previously named) Battle of the Beer Barrel will continue forward.

Last Five Meetings:

• 2024: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18 (KNOXVILLE)
• 2023: Tennessee 33, Kentucky 27 (LEXINGTON)
• 2022: Tennessee 44, Kentucky 6 (KNOXVILLE)
• 2021: Tennessee 45, Kentucky 42 (LEXINGTON)
• 2020: Kentucky 34, Tennessee 7 (KNOXVILLE)

 

More From RTI: Three Numbers to Know When Tennessee Football Plays Kentucky

Stat Leaders (Season Totals)

Tennessee:

• Passing: QB Joey Aguilar – 1,948 passing yards, 146-of-226, 15TDs, 6 INTs
• Rushing: RB DeSean Bishop – 604 yards, 77 carries, 7 TDs
• Receiving: WR Chris Brazzell Jr. – 531 yards, 31 receptions, 7 TDs
• Sacks: DL Joshua Josephs/DL Tyre West – 4 sacks
• Tackles: LB Arion Carter – 57 tackles

 

Kentucky:

• Passing: QB Cutter Boley – 885 passing yards, 79-of-123, 4 TDs, 4 INT
• Rushing: RB Seth McGowan – 476yards, 93 carries, 7 TDs
• Receiving: WR Kendrick Law – 199 yards, 22 receptions, 1 TD
• Sacks: LB Steven Soles Jr. – 3 sacks
• Tackles: LB Alex Afari Jr. – 39 tackles

 

2025 Season Record

Tennessee (5-2):

• W: vs Syracuse 45-26 (ATLANTA)
• W: vs ETSU 72-17 (KNOXVILLE)
• L: vs Georgia 44-41 OT (KNOXVILLE)
• W: vs UAB 56-24 (KNOXVILLE)
• W: at Mississippi State (STARKVILLE)
• W: vs Arkansas 43-31 (KNOXVILLE
• L: at Alabama 37-20 (TUSCALOOSA)

 

Kentucky (2-4):

• W: vs Toledo 24-16
• L: vs Ole Miss 30-23
• W: vs Eastern Michigan 48-23
• L: at South Carolina 35-13
• L: at Georgia 35-14
• L: vs Texas 16-13 (OT)

 

Tennessee Uniform

road trip gear

⬜️⬜️⬜️@DICKS | #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/oCVrIu5ubi

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 23, 2025

Josh Heupel Press Conference