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Point spread for Tennessee-Kentucky game sees big swing following opening release
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All those tall buildings in Las Vegas are there for a reason, the gambling experts in the desert know what they are doing.
Having said that, it’s very unusual for a point spread this late in the season to shift as much as the Tennessee-Kentucky line has shifted since opening on Sunday.
When the line was revealed, Kentucky was favored by four points at home over Tennessee. Just two days later, that line now favors the Volunteers in many sportsbooks. Depending on the sportsbook you prefer, the Volunteers are listed as a 1-point favorite on the road in Lexington by many sportsbooks while the game is listed as a Pick ‘Em in other sportsbooks.
That’s quite the swing considering no major player announcements have been made since the line opened, such as the return of an injured quarterback, although Jeremy Pruitt indicated on Monday that Brian Maurer will be available this week for the Vols.
However, Maurer likely doesn’t have the name recognition to significantly shift a point spread in Las Vegas at this point in his career.
One factor that may play a part in the line shifting is Mark Stoops’ name being front and center when it comes to the speculation with the coaching opening at Florida State. How big of a distraction that will prove to be for the Wildcats remains to be seen but it’s worth monitoring this weekend as the Kentucky-Tennessee game has quickly turned into an important game for each program this week.
A few weeks ago, both programs were on life support when it comes to making the postseason but following a streak of wins by both teams, this game could prove to be the difference between staying home or traveling for bowl season.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
