Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt game glance, odds and early prediction

The Kentucky Wildcats got a much-needed win Saturday against Missouri, improving their record to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in SEC play.

This week, they’ll return to Lexington for the remainder of the season, beginning with the Vanderbilt Commodores this week.

Kentucky comes into the game fourth in the SEC East, trailing Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

Vanderbilt is dead-last in the SEC East.

After a disastrous performance against Tennessee, Kentucky bounced back with a solid performance against the Tigers. Will Levis went 12/18 for 170 yards and three touchdowns against a stingy Missouri defense, including hooking up with freshman Dane Key twice on the day, one being the final go-ahead touchdown for the Wildcats.

After Saturday’s game against the Tigers, Levis has now thrown for 1,903 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight picks.

Chris Rodriguez also added 112 yards on the ground.

Vanderbilt is coming off a loss in Nashville to South Carolina, dropping their record to 3-6 on the season.

Vanderbilt has been running a dual-quarterback system for quite a bit of the season, alternating both Mike Wright and AJ Swann. Swann is the leading passer, going for 1,195 yards on the season and 10 touchdowns. Wright has thrown for an additional 654 yards and also boasts 328 rushing yards.

However, Swann was injured in the game and could miss this week, leaving Mike Wright to start.

The Vanderbilt defense is among the worst in the country at this point in the season. Ranking 125/131 in opponents PPG, allowing 36.8 points per game.

Unfortunately, Kentucky’s offense ranks among the lowest in the country (97/131) in points per game scored with 23.6. Since the Ole Miss game, Kentucky has scored just an average of 17.4 points per game, as compared to the 31.2 points per game during their 4-0 start to the season.

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In Levis’ four games played since the 4-0 start, he has thrown for an average of 172.7 yards per game. In Kentucky’s 4-0 start to the season, Levis was throwing for an average of 296.2 yards per game.

One thing is clear, since Levis’ injury against Ole Miss, and Kentucky’s heartbreaking loss to the Rebels, Kentucky’s offense has not been the same.

They’ll look to open it up more against Vanderbilt on Saturday prior to hosting Georgia on November 19.

Game: Vanderbilt Commodores (3-6) at Kentucky Wildcats (6-3)

Location: Kroger Field - Lexington, Kentucky

Start Time: 12 pm ET/11 am CT on November 12th, 2022

TV Channel: SEC Network will have the game.

Odds: Kentucky opened as a 17.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Kentucky an 88.6% chance of getting the win.

Early Prediction: TeamRankings projects a 33-16 victory, Kentucky!