Vanderbilt basketball got back on track with a blowout win at Mississippi State on Jan. 24.
The Commodores (17-3, 4-3 SEC) had lost three straight games prior, but the 88-56 win over the Bulldogs may have been just what they needed before facing Kentucky (14-6, 5-2) on Jan. 27 (8 p.m. CT, ESPN).
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For now, the game is still on track to be played as scheduled despite Winter Storm Fern that caused trees and power lines to go down in the Nashville area, per a Vanderbilt spokesperson.
The Commodores defeated the Wildcats last season at Memorial Gymnasium but lost the rematch in Lexington.
Kentucky struggled early, but has gone on a streak
At one point, Kentucky sat at 6-4 on the season. Now, the Wildcats are 14-6 and winners of five straight.
Yes, most of the wins came against the bottom of the SEC − teams including Mississippi State, LSU and Ole Miss. But Kentucky beat Tennessee on the road and Texas, a team Vanderbilt lost to, at home.
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Kentucky has big guards
Kentucky only has one player on its roster listed below 6-foot-3, and that player, Jaland Lowe, is out for the season. Duke Miles and Tyler Tanner are both below that, as is Frankie Collins (if he plays).
The Wildcats only have one seven-footer and a handful of bench bigs, so their post players don’t figure to pose as much threat as some teams, like Texas and Florida.
But big, athletic guards could pose problems for Tanner (6-0) and Miles (6-2) much the same way as they did against Arkansas.
Will Kentucky make 3-pointers?
Kentucky has been an average 3-point shooting team as a whole, but it’s varied widely from game to game. The Wildcats have made 10 or more threes in a game eight times but also had a game where they only made one three.
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Vanderbilt has had games this season where teams shot far above their average from beyond the arc. But some of that is luck and not about the Commodores’ defense.
Vanderbilt vs Kentucky injury updates
The status of Frankie Collins is still in question. He was listed as out for the most recent game against Mississippi State.
Kentucky has several injuries. Jaland Lowe, Kam Williams and Jayden Quaintance have all been out, and Lowe is out for the season. Williams’ injury is also long term.
How to watch Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky: Time, TV channel, live stream
Vanderbilt vs Kentucky prediction
Vanderbilt 75, Kentucky 63
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Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt basketball vs Kentucky prediction, picks in SEC showdown
