Vanderbilt
Commodores
Spread
+10.5
NCAAF Predictions
Vanderbilt Commodores vs Kentucky Wildcats Predictions
Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 7:30pm EST at Kroger Field, Lexington, KY
@
Kentucky
Wildcats
Spread
-10.5
50%
50%
Spread
Vanderbilt Commodores +10.5
Kentucky Wildcats -10.5
Moneyline
Vanderbilt Commodores +340
Kentucky Wildcats -440
Total
Over 52.5 (-105)
Under 52.5 (-115)
Who wins this game?
Professional Picks
4 available
Professional Picks On This Game
Tom Strickland
Total pick
Elijah Murtah
Spread pick
Wes Salvato
Total pick
Robert Downes
Total pick
Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky Prediction: Wildcats Favored, but -440 Is Too Steep
Analysis updated October 23, 2026 at 8:20 AM CDT
C.J. Baxter is available for Kentucky, while Vanderbilt has several absences. The Wildcats are the likely winner, but the SPF price offers little betting appeal.
Kentucky gets Baxter back
Saturday Down South, a college football news site, reported that Kentucky running back C.J. Baxter was removed from Thursday's SEC availability report. That helps the favored Wildcats, but linebacker Sam Greene and wide receiver Nic Anderson were downgraded to out.
A Sea of Blue, a Kentucky sports publication, lists defensive end Tyler Thomas and long snapper Cole Marszalek as questionable. Cornerbacks Jaden Smith and Grant Grayton and linebacker Antawn Smith also remain out, leaving Kentucky with enough defensive absences to make a 10.5-point spread difficult to trust.
Vanderbilt's absences do not create a bet
Vanderbilt will be without edge rusher Brian Allen Jr., linebacker Josiah Broxton, offensive lineman Gunner Givens, two defensive linemen and wide receiver Kahden Smith. Backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz is also out, while safeties Dontae Carter and Devin Chandler are probable. Those losses favor Kentucky, but the available injury reports do not show whether the Wildcats can cover a double-digit spread.
Kentucky is the likely winner, but -440 is too expensive without recent results, season statistics or confirmed starters to support that price. Vanderbilt's +340 moneyline is not attractive merely because the favorite costs more. The total is 52.5, with the under at -115 and the over at -105, but the same lack of performance evidence makes that market a pass as well.
Pick
Kentucky Wildcats
Confidence
low
Betting lean
Pass