Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Kentucky Wildcats – College Football, November 14, 2020

Mark Stoops is looking to snap a two-game skid and get his program back on track. The good news for Kentucky’s head coach is the bottom-feeders of the SEC are coming to Lexington on Saturday.

A date with the Commodores at Kroger Field should be the perfect recipe for the Wildcats to assert their dominance. The question is, will UK cover the spread?

That’s where this Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky prediction comes in.

Before I unveil my betting pick for the Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky game, it’s important to point out the dramatic dip in the total. After installing the number at 49.5, the top college football betting sites have dropped the total all the way down to 41.5.

The line has barely budged (from 18 to 17), so perhaps the value is attached to attacking the over. The problem is the Commodores offense can’t be trusted in general. On the road facing a restless Kentucky defense coming off back-to-back losses – Vandy may get shut out!

Kentucky’s Lack of Explosion. You have to search long and hard to uncover anything that the Commodores do well, but here’s what they got going for them on Saturday.

After battling high-powered offenses every week thus far, Vanderbilt now faces an offense that has accounted for a total of 13 points in their last two games. To expand further on just how unproductive Mark Stoops’ offense has been, check out the following tidbits:

Stacking the box and baiting Terry Wilson (it could wind up being Joey Gatewood) into standing back in the pocket is Derek Mason’s only hope of keeping this game close. On the other side of the ball, missing starting offensive lineman Drew Birchmeier for the second straight week won’t help the Commodores cause.

A Collection of Stingy Defenders. 2^nd in the nation with 11 interceptions, what stands out about Kentucky’s D is that it’s not just one or two guys who carry the weight.

Eight different defenders have picked off at least one pass.

On top of being well-balanced and well-coached, the Wildcats can lean on a ferocious 6’4” linebacker who’s strapped with a dynamic set of skills.

Jamin Davis named top breakout defender in SEC #WeAreUK https://t.co/N5njDQ9ius

— A Sea of Blue (@ASeaOfBlue) November 7, 2020

Whether you ask Jamin Davis to rush the quarterback or drop back in coverage, the kid can do it all.

If we set aside UK’s opening overtime loss to Ole Miss, the ‘Cats are yielding under 11 points per game and have suffocated opposing passing attacks. It’s not looking good for Vanderbilt.

After suffering consecutive losses, this what I would call a “get-right game” for the Wildcats.

No versions of a Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky prediction involve the Commodores offense establishing any sort of rhythm offensively. Most iterations include Kentucky controlling the clock and forcing a couple of turnovers.

In the end, expect Stoops and his bunch to win this game going away.

Plans of betting a bunch of SEC games on November 14^th have obviously been halted. However, you can still lock in a Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky pick and start firing shells into other matchups.

With that in mind, here are two other college football predictions to consider.