Vanderbilt rules out edge Brian Allen Jr. for Kentucky trip, two safeties questionable

Vanderbilt will go to No. 12 Kentucky on Saturday without edge rusher Brian Allen Jr. He was listed as out on the SEC's first availability report of the week, The Tennessean reported. Allen's absence hits a front seven that was already thin. Defensive linemen Aaron Bryant and Nikhil Jefferson and linebacker Jamison Curtis are also out, and linebacker Josiah Broxton is listed as doubtful.

The secondary is the next worry. Safeties Dontae Carter and Davin Chandler are both questionable. Carter sat out last week's loss to Arkansas. Sports Illustrated reported that coach Clark Lea said Allen missed Tuesday's practice with an ankle injury, while Carter practiced in a no-contact jersey. Cornerback Jaylin Lackey remains out, so the Commodores could be short at two levels of the pass defense.

The report did carry some good news for the offense. Lineman Mitchell Smith is listed as probable after missing the last two games, according to Sports Illustrated, and The Tennessean reported he had a cleanup procedure on his knee about two weeks ago. Cornerback Cayden Daniels and defensive lineman Hayden Bray are also probable. Backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz, lineman Gunner Givens and wide receiver Kahden Smith stay on the out list. Lea had already announced season-ending injuries to Givens and Bryant.

Kentucky's list is shorter. Linebacker Antwan Smith and defensive backs Jaden Smith and Grant Gayton are out. Linebacker Sam Greene and long snapper Cole Marszalek are doubtful, and wide receiver Nick Anderson and defensive end Tyler Thomas are questionable. Running back CJ Baxter, linebacker Tavion Wallace and defensive lineman Kalen Edwards are probable. Sports Illustrated noted that Saturday is Vanderbilt's last game before its bye week.

What it means for Saturday

The two teams arrive heading in opposite directions. Vanderbilt is 3-4 and 0-4 in the SEC. It has lost four straight since beating NC State 35-31, and it has been outscored 142-67 in that run, which included a 52-17 loss to Ole Miss and a 31-21 home loss to Arkansas last week. Kentucky is 6-1 and 4-1 in league play and has won five in a row since its 45-17 loss to Alabama. That streak includes a road win at Texas A&M and a 21-13 win at Oklahoma last week. Two of the wins were by one point, 35-34 at South Carolina and 35-34 over LSU, so the Wildcats have not been blowing everyone out.

Kentucky is a clear favorite on the board for this game, which tracks 11 venues. Novig lists the Wildcats as 10.5-point favorites at -104 and has Kentucky at -413 on the moneyline, almost the same as the best price anywhere, Polymarket's -412. Vanderbilt is +376 on the moneyline at Novig. Pinnacle has the widest point spread for the Commodores, +11 at -110, against +10.5 at -100 on Novig. The total is 51.5 at Novig, and BetRivers is the outlier at 51. Sportsbook hold on the spread ranges from 3.4% to 7.0%, so the venues are close on the number but differ on how much they keep.

A 10.5-point line asks Kentucky to win more comfortably than it has in its last three games. Allen being out and the safeties uncertain make that a harder line for Vanderbilt to stay inside. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.