#10 Texas Longhorns at #4 Tennessee Volunteers Betting Preview
This weekend is stacked with SEC vs Big 12 matchups highlighted by the #4 Tennessee Volunteers (17-3, 9-1 home) facing the #10 Texas Longhorns (17-3, 3-1 away) in a top 10 matchup. Texas holds a 4-3 edge in the all-time series between the two teams.
Saturday’s tip-off begins at 6 p.m. EST inside Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Vols are a six-point favorite, and the over/under total is 136.5 points.
What to Know – #10 Texas Longhorns
Texas has overcome the adversity of seeing its head coach get terminated to remain one of the top teams in college basketball. Interim head coach Rodney Terry has guided the ship since taking over the reins and has the Longhorns in a three-way tie for the conference lead.
Texas is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 80.5 points per game. The Longhorns connect on 48.3% of their shots from the floor and 33.4% of their attempts from beyond the arc. On defense, Texas surrenders 66.8 ppg, 41.7% shooting from the field and 32.9% from deep.
Marcus Carr paces the Longhorns offense pouring in 17.6 points per game. Carr has scored 20 or more points in three of the last four contests and is a 41.5% 3-point shooter. Timmy Allen, Tyrese Hunter and Sir’Jabari Rice add a trio of scorers averaging 10 points or more per game.
The Longhorns are 8-12 against the spread and 2-2 ATS in true road contests. Texas is 0-5 ATS over its previous five matchups against opponents from the Southeastern Conference.
What to Know – #4 Tennessee Volunteers
The Vols carry a three-game winning streak into the non-conference showdown. Tennessee is second in the SEC, one game behind the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Offensively, Tennessee scores 74.1 ppg thanks to 44.2% shooting from the field and 34.0% from deep. The Vols‘ defense is one of the best in college basketball, limiting opponents to 53.7 ppg, 33.9% shooting from the floor and just 21.6% from three.
Santiago Vescovi leads the Vols offense averaging 12.2 ppg and hitting 35.2% of his shots from 3-point range. Tennessee has a balanced offensive approach, with six players averaging between 8.9 and 12.2 ppg.
Tennessee has a 12-8 ATS this year with a 7-3 record ATS at home. The Vols are 5-1 ATS in recent contests against teams from the Big 12.
The Pick is In
The highlight of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, these two top-ranked teams meet up for the second time in as many seasons showing off their two contrasting styles of play. Texas wins games with its offense, while Tennessee gets things done on the defensive side of the ball.
Texas gears up for a gruelling stretch of games over the next two weeks, and the Longhorns started with a solid showing in Knoxville, giving the Vols a scare.
The Pick: #10 Texas Longhorns +6
