A top-10 matchup is in store this weekend when the #9 Arizona Wildcats (9-1, 5-0 home) welcome the #6 Tennessee Volunteers (9-1, 0-0 away) to town. Tennessee is 4-1 against Arizona all-time, including a 77-73 victory last season in Knoxville.
Saturday’s kickoff is at 10:30 p.m. EST inside the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats are a 2.5-point favorite, and the over/under total is 149 points.
What to Know – #6 Tennessee Volunteers
An early season defeat to Colorado is the only blemish of the season for the Volunteers heading into the weekend. Tennessee was one of the top teams heading into the season, and they rose to the occasion, winning nine of its first ten games to begin the year.
The Vols average 74.0 points per game, thanks to 40.1% shooting from the field and 32.5% shooting from the 3-point line. Defensively, Tennessee limits opponents to 51.4 points per contest, 32.7% shooting from the field, and 20.2% shooting from beyond the arc.
A balanced attack offensive, the Vols have five players averaging between 10.1 and 11.6 points per game. Julian Phillips serves as the team’s leading scorer, averaging 11.6 points per game and hitting 35.3% of his shots from the field.
Tennessee is 6-4 against the spread this season, and this will be the first game of the season coming in as an underdog. The Volunteers are 6-1 in their previous seven games played in December.
What to Know – #9 Arizona Wildcats
Arizona is undefeated on its home floor and now gets a top-10 opponent to the McKale Center. Outside of a 15-point defeat on the road to Utah, the Wildcats are perfect this season and carry a three-game winning streak into the matchup.
On offense, the Wildcats pour in 92.0 points per game, shooting 54.7% from the floor and 39.3% from deep. Arizona’s defense holds opponents to 75.7 points per game, 40.3% shooting from the field, and 34.3% shooting from three.
Arizona’s high-scoring offense has five players averaging in double figures this season, led by Azuolas Tubelis. Tubelis leads the team scoring 20.2 points per game thanks to 60.6% shooting from the field.
The Wildcats are 4-6 ATS this year with a 2-3 mark ATS on their home court. Arizona is 1-5 ATS over its previous six games played at home on a Saturday.
The Pick is In
What a matchup in store for college basketball fans this weekend in the desert. These two teams met last year at Tennessee, and it came down to the wire. Saturday’s matchup will be the first true road contest for the Vols this year.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is 8-3 all-time against ranked opponents, and we anticipate the Wildcats’ offense again stepping up in this one. At home, the Arizona team is hard to beat, and you can safely take the Wildcats to cover.
The Pick: Arizona Wildcats -2.5
