The Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-1) battle the #13 Tennessee Volunteers (6-1) in the Jimmy V Classic Tuesday night in New York City. The non-conference contest pits two solid opponents against each other that meeting for just the second time in school history.
Tuesday’s tipoff is at 7 p.m EST inside Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. Tennessee is a 4-point favorite, and the over-under total is at 139.5 points.
What to Know – Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Red Raiders are off to a hot start but will look to bounce back after a four-point loss to Providence last Wednesday. Texas Tech ranks 19th in KenPom under the head coaching of first-year coach Mark Adams.
Offensively, Texas Tech averages 85.4 points per game behind 49.2% from the floor and 37.3% from beyond the arc. The Red Raiders defense is giving up 59.4 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot 40.1% from the field and 35.3% from three.
Terrance Shannon Jr. led the Red Raiders in scoring with 17 points in last week’s 72-68 defeat to the Friars. Kevin Obanor chipped in 12 points, and Kevin McCullar added 10 points, four rebounds, and a pair of steals.
The Red Raiders are 4-3 against the spread this year with a 0-1 mark at a neutral site. The total has gone over in five of Texas Tech’s last seven games.
What to Know – Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee’s rallied to win four in a row after suffering their lone loss of the season to the Villanova earlier in the year. The Volunteers are tenth in the current KenPom rankings, right behind Alabama for the top team in the SEC.
The Vols score 80.1 points per game while shooting 47.3% from the floor and 36.2% from three. On defense, Tennessee surrenders 62.0 points per game, holding teams to 39.4% from the floor and 34.7% from the arc.
Tennessee overmatched Colorado in a 69-54 win last weekend in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Kennedy Chandler poured in a game-high 27 points, and Santiago Vescovi scored 13. John Fulkerson filled up the stat sheet with ten points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
Tennessee is 4-3 ATS this season and 1-0 playing on a neutral court. The Vols 5-1 ATS in their last six against Big 12 foes and 4-1 in their recent five games playing as a favorite.
The Pick is In
A pair of evenly matched teams collide at the historic Madison Square Garden for what should be an exciting contest between two schools facing each other for just the second time.
Texas Tech is shooting lights out over the first month of the season, but that could be due to their lack of competition so far. Tennessee got blown out by Villanova but did have a convincing victory UNC.
The Red Raiders’ defense will keep this one close, but the Volunteers’ talent will prevail in the end.
Betting Pick: Tennessee Volunteers -4
