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The No. 14 Baylor Bears (4-1) and the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers (5-0) meet Friday at Baha Mar Convention Center in Nassau, Bahamas. Tip-off for the tournament championship game is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s college basketball odds around the Baylor vs. Tennessee odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
The Bears registered a thrilling 99-98 win in overtime against the St. John’s Red Storm Thursday, but Baylor failed to cover as a 2.5-point favorite as the Over (150.5) easily cashed. G Jeremy Roach hit a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to win it, finishing with 20 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in 44 minutes.
The Volunteers picked up a 64-42 win over the Virginia Cavaliers Thursday for their 5th victory, and their 4th straight cover. The Under (126.5) cashed despite a very low total. The Vols have allowed 57 or fewer points in 3 of the past 4 outings, with 68 or less allowed in each game.
Tennessee remains without F J.P. Estrella due to a left foot injury, while G Cam Carr is on the shelf for 4-6 weeks due to a left thumb ailment.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
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Baylor vs. Tennessee odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of college basketball odds. Lines last updated at 6:27 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Baylor +158 (bet $100 to win $158) | Tennessee -192 (bet $192 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Baylor +4.5 (-112) | Tennessee -4.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 144.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Baylor vs. Tennessee picks and predictions
Prediction
Tennessee 78, Baylor 71
Moneyline
Tennessee (-192) will set you back nearly 2 times your potential return, and that’s way too much risk for not enough reward. As a standalone play in this Baha Mar Championship Game, it’s not a recommended play. However, Tennessee is worth a look as part of a multi-leg parlay.
PASS.
Against the spread
Play TENNESSEE -4.5 (-108) in this championship game. The Vols have a tremendous defense, and that was on display in Thursday’s victory over Virginia.
Baylor +4.5 (-112) edged St. John’s in OT, needing heroics from Roach. Against the Vols, the Bears might not have as tough of a time like they did against Gonzaga.
Over/Under
OVER 144.5 (-110) is the lean based on Baylor’s outstanding offense, as it has averaged 102.3 PPG in the past 3 outings. The Over is 4-1 in the past 5 games, too.
While Tennessee has an amazing defense, and that was evident against UVA Thursday, the Over is actually 3-2 in 5 games for the Vols this season.
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