The No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers (18-3, 7-1 SEC) face the rival Florida Gators (12-9, 5-3) in Gainesville Wednesday. Tip from Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center is at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Tennessee vs. Florida odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Tennessee enters on a 4-game win streak, most recently recording an 82-71 victory as a 5.5-point favorite against current-No. 9 Texas Saturday. That victory displayed the Volunteers’ ability to win by outscoring opponents and not just by using their elite defense to shut teams down.
Florida allows 65.0 points per game (60th) and will be able to hold down the Volunteers, but Tennessee is 1st in the nation with 54.5 points allowed per game and an opponents’ field-goal percentage of 34.5%. Florida’s mediocre offense (71.9 points per game, 174th) will be forced into bad shots all night.
Florida ranks 23rd in the nation with an opponents’ field-goal percentage of 39.7% and will need to force the Volunteers into plenty of scoreless possessions if they want to try to pull off an upset.
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Tennessee at Florida odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:30 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Tennessee -240 (bet $240 to win $100) | Florida +175 (bet $100 to win $175)
- Against the spread (ATS): Tennessee -5.5 (-105) | Florida +5.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 132.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Tennessee at Florida picks and predictions
Prediction
Tennessee 68, Florida 61
Moneyline
PASS.
Tennessee comes in on a 4-game win streak since losing to Kentucky on Jan. 14. An 82-71 win over current-No. 9 Texas Saturday followed a 70-41 demolition of Georgia last Wednesday.
Florida is much more like the latter and a low-scoring affair is in store for Gainesville on Wednesday.
Despite that Tennessee (-240) is likely to win, that’s far too steep for a standalone wager. However, it’s a fine addition to a parlay.
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Against the spread
BET TENNESSEE -5.5 (-105).
Tennessee is battle-tested this season with matchups against top-10 opponents in Texas and Arizona. The Volunteers’ defense will once again hold a lesser team to minimal points and will be able to run away from the Gators. The line should be closer to 8 points, so the 2.5 points of value make this a strong play.
Over/Under
UNDER 132.5 (-115) is the play on the total.
Both teams have elite defenses and neither offense is potent, both scoring fewer than 75 points per game.
Tennessee put up 82 in its win over Texas, but that was against a Longhorns team whose offensive prowess determined the need to do so. The Gators’ offense will not make this needed, and a defensive game is more likely in this SEC tilt.
Tennessee held Georgia to 41 in its last conference game and it will be able to hold Florida to the high 50s Wednesday.
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