The No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers (10-3) visit No. 21 LSU Tigers (13-1) Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for a 6 p.m. ET tip-off. Below, we look at Tennessee vs. LSU odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Coming in off a 5-point win and cover against the Kentucky Wildcats, LSU will get its second straight home game after losing by 15 on the road to the No. 9 Auburn Tigers. The Tigers are 9-0 at home this season.
LSU is led by sophomore Tari Eason and senior Darius Days, both forwards averaging over 14 points per game. As for the Volunteers, they’re 8-0 at home but are just 1-1 on the road.
The Vols have only lost to Villanova, Alabama and Texas Tech, all high-level programs. The Vols are a more experienced side as three of their four minutes leaders are upperclassmen.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Tennessee at LSU odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:30 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Tennessee +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | LSU -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS):Tennessee +2.5 (-120) | LSU -2.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 136.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Tennessee at LSU odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
LSU 66, Tennessee 63
Money line
BET on LSU (-140).
The Tigers have been rock solid at home. They welcomed the top-25 Wildcats earlier this week and remained perfect at home with a 5-point win.
Couple that home-court advantage with the fact that LSU holds opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in college basketball, and they should be able to keep pace with the Vols.
Despite having 10 wins, the Vols haven’t played up to par with high-level opponents. They’re 1-3 against teams that were top-25 opponents. On the road against a top-25 opponent, LSU is the preferred side here.
Against the spread
PASS on the spread. Although it’s just 2.5 points, I expect a highly competitive matchup and feel comfortable just taking LSU outright.
Over/Under
BET on the UNDER 136.5 (-110).
While we talked about LSU’s elite defense, their two key scorers are forwards. Tennessee will have the size and experience to take them on as two of the Vols top-four minutes leaders are upperclassmen forwards. The Vols have also held opponents to under 40% from the field this season.
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]