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The Tennessee Volunteers are set to face the LSU Tigers this weekend. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Tennessee LSU prediction, odds, and pick.
The SEC is about to crown a college football national champion, but the league is poised to do great things in college basketball as well. The upper half of the 14-team league is a cutthroat group, with lots of teams possessing second-weekend potential in the NCAA Tournament. The big question is if any of those second-weekend-level teams can become a third-weekend team and reach the Final Four. When thinking about a Tennessee LSU pick, it's worth contemplating if either of these teams have the stuff needed to make it all the way to early April for a legitimate shot at the national title. This is just the beginning of a series of SEC slugfests over the next two months. College basketball odds analysts are weighing the calculus of this and other games in the Deep South.
Tennessee trailed Ole Miss by double digits early in the first half this past week. The Vols missed 16 of their first 18 shots. Tennessee will have games every now and then when it can't hit the side of a barn. The Vols played a similarly ugly game a month earlier against Texas Tech, and they didn't survive that one. However, against Ole Miss, the Vols rallied with their defense, caught the Rebels at the end of regulation, and prevailed in overtime. It was an ugly win but a crucial one. Tennessee enters this game against LSU knowing it can take a punch, which is an important thing in any season, but especially for the Vols' pursuit of the SEC championship and the No. 1 seed at the SEC Tournament, which would be a special achievement for this group. Tennessee has to find enough perimeter shooting to space the floor and, on a larger level, supplement a defense which is reliable and dependable for coach Rick Barnes.
LSU was unbeaten until a loss to Auburn last week. The Tigers needed to bounce back, and they did just that with a win over Kentucky. LSU caused multiple turnovers against the Wildcats in the final minute and used that defensive excellence to create easy transition baskets. Will Wade coaches defense extremely well. He gets his players to defend at a high level, particularly in the last several minutes of games. LSU has been a strong second-half team under wade, as college basketball odds analysts are aware of. The Tigers always seem to have plenty of fuel in the tank in the final minutes of regulation. They will probably need to call upon that trait in this game against Tennessee.
Here’s how the bookmakers have set the odds:
College Basketball odds: Tennessee-LSU Odds
Tennessee: +2 (-110)
LSU: -2 (-110)
Over: 136.5 (-110)
Under: 136.5 (-110)
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Why Tennessee Could Cover the Spread
The Vols play great defense. Even when shots aren't falling, they play really hard at both ends of the floor. They dealt Arizona the Wildcats' first loss of the season. They fought Alabama tooth and nail on the road. They overcame a big deficit against Ole Miss. This team doesn't flinch in the face of a challenge.
Why LSU Could Cover the Spread
The Tennessee Volunteers are a bad perimeter shooting team. LSU can pack the paint and shut off dribble penetration, closing down the Vols' best and most reliable ways to score. Will Wade will have the right defensive plan.
Final Tennessee-LSU Prediction & Pick
The lack of perimeter shooting is bound to hurt Tennessee against tough SEC teams such as LSU. It's hard to trust a team whose offense can suffer extended droughts. LSU will be ready for a rockfight.
Final Tennessee-LSU Pick: LSU -2, under 136.5
