Our college basketball picks series continues as Tuesday's night of action heads to Knoxville, TN for a matchup in the South Eastern Conference. The Arkansas Razorbacks (19-10) will be hosted by the No. 12 Tennessee Volunteers (21-8). Both teams are tournament bound but are playing for bragging rights in their first and only meeting of the season. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Arkansas-Tennessee prediction and pick.
The Arkansas Razorbacks have carved out a decent season out of a tough SEC schedule and will be making the tournament as a projected 7-seed. Had it not been for a rough four-game skid, the Razorbacks would still be ranked heading into the end of the season. They've gone 2-3 in their last five heading into this one and will have a tough task of beating Tennessee in Knoxville.
The Tennessee Volunteers haven't closed the season out as strong as they started it, but it still has them ranked high enough to possibly get a 2-seed in the tournament if they can win-out. They've only be able to win two of their last six games and will hope to get two more wins against Arkansas and Auburn. They were recently able to take down No. 1 Alabama with a dominant performance, so look for Tennessee to finish these last two games with some authority.
Here are the Arkansas-Tennessee college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Arkansas-Tennessee Odds
Arkansas: +5.5 (-105)
Tennessee: -5.5 (-115)
Over: 134.5 (-110)
Under: 134.5 (-110)
How To Watch Arkansas vs. Tennessee
TV: ESPN 2
Stream: ESPN App, fuboTV
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Arkansas Could Cover The Spread
Arkansas has a high-powered offense that, at times, outran its defense this year. Still, the Razorbacks manage to keep games competitive with their ability to score in bunches and get teams tired with their constant sprints up the floor. As a team, they're shooting really well at 48% and always seem to be taking the best shot available on offense. Most recently, the looked very good against No. 2 Alabama and hung in until the final minute in Tuscaloosa, anchored by their offensive efforts.
Arkansas has been a decent covering team at 15-13 ATS on the year. However, the glaring factor is that the Razorbacks are 2-7 on the road and they'll be heading into hostile territory. That shouldn't matter as Arkansas has had luck with the Volunteers in recent years. They're 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games and 4-1 ATS in their last five against Tennessee. The odds makers are giving Arkansas a real chance to cover a moderate spread here.
Why Tennessee Could Cover The Spread
Tennessee is one of the more well-rounded teams we've seen this year and can get it done on both ends of the floor. Whether they suffocate teams on the defensive end or dominate with their high-scoring offense, it only takes a few defensive stops for the Volunteers to turn the tide and jump out to a lead. This last six game stretch, however, has been particularly rough as they've dropped games to the likes of Missouri, Vanderbilt, Florida, and Kentucky. The Volunteers are 21-6 as favorites and 0-2 as dogs, so they've had a propensity to play to the level of their opponents.
Zakai Zeigler and Josiah-Jordan James are both coming off hot shooting performances and will hope to continue their streaks at home. The Volunteers are 10-5 ATS when playing at home and 19-2 SU. They'll have a huge advantage as it'll be their last home game of the season and the fans will be out in full force. Look Tennessee to establish Jonas Aidoo down low as he comes off the bench, he'll have a good mismatch against Arkansas.
Final Arkansas-Tennessee Prediction & Pick
Arkansas has the potential to turn this game into a shootout if they start to push the pace in transition. Tennessee would rather set up their offense and exploit the mismatches they have down low and on the wings. With the Tennessee crowd involved, the Volunteers will be able to establish the pace of the game and get the Razorbacks to make mistakes. While it'll be close, let's take the Volunteers to cover at home.
Final Arkansas-Tennessee Prediction & Pick: Tennessee Volunteers -5.5 (-115)
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