The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Florida Gators. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Tennessee Florida prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Tennessee Florida.
The Tennessee Volunteers have never made the Final Four. Under coach Rick Barnes, they have been as high as a No. 2 seed — in 2019, they reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 2 seed and very nearly got to the Elite Eight — but they have not been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This year could lift the Volunteers to new heights. They are definitely in play for a top seed if they can win the SEC and outfox the Alabama Crimson Tide in the battle for the league championship. Tennessee and Alabama are both contenders for a No. 1 seed, and there is even a chance that both SEC teams could get No. 1 seeds. Tennessee does not contain a whole lot of mystery. The Vols have consistently been a very strong defensive team under Barnes. That is their blue-collar identity. They will have games in which perimeter shots don't fall, and those are the games their fans worry about in March Madness. One bad shooting game is all it takes to dismiss the Vols from the scene during the NCAA Tournament. However, this defense is so good that even when the Vols do go through a drought, they can still stay in the hunt. When they go on the road to face Florida, their defense will need to be in top form.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Tennessee-Florida College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Tennessee-Florida Odds
Tennessee Volunteers: -5.5 (-102)
Florida Gators: +5.5 (-120)
Over: 131.5 (-114)
Under: 131.5 (-106)
How To Watch Tennessee vs. Florida
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Tennessee-Florida LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Tennessee Could Cover the Spread
The Vols are playing well. They endured a brutal game against Kentucky in which they scored only 56 points and lost at home, but overall, one can't really argue with their results. They stumbled against Colorado early in the season, their worst performance of the campaign. Their only other loss was at Arizona, which is where a lot of really good teams would lose if they took on the same challenge the Vols embraced this season. At 18-3, and with only one loss in the SEC so far this season, it's hard to bet against the Vols. More than that, Tennessee has lost only one true road game this season. The Colorado game was in Nashville — technically a neutral-site game but really more of a home game than anything else. Kentucky was a home game. Tennessee does really well on the road. The Vols do not get intimidated by a road environment, and their defense enables them to function extremely well away from home.
Also keep in mind that Florida is 12-9 and laboring through a difficult first season under coach Todd Golden. It's not that Florida is a bad team; it's more a case of the Gators being in a transition year and having young players who are learning how to play. Tennessee can feast on this kind of opponent. One must be extremely sharp and savvy to handle the Vols' overwhelming defensive pressure.
Why Florida Could Cover the Spread
The scouting report on the Vols is the same as it has always been: Make them make shots. More precisely, force them to make 3-pointers and deny them easy layups, dunks and foul shots. Florida as Colin Castleton, an elite big man who can protect the rim and deter the Vols at the basket. That's how Florida can force the Vols to take — and miss — a lot of perimeter jumpers. The formula is there for a Gator upset.
Final Tennessee-Florida Prediction & Pick
Tennessee should win outright, but by more than five points? Florida figures to throw the kitchen sink at UT. Ultimately, you should just stay away from this game.
Final Tennessee-Florida Prediction & Pick: Florida +5.5
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