Volunteers vs. Commodores Prediction
The Tennessee are ranked No. 1 in the nation for the second time in program history and play their first game since earning that spot tonight when they battle the host Vanderbilt Commodores. Can Tennessee set aside the distractions of being the top-ranked team to cover the spread on the road?
Game Snapshot
803 Tennessee Volunteers at 804 Vanderbilt Commodores
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Memorial Gymnasium at 7PM ET
TV: ESPN2
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Volunteers are a 9.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 149 points. As of Wednesday morning, 72 percent of public bets are siding with visiting Tennessee. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest updates.
Vols hold off Crimson Tide
Tennessee downed visiting Alabama Saturday by a count of 71-68 for its 12th consecutive victory. The Volunteers led 44-32 at halftime before holding off a Crimson Tide comeback attempt after the break. Grant Williams paced Tennessee with 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting including 5-of-7 at the free throw line. He also grabbed two rebounds. Admiral Schofield accounted for 12 points, 11 boards, four assists and two steals. Jordan Bowden tallied 12 points, four caroms and four dimes off the bench. Jordan Bone added 10 points, seven assists and two rebounds. The Volunteers shot 28-of-64 from the field, 3-of-12 from 3-point range and 12-of-16 on free throws.
Commodores drop fifth straight
Vanderbilt fell by a 71-55 score Saturday night at home versus Mississippi State to fall to 9-8 overall and 0-5 in the SEC. Saben Lee led the Commodores with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting plus 5-of-8 at the free throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists. Aaron Nesmith added 11 points and six rebounds. Vanderbilt trailed 35-27 at halftime and could not recover. The Commodores shot 18-of-49 from the floor, 5-of-19 from 3-point distance and 14-of-26 at the free throw line.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Tennessee
The Volunteers are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games. Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in its last five SEC games.
Vanderbilt
The Commodores are 1-4 ATS in their last five Wednesday games. Vanderbilt is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
Prediction:
Vanderbilt is outside the top 100 and on the struggle bus right now. While moving into the No. 1 spot in the rankings can often hurt a team, I don’t see it here. The Volunteers are second nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, while the Commodores don’t fair well defensively or offensively. While being at home helps Vandy out slightly, I don’t see it as enough to avoid Tennessee pulling away.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS -9