Tennessee vs. LSU Prediction & Odds
Number nine Tennessee travels to Baton Rouge to play unranked LSU at 4:00 PM ET Saturday evening on ESPN. Can the Volunteers cover the 9.5-point spread as road favorites?
Tennessee is 15-3 on the year with their best wins coming over Kansas and Maryland. Their worst losses came against Colorado and Kentucky. The Volunteers are 10-8 against the spread this season.
LSU is 12-6 this season with their best wins coming over Wake Forest and Arkansas. Their worst losses came against Kentucky and Florida. The Tigers are 6-12 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
715 Tennessee Volunteers (-9.5) vs. 716 LSU Tigers (+9.5); O/U 129.5
4:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 21, 2023
Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, LA
Tennessee vs. LSU Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public favors the Tigers in this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 77% of public bets are on LSU +9.5. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Tennessee Game Notes
Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler leads the Volunteers in assists this season. The 5’9” Long Island native is averaging 4.5 dimes per game. He’s also third on the club in scoring with 10.6 points per game. Zeigler hasn’t shot well from the field this season (37.3%) but he’s made up for it with a 1.88 assist-to-turnover ratio this year.
Freshman forward Julian Phillips is the Volunteers’ leading rebounder this season with 5.6 boards per game. The 6’8” South Carolina product had a great game against Mississippi State on Tuesday as he poured in 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and shot 50% from the field in a 70-59 road win for Tennessee.
LSU Game Notes
The Tigers will be without senior guard Justice Hill this weekend, as he’s dealing with a personal issue. Hill will be out for the foreseeable future. Hill leads LSU in assists with 3.5 per game and ranks fifth on the club in scoring with 6.9 points per game. Hill had been playing 26.6 minutes per game for the Tigers this year, so his absence could be a significant loss.
LSU’s star player is senior forward KJ Williams. Williams played the first four years of his career at Murray State before joining the Tigers this season. Williams is third in the SEC in scoring with 17.9 points per game and seventh in the conference in rebounding with 7.3 per game. LSU will need KJ Williams to play like a star if they’re going to cover against Tennessee this weekend.
Tennessee vs. LSU CBB Betting Trends
LSU is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS loss.
LSU is 2-11 ATS in their last 13 Saturday games.
LSU is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 home games.
LSU is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games following an outright loss.
Tennessee vs. LSU CBB Prediction:
LSU is tied for the worst conference record in the SEC at 1-5. The Tigers have lost their last 5 games by an average margin of 17 points per game. Just last weekend, LSU lost to Alabama by 40 points, 106-66. While it’s true that Alabama is one of the best teams in the country, Tennessee can make that claim as well. The Volunteers are leading the nation in defensive efficiency, rank seventh in the country in rebounding rate, and are second in the NCAA in adjusted efficiency margin according to Kenpom.com. This line might seem a bit high (which explains the public favoring LSU) but I don’t think it’s high enough. I think the Vols win this one in dominant fashion.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS -9.5
