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Tennessee basketball vs. Alabama: Odds, picks and prediction

By Blake Wyman

Tennessee guard Tyreke Key (4) dribbles toward the basket while defended by Missouri forward Aidan Shaw (23) during an NCAA college basketball game between the Missouri Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Saturday Feb. 11, 2023.Tennesseemissouri0211 0564
Tennessee guard Tyreke Key (4) dribbles toward the basket while defended by Missouri forward Aidan Shaw (23) during an NCAA college basketball game between the Missouri Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Saturday Feb. 11, 2023.Tennesseemissouri0211 0564 /
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Tennessee basketball hosts the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in a top 10 premier SEC showdown at Thompson Bowling Arena, tonight, at 7:00 pm. 

It’s officially gameday in Rocky Top, and this is going to be the toughest test of the season for Rick Barnes’s Tennessee basketball team. In the most recent AP polls, Alabama jumped up to No. 1 and the Vols slipped down to No. 10. What better feeling would it be to knock off the No. 1 seed Crimson Tide at home tonight? You can bet that the crowd will be electric tonight, and the Vols will be locked in. Let’s dive in and see how the two squads match up against each other.

Tennessee Basketball Notes

It’s easy to see that the Vols have been struggling lately, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that Tennessee basketball has the best defense in the nation, and has shooters that can take over a game at any given moment.

The Vols are the best team in the nation when they are hitting their shots, and when they aren’t they are still extremely stubborn and difficult to beat. It took two buzzer-beater shots last week to put down the Vols, so the Vols haven’t had luck on their side, but tonight this changes.

Tennessee basketball currently has a +26.63 AdjEM and Alabama has a +27.02 AdjEM, but since this game is at home, I predict Vegas will have this spread sitting around -3.5 favoring the Volunteers by the time this line closes.

Alabama Basketball Notes

There’s no denying that Alabama is very good, but they haven’t faced a team like the Vols all year. It seems like since Alabama beat 4 average teams over their last 4 games, people are forgetting about what happened in Norman. Oklahoma hosted the Tide and beat them by almost 30 points at home. Now everyone just wants to forget about that?

The tide is facing the first-ranked opponent in almost 10 games, they are a good team, but all signs are pointing towards the Vols getting back on track tonight. This is a perfect buy-low spot for the Vols, and sell high price for the Tide.

Tennessee basketball betting prediction vs Alabama

Prediction: Take the Vols up to -3.5 or better, and the Crimson Tide at +5.5 or better. I would pass on any bets if the spread is between 4-5.

How to watch: ESPN, ESPN2

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