Tennessee basketball is off to its best start in a century, with a 14-0 record. The Vols hold the country's No. 1 ranking and currently hold the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Vols dominated its first SEC challenge in the new-look Arkansas Razorbacks. Tennessee handled business and made a statement with a 76-52 win against John Calipari's new program.
Now Tennessee turns to another ranked opponent in its first road game of the conference schedule. Tennessee heads to the swamp to face the No. 8 ranked Florida Gators, who come into the matchup with a 13-1 record after losing its SEC opener against No. 6 Kentucky.
Tennessee comes into the game as an underdog, which just goes to show how difficult it's going to be to win on the road in the SEC this year. The Vols are 2.5-point underdogs, and the over/under is set to 148.5 points, according to Fanduel.
Heavyweight SEC Fight
Tennessee and Florida are prepping for a heavyweight fight. It will be Florida's second-straight top-ten matchup to start the new year, while it will be Tennessee's second-straight ranked matchup.
It's another heavyweight fight between two teams who will likely be battling for an SEC Championship come March. Both teams will be in the NCAA Tournament and could make a run at a Final Four appearance and maybe even a National Championship.
Tennessee's Chaz Lanier and Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. both have the ability to take over any game. They can shoot lights out, especially from three-point range, which makes them dangerous to any opponent.
Clayton scored 33 points in Florida's loss to Kentucky, which could simply be a sneak peek into the type of season he's setting up to have in conference play. He's shooting 38.7% from three-point range this season and could be a serious threat to upsetting Tennessee.
The Vols bring a deep roster of players who can help on either end of the court to earn the win. From Jahmai Mashack to Felix Okpara on defense to Zakai Zeigler and Igor Milicic Jr. on offense, any player can take over at any moment of any game at either end of the court, and that's what makes Tennessee dangerous.
Tennessee's calling card is its defense. While the offense can shoot the lights out of the building, the defense is the reason Tennessee will have a chance to compete for a championship in March.
The Vols have allowed 55.9 points per game this year, which is significantly less than Florida's average of 88.3 points per game. Tennessee's stout defense and Florida's offense will battle to see which will break first.
Tennessee and Florida are scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN 2 from the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in Gainsville, Florida. The Gators are 7-0 at home this year, while Tennessee is 2-0 in true road games this year.