The Tennessee Volunteers have a forecast 54% chance to win against The Arizona Wildcats with a spread of -3.0/3.0 and an over/under of 139.5. The Tennessee Volunteers are 0 – 0 against The Arizona Wildcats in the 2021-22 Season.
— Wednesday, December 22nd Arizona Wildcats @ Tennessee Volunteers
Most of the games around Christmas are non-conference mismatches or rivalry games. Neither is the case Wednesday night when No. 6 Arizona (11-0) visits No. 19 Tennessee (8-2) for the rare December top 25 matchup that isn’t part of a tournament or conference challenge. Gametime is set for 7:00 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the game will air on ESPN2.
These teams haven’t met since 1998 when they opened the season in a neutral site game in New Mexico, won by Arizona 73-72. Prior to that, they met three times, all Tennessee wins. The last time they played in Knoxville was in December 1982, when the No. 14 Vols won by 19.
High-Powered Wildcats Look For Another Big Win
For Arizona, this is their second venture to the east in the last two weeks as they won a close game at Illinois on December 11. They are 8-2-1 ATS this season, and the over is 8-3 in their 11 games. Arizona has already knocked off Michigan, Illinois, and Wichita State in non-conference action.
Arizona has won all 11 games this season, nine of them by double digits and eight by at least 24 points. They have scored at least 80 points in every game this season, topped 100 on three occasions, and lead the nation in scoring at 91.0 ppg. Defensively they rank fifth in field goal defense and have allowed less than 70 points in eight of 11 games while leading the nation with 44.3 rebounds per game.
Benedict Mathurin leads Arizona at 17.4 points per game while Azuolas Tubelis is right behind at 16.1 ppg. Mathurin shoots 39 percent from the 3-point range, while Kerr Kriisa shoots 35 percent. Kriisa is also in double figures scoring-wise at 11.8 ppg, and center Christian Koloko averages 13.6 to go with 7.3 RPG.
Koloko blocks 3.5 shots per game and leads the Arizona defense. Three of the five starters grab at least 6.5 rpg while Kriisa hands out 5.4 assists per contest. Mathurin had 30 points in the win at Illinois while Kriisa had 19 and Tubelis had 16.
Vols Get Defensive
Tennessee is 6-4 ATS, and the total is 5-5 in their ten games this season. They are 6-0 at home, and both losses have come in neutral site games, to Villanova by 18 and Texas Tech by five. Their big in-state game against Memphis was canceled over the weekend, so they haven’t played in eight days.
The offense ranks 58th in scoring at 78.5 ppg and would be even better if they didn’t rank 222nd in the nation at just 68 percent from the free-throw line. The Vols get it done on defense as they rank 20th in scoring (57.9 ppg), 23rd in field goal defense (38.1%), and 31st in 3-point defense (30.1%).
Freshman Kennedy Chandler leads the Vols in scoring at 14.6 ppg, and he’s shooting 41.9 percent from deep. He has struggled in the losses, shooting 1-of-9 against Villanova and 4-of-13 against Texas Tech and combining for just 15 points in those two games.
The only other player in double figures is junior Santiago Vescovi at 13.1 ppg. Oliver Nkamhoua averages 9.4 ppg and 6.0 rpg while John Fulkerson leads the team at 6.2 rpg and scores 8.3 ppg. Josiah-Jordan James is a menace on defense, averaging 2.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.
Betting Analysis
Arizona Wildcats +2 (-110). Moneyline +110
Tennessee Volunteers -2 (-110). Moneyline -135
Total: 149.5. Over -110, Under -110
Arizona has looked like a team on a mission so far this season with impressive wins, and they never take the gas off the pedal. Tennessee will have to control the pace in this game as they cannot win a shooting battle or a running battle with the Wildcats. The Vols need this to be a half-court game so they can use their defensive ability to alter Arizona’s shots, easier said than done.
Betting Pick: Arizona Wildcats money line (+110)
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