— Wednesday, January 26th Florida Gators @ Tennessee Volunteers
Two teams in the middle of the SEC standings face off on Wednesday night as the Florida Gators (12-7, 3-4) travel to face the No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers (13-5, 4-3). Florida is short-handed and looking for a big road win while the Vols aim to stay unbeaten at home. Tip-off at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
These teams have not yet met this season, with Tennessee winning two of the three matchups last year, including in the SEC Tournament. Tennessee leads the all-time series 79-58 with a 47-17 record in Knoxville. The Vols are 7-3 in the last ten meetings, and Florida last won at Thompson-Boling in February 2014.
Gators Struggling without Castleton
The Gators are 10-9 ATS this season, and the under is 10-8-1 in their 19 games, including 4-1 in the last five. They are 1-3 on the road with a win at South Carolina on January 15. They are 0-3 against ranked teams this season, with losses to Alabama, Auburn, and LSU.
Florida ranks 43rd nationally in defense, allowing 63.1 ppg, and they allow just 29.6% shooting from 3-point range, 42nd in the nation. The offense is middle of the pack in scoring at 71.3 ppg and shooting at 43%. They are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country at just 29.7%.
Florida’s leading scorer and rebounder, Colin Castleton, is out with a shoulder injury. He has missed the last three games, and Florida has had trouble replacing his 15.1 ppg and 9.1 rpg. They have scored 65 ppg in those contests, including just 54 at Ole Miss on Saturday.
Philandrous Fleming Jr. is averaging 10.5 ppg and Tyree Appleby is also in double figures at 10.0 ppg. Anthony Duruji averages 9.5 ppg and 4.4 rpg. Myreon Jones leads the Gators with in 3-pointers made, one more than Appleby.
In the loss at Ole Miss over the weekend, Florida allowed 74% shooting in the second half as they gave up 48 points in 20 minutes. Jason Jitoboh led the way with 12 points, while Appleby and Duruji had 11 each. Florida shot just 4-of-29 from 3-point range and turned the ball over 14 times.
Vols Formidable at Home
The Vols are 11-7 ATS this season, and the under is also 11-7 in their 18 games. They are 10-0 at home, including wins over ranked Arizona and LSU. They have won three of their last four, with the loss coming at Kentucky on January 15.
Tennessee’s defense ranks 37th in the nation, allowing 62.6 ppg, and they are also in the top 70 in field goal defense at 41.1 percent. Offensively they are 117th in scoring at 74.4 ppg but in the bottom 100 in the nation in FG% (43.7) and 3-point shooting (32.6).
Santiago Vescovi leads the Vols in scoring at 14.1 ppg while Kennedy Chandler is at 13.3 ppg. Olivier Nkamhoua and Josian-Jordan James both average 5.6 rpg, while Chandler leads the team with 4.9 apg. Vescovi is among the SEC leaders from deep with 3.0 3-pointers made per game, and he shoots 38.3%.
Tennessee has won eight of their ten home games by double digits. They held No. 13 LSU to 50 points over the weekend as Vescovi scored 16 points and Uros Plavsic added 12. Tennessee hit 10-of-28 3-pointers in the win and held LSU to 38% shooting.
Betting Analysis
- Florida Gators +9.5 (-110)
- Tennessee Volunteers -9.5 (-110)
- Total Points: 133.5 Over -110. Under -110
Without Castleton, it is going to be tough for Florida to score, especially the way they shoot the ball from distance. Tennessee’s defense hasn’t allowed more than 60 points in the last three home games. The under is intriguing, but Tennessee should win this game by double digits, so lean on the hosts.
Betting Pick: Tennessee -9.5 (-110)
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