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The Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores square off in a SEC rivalry game Tuesday, with both teams looking to grab a third conference win. Both programs are sitting in an interesting position with the conference schedule underway and could use a big victory here.
The Volunteers (11-5, 2-3 SEC) started the season strong but have traded wins and losses over the last six games. This team was able to beat a tough Arizona squad while also falling to Alabama, LSU and Kentucky, so consistency is the biggest issue with Rick Barnes’ team.
The Commodores (10-6, 2-2 SEC) are in the mix for what is shaping up to a very crowded conference title race. Vanderbilt has finally found its footing in Jerry Stackhouse’s third season with the program. Scotty Pippen Jr. is one of the top scorers in the country and can take over any game. If he gets hot, Vanderbilt will have a great chance to upset the Vols.
How to watch Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt
When: Tuesday, January 18th, 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, TN
TV: SEC Network
Where to live stream online: SEC Network, ESPN app with a SEC Network subscription
Live updates and stats: At DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds
Spread: Tennessee -6.5
Total: 135
The Pick
Tennessee -6.5
Beating up on middle-to-bad teams, while getting waxed by good ones, has been the pattern for the Vols under Rick Barnes and that’s true this season as well. Jerry Stackhouse is improving the Commodores for sure, but there’s still an athleticism gap here. We’ll take the Vols on the road, but the Dores to have the better long-term outlook in seasons to come.
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