Tennessee vs. Wisconsin predictions, picks how to watch Friday’s game

The No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers will head north to Madison for an early-season showdown against the Wisconsin Badgers tonight. Tipoff for this contest will be at 9 p.m. ET and the game will be streamed on Peacock.

Tennessee (1-0, 0-0 SEC) was dominant in its season opener on Monday, crushing Tennessee Tech in an 80-42 blowout victory. The Vols put the clamps on the Golden Eagles defensively, holding them to just 27.5% shooting from the field and allowed just one player to reach double-digits in points. Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht was prioductive in his debut for UT, leading the scoring with 17 points along with three rebounds.

Wisconsin (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) was also victorious in its opener, outpacing Arkansas State in a 105-76 sprint. The Badgers outshot the Red Wolves 65% to 40.7% in this contest and was able to build on their 9-0 run to start the game. Chucky Hepburn had 20 points, six assists, and three steals to start his junior campaign in Madison.

Here’s some data about both teams, and a pick for the game!

Tennessee: (1-0, 0-0 SEC)

RPI: 6
KenPom: 9 Overall, 32 Adjusted Offense, 1 Adjusted Defense
Against the spread: 1-0
Over: 0-1

Wisconsin: (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

RPI: 6
KenPom: 16 Overall, 19 Adjusted Offense, 14 Adjusted Defense
Against the spread: 1-0
Over: 1-0

Odds

Spread: Tennessee -2
Total: 132.5
Moneyline: Tennessee -142, Wisconsin +120

The Pick

Tennessee -2

Tennessee is too good of a defensive team to allow Wisconsin to go crazy offensively like it did on Monday night. This is a battle of two veteran teams and I expect the preseason SEC favorites to drag the Badgers down into the muck and make this a slugfest. Yes, it’s Rick Barnes in a big game, but I’ll predict the Vols walking out the Kohl Center with a road cover and and a win.