The No. 11 Auburn Tigers take on the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers in an SEC matchup on Wednesday, February 28. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN.
Auburn (21-6, 10-4 SEC) is fresh off a 97-76 win over Georgia. The Tigers lost to Kentucky before that in a ranked SEC matchup. Auburn is currently projected to earn a 4-seed at ESPN, and rank fifth overall at KenPom. They land at 14th in adjusted offensive efficiency, and fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency.
The Tigers score 82.7 points per game (15th in the nation). They record 5.9 blocks per game (6th in the nation) and hold opponents to 38.4% shooting (3rd in the nation). However, Auburn has struggled in the marquee games like this one, going just 2-6 against Quad 1 opponents this season.
Tennessee (21-6, 11-3 SEC) grabbed a dominant win over Texas A&M in their latest game. In the 86-51 win, Dalton Knecht led the team with 24 points, and Jonas Aidoo added 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Vols are currently projected to be a No. 2 seed, but could work their way up to No. 1 in the coming weeks.
They rank sixth overall at KenPom, landing at 20th in adjusted offensive efficiency and second in adjusted defensive efficiency. They hold opponents to 38% shooting (2nd in the nation) and grab 39 rebounds per game (30th in the nation). The Vols put up 80.3 points per game on offense (30th in the nation) and have gone 5-5 against Quad 1 teams this season.
Auburn vs. Tennessee odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Tennessee -6.5
Total: 151.5
Moneyline: Tennessee -285, Auburn +230
Pick: Auburn +6.5
These are two extremely well-matched teams that have not yet faced off this season, with top-20 offenses and top-5 defenses. The under is a great option here, as both teams should be able to contain the opposing offense, but I like Auburn to cover here. While they haven’t excelled in Quad 1 matchups, their recent wins over Alabama and South Carolina show the tides could be changing for Bruce Pearl’s squad. Take Auburn to keep this one close.
