The No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers host the Texas A&M Aggies on Tuesday night in an SEC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Volunteers are listed as 10.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 161.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this SEC college basketball matchup.
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M prediction, preview
Tennessee is one of the most talented teams in the country, ranking 19th in the nation in KenPom net rating. However, there have been stretches of inconsistency from the Volunteers this season. They pulled off an amazing upset over No. 3 Houston, but then lost three straight games following that win. The Volunteers bounced back from that skid with a win over No. 11 Louisville and a strong end to the non-conference schedule. However, it has once again been a slow stretch for Tennessee to start SEC play. Tennessee is 1-2 to start conference play, with losses to Arkansas and Florida. Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie has been great for the Volunteers so far, but Tennessee has struggled at times to find scoring from anyone besides Gillespie.
Texas A&M has been on fire over the past two months. The Aggies lost two of their first four games, to UCF and Oklahoma State, a concerning start to the season. However, they have gone 12 straight games without a loss in regulation. They are 11-1 during this stretch, with just an overtime loss to SMU breaking up their win streak. The Aggies are 3-0 to start SEC play, with wins over LSU, Auburn and Oklahoma. The Aggies don’t have a true superstar, but they are one of the most well-balanced teams in the SEC. They have six players averaging double figures this season, making them a tough team to defend with no weak link on the floor.
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M pick
My best bet for this game is for Texas A&M to cover as 10.5-point underdogs. On their best night, Tennessee can beat anyone in the country. However, they are already in their second rough patch of this season. When Ja’Kobi Gillespie struggles to score, the team struggles to score. All five of Tennessee’s losses this season have come when Gillespie scored 15 points or fewer. Gillespie is currently in one of those rough stretches, shooting 3/10 against Florida and 5/15 against Arkansas. If that trend continues, this should be a tight game between these SEC opponents. The way that Texas A&M has been playing over the past few weeks inspires confidence that they can hang with Tennessee and keep this game close. The Aggies are the second-highest scoring team in the SEC this season and should be able to keep up with a Volunteers squad in bad form.
