Alabama vs Tennessee Odds, Pick
| Alabama Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -105 | 158.5 -110o / -110u | +185 |
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -115 | 158.5 -110o / -110u | -225 |
SEC play rolls on as the Alabama Crimson Tide hit the road to take on the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
Alabama has now won six consecutive games and remains undefeated in conference play. Tennessee has just one loss in the SEC and will look to boost its chances of winning the league with a huge home win here.
The metrics love Alabama, as the Crimson Tide rank eighth in KenPom at this point in the season. They've played a tough schedule, but they're just 2-5 outright against top-50 opponents. Those wins came over Indiana State and Mississippi State.
If you narrow the filter down to even more elite teams, Alabama has gone 0-3 against top-20 teams this season.
Tennessee will be a very difficult test for Alabama, as the Volunteers rank sixth in the country, per KenPom. On top of that, Tennessee is undefeated at home with a perfect 9-0 record in Knoxville.
Dalton Knecht has emerged as one of the best offensive players in the country, and the Alabama defense will have its hands full.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama is the top-ranked offense in college basketball. The Crimson Tide are lethal on that end, and they can score 100 points on any night against any opponent. They've totaled 100 or more points in five of their 17 games this season.
The Tide shoot plenty of 3-pointers, ranking 11th nationally in 3-point attempt rate, as 48% of the team's shots come from outside.
But the more important stat is that they make them. Collectively, Crimson Tide players make 40% of their shots from deep.
The defensive end is where Alabama can sometimes get itself into trouble.
The Tide have just the 65th-ranked defense in college basketball, and they've struggled to get stops against the best offenses they've played this season. Arizona, Creighton, Purdue, Clemson and Ohio State each scored 85 points or more against Alabama.
Nate Oats' team can't let Tennessee do that at home if it wants to win the game.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee is nearly as elite defensively as Alabama is offensively. The Volunteers defense ranks second in the country in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency.
Rick Barnes is no stranger to elite defenses at Tennessee, but this year's team is one of his best.
It starts inside, where the Vols force opponents into shooting just 41% on shots inside the 3-point line. Toughness and physicality abound in the Tennessee frontcourt, and this unit wears down opposing bigs for 40 minutes.
The biggest difference between this Tennessee team and previous versions is the addition of Knecht. The forward is an offensive superstar unlike any other player who has come through Knoxville in recent years.
Knecht just posted back-to-back games with 36 and 39 points, respectively, and he's simply on fire right now. Nobody on the Alabama roster can match up.
Alabama vs Tennessee
Betting Pick & Prediction
While both these teams have Final Four potential, it's hard to side against the home team here.
Knecht will make the difference, and Alabama's inability to get key stops will keep the Vols' perfect record in Knoxville alive.
