- Texas A&M and Tennessee will open the SEC Women’s Tournament Wednesday
- Tennessee could be without star guard Talaysia Cooper
- A&M lost 10 straight games to close out the regular season
The highly-competitive SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament tips off at 11:00 am ET Wednesday with No. 9 seed Tennessee (21-8 overall, 8-8 SEC) taking on No. 16 seed Texas A&M (10-18, 3-13) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. The game will air on SEC Network.
Texas A&M vs Tennessee Odds for SEC Women’s Tournament
The Volunteers should come in favored by about 20 points, based on Bart Torvik’s projections, and don’t be surprised if March Madness betting apps don’t even bother to put a moneyline on it, as A&M is in the middle of a 10-game losing streak.
We anticipate DraftKings to provide odds soon for this game. In the meantime, take advantage of our DraftKings promo code to gear up for March Madness.
Wednesday’s winner will move onto the second round against No. 8 seed Vanderbilt at 11:00 am ET Thursday.
Tennessee coming into the SEC Tournament seeded ninth is a show of the conference’s depth, as it’s ranked No. 18 in the latest AP Poll, and projected to be a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Things are not trending in the right direction for the Vols as they enter the postseason, however. They dropped their final two games of the regular season, including a shocking home loss against Georgia in which star guard Talaysia Cooper was injured midway through the first half.
Even without Cooper, they should’ve taken out a bad Georgia team, but with her status now unknown, Tennessee’s +5000 odds to win the SEC Tournament at DraftKings are not nearly as attractive as they would’ve been otherwise.
Will her absence matter against A&M? It shouldn’t. Jewel Spear (13.2 ppg), Ruby Whitehorn (11.8), Zee Spearman (11.7) and Samara Spencer (10.4) are all averaging in double figures, so there’s plenty of options even if Cooper can’t go.
And A&M doesn’t do much well enough to take advantage of a short-handed Tennessee. The Aggies are top-100 in just two major statistics tracked by Torvik – offensive rebounding (50th) and block percentage (46th). Their offense is 137th in efficiency, while their defense is 123rd.
Tennessee, even with its recent slide, is 10th in offensive efficiency and 34th on defense.
In the first meeting between the two teams, Tennessee won 91-79 at A&M. The Vols led by 22 at halftime, and the lead never dipped into single digits in the second half.
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee Prediction
Cooper’s injury will make giving up 20ish points pretty tough. But have I mentioned that A&M isn’t that great?
In the Aggies’ current losing streak, nine of the games were decided by double digits. The one that wasn’t was a nine-point home loss against Arkansas this past Sunday. Arkansas has three SEC wins on the season, two of which came against A&M.
So, yes, even a short-handed Tennessee is capable of covering a large spread against this A&M squad.
And while it’s not a sound strategy to base your bets on vibes, missing Cooper could very well eliminate the possibility of Tennessee’s player overlooking A&M. If all those players are locked in, a blowout could be in the cards.
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee Picks:
- Tennessee –24.5 or lower
- Under 150.5
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The SEC Tournament is heating up as Texas A&M prepares to take on Tennessee on March 5th. Both teams have had their fair share of ups and downs throughout the season, making this matchup a highly anticipated one for fans and bettors alike.
As the game approaches, betting odds are starting to surface, giving us a glimpse into how the experts believe this game will play out. Currently, the odds are favoring Tennessee, with many sportsbooks listing them as the favorite to come out on top. This is likely due to Tennessee’s strong performance throughout the season, as they have consistently been ranked in the top 25 and have shown that they have what it takes to compete with some of the best teams in the country.
On the other hand, Texas A&M has had a bit of a rollercoaster season, with some impressive wins but also some disappointing losses. However, they have shown flashes of brilliance and have the potential to pull off an upset against Tennessee if they bring their A-game.
When it comes to predictions for this game, it’s important to consider a few key factors. Tennessee’s strong defense and ability to score in transition will likely be key in this matchup, as they look to control the pace of the game and limit Texas A&M’s scoring opportunities. On the other hand, Texas A&M will need to rely on their outside shooting and ability to crash the boards in order to stay competitive with Tennessee.
Ultimately, this game has the potential to be a close and exciting matchup, with both teams having something to prove. While Tennessee may be the favorite according to the odds, Texas A&M should not be counted out just yet. As always, anything can happen in college basketball, making this game one to watch for fans and bettors alike.