- The last unbeaten team in the nation, the #1 Tennessee Volunteers face the #8 Florida Gators on Tuesday night in Gainesville
- The Gators are coming off their first loss of the season on Saturday but are a perfect 8-0 at home
- See the Tennessee Volunteers vs Florida Gators odds, predictions, and player props on Jan. 7
The game of the season (so far) takes place in Gainesville on Tuesday night as the #1 Tennessee Volunteers (14-0, 2-0 away, 10-4 ATS) visit the #8 Florida Gators (13-1, 8-0 home, 10-4 ATS) at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN2. This was shaping up to be a showdown of the last two unbeaten teams in the nation until the Gators fell 106-100 at Kentucky on Saturday. But UF’s perfect home record remains intact, and oddsmakers give the Gators a slight edge in Tuesday’s college basketball odds.
Tennessee vs Florida Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Volunteers | +3.5 (-105) | +150 | O 148.5 (-110) |
| Florida Gators | -3.5 (-115) | -183 | U 148.5 (-110) |
Florida is listed as a 3.5-point home favorite at -183 on the moneyline with Tennessee coming back as a +150 underdog to improve to 15-0 on the season. The game total is sitting at 148.5 with -110 odds both ways. Florida is 6-8 O/U this season while the Vols, who are second in the nation in defensive efficiency, are just 5-9 O/U.
Odds as of Jan. 7 at BetMGM. New bettors can claim the BetMGM bonus code to get a promo code to use on Tuesday’s college basketball slate.
Tennessee started its SEC schedule with a bang last time out, demolishing Arkansas (rated #38 at KenPom) 76-52, led by 29 points from their leading scorer, North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier (20.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.4 APG).
Croatian center Igor Milicic (10.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.4 APG) dominated the glass with 18 rebounds while senior point guard Zakai Zeigler (11.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 8.0 APG) dished out a game-high seven assists.
The Vols have now moved up to third-favorite in the March Madness championship odds.
The Gators got off to a good start in Lexington on Saturday, taking an early 11-point lead (26-15) before a 21-3 Kentucky run put the Wildcats on top for good in a wildly high-scoring game that ended with both teams in triple-digits (106-100).
Walter Clayton (18.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.9 APG) had a game-high 33 in a losing effort for Florida while Alijah Martin (15.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.9 APG) added 26. Three-point shooting was the biggest difference in the game: UK shot a scalding 48.3% from three while the Gators were only a respectable 35.2%.
As mentioned, Florida remains a perfect 8-0 at home this season. They haven’t, however, faced a team rated higher than #35 at KenPom all year (North Carolina, whom they beat 90-84 in Charlotte). Tennessee, on the other hand, owns two top-25 wins already: 77-62 over Baylor (no. 23) in the Bahamas and 66-64 over Illinois (no. 11) in a true road game.
TEN vs FLA Player Props
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Condon (FLA) | 9.5 (Ov -130 | Un -100) | 7.5 (Ov -122 | Un -116) | OFF |
| Alijah Martin (FLA) | 13.5 (Ov -120 | Un -110) | 4.5 (Ov -148 | Un +106) | OFF |
| Chaz Lanier (TEN) | 19.5 (Ov -125 | Un -105) | OFF | OFF |
| Igor Milicic Jr (TEN) | 12.5 (Ov -110 | Un -120) | 9.5 (Ov -108 | Un -132) | OFF |
| Jordan Gainey (TEN) | 10.5 (Ov -105 | Un -125) | OFF | OFF |
| Walter Clayton (FLA) | 17.5 (Ov -105 | Un -125) | OFF | 3.5 (Ov -118 | Un -118) |
| Will Richard (FLA) | 12.5 (Ov -120 | Un -110) | 4.5 (Ov -118 | Un -118) | OFF |
| Zakai Zeigler (TEN) | 12.5 (Ov -110 | Un -120) | OFF | 7.5 (Ov -100 | Un -140) |
Player props as of Jan. 6 at FanDuel. Check out SBD’s full list of betting apps that accept Venmo and PayPal betting sites.
Lanier tops the Tennessee vs Florida player props with a point total of 19.5, just a shade under his season average. Clayton has the highest total among Florida players at 17.5. As expected, Milicic has the highest rebound total of the night (9.5) while Zeigler leads the assist props (7.5).
Tennessee vs Florida Predictions
The Volunteers aren’t exactly road warriors this season, having only played twice in truly hostile territory. But they handled themselves admirably both times. Back on Nov. 9, they ran over a much-improved Louisville team (77-55) and then, in mid-December, they handed the Illini their only home setback to date (66-64).
The Gators have a shiny 13-1 record, but haven’t faced the same type of competition as the Vols. Nine of their 13 wins are outside of KenPom’s top-100 and, as mentioned, none are in the top 30. I like the value on Tennessee staying perfect tonight at +150, which is just a 40% implied win probability.
TEN vs FLA pick: Tennessee moneyline (+150)
The Tennessee Volunteers will face off against the Florida Gators on January 7th in what is sure to be an exciting matchup between two SEC powerhouses. Both teams have had strong starts to the season, with Tennessee currently ranked 6th in the nation and Florida sitting just outside the top 25.
When it comes to the odds for this game, Tennessee is currently favored to win by 4.5 points according to most sportsbooks. The over/under for total points scored in the game is set at 140.5, indicating that oddsmakers are expecting a relatively low-scoring affair.
In terms of predictions, this game could go either way. Tennessee has a strong defense that ranks among the best in the country, while Florida boasts a high-powered offense led by standout guard Tre Mann. It will likely come down to which team can impose their will on the other, with Tennessee looking to slow the pace of the game and Florida trying to push the tempo.
As for player props, there are a few key players to keep an eye on in this matchup. For Tennessee, guard Santiago Vescovi has been a key contributor on both ends of the floor, averaging 14 points and 4 assists per game. Look for him to play a big role in the outcome of this game.
On the Florida side, Tre Mann is the player to watch. The junior guard is averaging 16 points and 5 assists per game and has the ability to take over a game with his scoring and playmaking ability. If Florida is going to pull off the upset, Mann will likely need to have a big game.
Overall, this matchup between Tennessee and Florida has all the makings of a classic SEC showdown. With both teams looking to make a statement early in conference play, expect a hard-fought battle that could come down to the wire. Keep an eye on the odds, predictions, and player props for this game as it promises to be an exciting contest between two talented teams.
