It will be a battle between SEC opponents when the No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers (15-5, 5-3 SEC) welcome the LSU Tigers (12-8, 3-5 SEC) to Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will air on SEC Network at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 142 points with Tennessee set as an 11-point favorite.
LSU Tigers at Tennessee Volunteers ATS Prediction
The Tigers are trying to rebound after their 95-70 loss to the No. 19 Auburn Tigers in their last contest. Auburn’s 50.0 offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over LSU, who had a mark of 29.4. Randy Onwuasor put together a good performance for LSU, putting up 14 points.
In the Volunteers’ last matchup, they had no trouble getting past the Iowa State Cyclones, 68-45. Tennessee out-rebounded Iowa State. The Volunteers had 16 offensive rebounds and 49 total rebounds, while the Cyclones had eight and 31, respectively. Lamonte Turner was the top scorer from either team with 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting.
The offensive glass should be a major edge for Tennessee in this matchup. The Volunteers are among the nation’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 38th in offensive rebounding percentage at 34.6 percent. Meanwhile, LSU ranks 318th in the nation at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 67.1 percent. Also, the Tigers rank 40th in effective field goal percentage (0.552), while the Volunteers rank 49th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.472).
LSU heads into the contest with records of 12-8 straight up (SU) and 8-7-2 against the spread (ATS). Of the Tigers’ 17 games with betting action, nine have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Tennessee owns records of 15-5 SU and 11-7 ATS. Vegas tends to set the total high when the Volunteers are involved, as 10 of their 17 games have finished under the projected point total.
After the Tigers won the lone game against the Volunteers last season, 92-82, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Tigers had a much better turnover percentage (9.7 vs. 16.2) and had a much better free throw rate (0.466 vs. 0.361).
LSU Tigers at Tennessee Volunteers Betting Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Tennessee, ATS Winner – LSU, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, LSU is 4-4 ATS with 4 overs and 4 unders.
Tennessee is 3-5 ATS at home with 5 unders and 2 overs.
Tennessee ranks 97th in three pointers allowed per game (20.8) while LSU ranks 230th (24.2).
The Volunteers rank 29th in blocks per game (5.0) while the Tigers rank 105th (3.5).
Tennessee ranks 38th in assists per game (16.4) while LSU ranks 102nd (14.6).
The Tigers rank 34th in steals per game (7.8) while the Volunteers rank 88th (6.8).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, LSU is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Tennessee is 3-2 ATS with 5 unders over their last five games.
The Tigers have been outscored by an average of 5.6 points in their last five games. On the season, LSU has defeated opponents by an average of 6.3 points.
During their last five games, the Volunteers have scored an average of 67.0 points per game (9.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 58.2 points per game (9.4 below their season average).
