Offense meets defense when the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers (8-1) welcome the Samford Bulldogs (10-2) to Thompson-Boling Arena. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 19, 2018, and will air on SEC Network.
Samford Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers Betting Prediction
The Bulldogs will be hoping for a similar outcome after beating the North Alabama Lions in their last matchup, 91-74. Samford’s 0.664 effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over North Alabama, who had a rate of 0.431. Samford rallied around Ruben Guerrero, who contributed 17 points and six rebounds.
In the Volunteers’ previous outing, they had no trouble getting past the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, 86-41. The Volunteers had a much better free throw rate (0.217 vs. 0.090) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.608 vs. 0.261). Jordan Bone was the top scorer from either team with 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Tennessee takes on the stingy defense of Samford. Dating back to last season, the Volunteers rank 26th in offensive efficiency, while the Bulldogs are 60th in defensive efficiency.
Guerrero has averaged 0 points over the last five games for Samford.
Samford Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Tennessee, ATS Winner – Tennessee, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes (2017-Present):
Tennessee averages 37.3 rebounds per game, which ranks 13th in the NCAA. Samford ranks 171st in rebounds allowed per game (36.1).
The Volunteers rank second in assists per game (16.8) while the Bulldogs rank 136th (15.6).
Tennessee ranks 163rd in three pointers attempted per game (20.7) while Samford ranks 234th (22.7).
The Volunteers rank ninth in blocks per game (4.8) while the Bulldogs rank 74th (2.7).
Samford ranks 92nd in steals per game (7.0) while Tennessee ranks 140th in steals allowed per game (5.9).
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