The Georgia Bulldogs (8-5) look to extend their five-game home winning streak when they take on the Tennessee Volunteers (8-7), who have dropped five in a row on the road. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and will air on SEC and ES3.
The Georgia Bulldogs lost a tough one against Ole Miss 72-71 on Saturday. Yante Maten finished with 20 points to lead the team. The Volunteers are coming off a 92-88 loss at the hands of Texas A&M on Saturday. Admiral Schofield stood out for Tennessee, accumulating 16 points, six rebounds, and one steal.
The Volunteers should minimize miscues in this matchup. They rank 30th in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of 15.8%). Meanwhile, Georgia Bulldogs forces the 68th-fewest mistakes in the nation, with just 17.2% of opponents’ possessions ending in a turnover.
The Georgia Bulldogs enter the game with records of 8-5 Straight Up (SU) and 6-7 Against The Spread (ATS). Teams have to fight for open shots against the Bulldogs, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .368. The Bulldogs are the 21st-best team in the country at blocking shots, averaging 5.6 blocks per game.
On the other side, the Volunteers head into the game with records of 8-5-1 ATS and 8-7 SU. Tennessee is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Volunteers average 40.0 rebounds per game, making them the 48th-best team in the country for that category. Switching gears to the Tennessee defense, it averages 5.9 blocks per game, good for 14th in the nation. Tennessee has not committed many turnovers, averaging only 11.5 per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Georgia and Tennessee played, Georgia won, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over Tennessee in their most recent games. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, Georgia has the advantage ATS. Georgia had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups. Tennessee has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tenn, ATS Winner – Tenn
Notes
Georgia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia’s last 5 games.
Georgia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Georgia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tennessee.
Both Georgia and Tennessee are a poor 1-2 SU against conference foes.
Tennessee beats Georgia in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Volunteers average 72.6 possessions and 1.103 points per possession, while the Bulldogs average 67.9 possessions with 1.048 points per possession.
The Georgia Bulldogs average an effective field goal percentage of 50.4% this season. The Tennessee Volunteers have a losing record of 1-4 when opponents have an eFG% of 50.4% or greater.
Georgia attempts an average of 17.0 three pointers per game and Tennessee attempts 21.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Georgia Bulldogs have a winning 3-1 record while the Tennessee Volunteers have a 4-6 record.
Tennessee, the 48th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 40.0 rebounds per game. Georgia does worse, ranked 163rd with 37.2.
Georgia ranks 84th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Tennessee ranks 59th.
Georgia averages a forced turnover rate of 17.2% this season. Tennessee has a 3-2 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
