It’s been a while since the last time the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers (+1,400 to win the national title) have been as good as they are right now. They are off to a great start to the season and remain unbeaten through their first 11 games. They will look to extend their winning streak this Saturday, when they welcome the Georgia Bulldogs (+50,000 to win the national title) in Knoxville. Read on for a preview of this SEC matchup.
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Betting Preview for the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers College Basketball Game on January 5, 2019
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
When: Saturday, January 5, 2019, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Georgia Bulldogs (odds) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Georgia Bulldogs (8-4 Overall / 0-0 Conference)
Some may question the overall quality of the Bulldogs’ non-conference schedule, but it can’t be denied that they have played two games against ranked teams and though they lost in both, they looked great in one of those contests. Georgia was beaten by No. 16 Clemson Tigers in a neutral court on Nov. 20, 64-49, and nearly beat No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils at home on Dec. 15, 76-74. Since the Sun Devils game, the Bulldogs have won all their next three games, a stretch that includes their 91-74 home win over the UMass Minutemen on Dec. 30. The Bulldogs’ defense will be key in their upcoming matchup with Tennessee. The Bulldogs are allowing 70.5 points, just 137th in the league, but they can play intense on-ball defense, as evidenced by their opponents’ 38.0 field goal shooting percentage, 15th in Division I basketball.
Georgia, which is averaging 79.2 points per game, is 3-0 ATS in its last three road games.
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers (11-1 Overall / 0-0 Conference)
The Volunteers have one of the best tandems of bucket-getters in college basketball today. That’s the pair of Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield, who are pumping out 20.1 and 18.2 points per game. Plus they have a third wheel in Jordan Bone, who’s providing 14.3 points per contest. The Volunteers are currently considered by many as the best team in the SEC right now, which speaks volumes about how strong Tennessee is this season. The Vols let the Tennessee Tech Gold Eagles taste their wrath in their last game, scoring a 96-53 win on Dec. 29 at home. In that game, Williams dropped 25 points while Schofield and Bone had 16 points apiece. That’s nothing out of the ordinary for Williams and Schofield even when matched up against tougher competition. In fact, they combined for 46 points during the Tennessee’s huge 76-73 win in Spokane on Dec. 9 against then-No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Tennessee, which is averaging 85.5 points per game, is 3-2 ATS in its last five games overall.
Writer’s Prediction
Tennessee wins, 79-71.
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