For the first time in school history, the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers (+1,000 to win the national title) are tops in the AP Poll in consecutive weeks. They will look to extend that streak, but a loss to the Texas A&M Aggies (+50,000) this Saturday will surely see them slide down. Will the Vols show Texas A&M why they are the boss in the SEC and in the nation right now? Or will the Aggies score a giant upset?
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Betting Preview for the Tennessee Volunteers vs. Texas A&M Aggies College Basketball Game on February 2, 2019
Where: Reed Arena, College Station
When: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Tennessee Volunteers (odds) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers (19-1 Overall / 7-0 Conference)
Save for a too-close-for-comfort88-83 overtime win on the road against the Vanderbilt Commodores last week, it’s been cruise control for the No. 1 Volunteers. After that win, the Vols defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers at home (83-66) and the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia on Tuesday (92-70). It’s hard to stop the Vols right now, especially when their top two players are capable of exploding on any given night. That’s Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield, who had 23 and 24 points, respectively, in the South Carolina game. Williams is the top scorer in the SEC with 20.4 points per game, while Schofield is fourth with 17.0 per contest. The Volunteers are fourth in the nation with a dizzying average of 86.4 points per game, but they could also flex their muscle on the defensive end, with opponents shooting just 40.2 percent against them.
Tennessee is 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in conference games so far this season and 4-1 ATS in five games as a road favorite.
Betting on the Texas A&M Aggies (8-10 Overall / 1-5 Conference)
The Aggies are among the bottom dwellers in the SEC standings, but they provided one of the biggest shocks last weekend, when they shot down the Kansas State Wildcats at home, 65-53. Texas A&M rattled the Wildcats with an excellent execution of a zone defense that held Kansas State down to only 32.8 percent shooting from the field. It’s important to note that because the Aggies need that kind of defense to be as effective – if not better – against Tennessee, which is a high-scoring team that plays like a pro squad, relying on either Williams and Schofield to create the offense for the squad. If the Aggies can take away or slow down the production of Williams and Schofield, they should be in a good position to steal an upset victory. The Aggies will look to source most of their offense from TJ Starks and Savion Flagg, who are averaging 12.8 and 12.6 points, respectively. Texas A&M, which is averaging 72.3 points per game, has a date with the No. 19 LSU Tigers on Wednesday before the Tennessee matchup.
The Aggies are better in covering the spread after a loss (5-5 ATS) than after a win (3-4 ATS).
Writer’s Prediction
Tennessee wins, 85-69.
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