Ole Miss vs. Tennessee Odds
| Ole Miss Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15 -110 | 133 -110o / -110u | +950 |
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15 -110 | 133 -110o / -110u | -1750 |
Ole Miss heads on the road to Knoxville, Tennessee to take on the Volunteers in its first SEC matchup of the season.
Tennessee dropped its last game to Alabama to open SEC play. Tennessee has shut down teams — like Arizona and North Carolina — with its staunch defensive abilities.
Ole Miss plays at the 255th-ranked Adjusted Tempo, per KenPom, and its strongest asset is its defense, as well.
All of these factors point to targeting the total in this game.
Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss lost its last game to Samford on December 21 before its matchup against Florida was postponed.
The Rebels are poised to bounce back, but particularly on the defensive end, they should be fired up against the Volunteers.
The Rebels can frequently force turnovers. They rank 53rd in turnover percentage on defense (21.7%) and crash the glass 25.2% of the time. Tennessee does not turn the ball over much (15.4%), but this number could be inflated against a team of Ole Miss’ defensive caliber.
Tennessee launches a ton of 3s. Daeshun Ruffin, Luis Rodriguez and Jarkel Joiner will all be able to defend the perimeter well. They each average over one steal per game, so this could cause a litany of issues for players like Santiago Vescovi, Kennedy Chandler and Josiah-Jordan James.
On the offensive end, the same issue will persist for the Rebels. Vescovi, Chandler and James all average at least two steals each game. The Rebels only shoot 30.5% collectively from downtown, so do not expect many 3s to fall for Ole Miss.
Joiner is a consistent shooter, and Tennessee has the defensive matchups to negate his offensive contributions.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee is an even stronger defensive team than Ole Miss. The Vols rank second in defensive efficiency, per KenPom, and have proven themselves against versatile teams. Ole Miss does not fall into that category, since it is not very efficient.
The Volunteers — much like the Rebels — turn opponents over consistently (24.7%), ranking 15th in college basketball. Even though Ole Miss tends to take care of the ball, it will still be a bit sloppy against an elite defense.
One area that could factor into an over is Tennessee’s ability to rebound offensively. The Vols grab 33.2% of offensive rebounding opportunities, and this came into play in their victory over the notably lanky and lengthy Arizona Wildcats.
Ole Miss may rebound well defensively and has a height advantage with seven-footer, Nysier Brooks, but based on a similar recent matchup, Brooks will only slightly chip away at the Volunteers' rebounding advantage.
Finally, Tennessee will usually push the pace, which is another concern for under backers. However, the Vols rank 345th in the NCAA at free throw attempt to field goal attempt ratio.
They do not get to the line often, and when they do, they are only hitting 70.6% of their attempts (181st). The Rebels are similar, knocking down only 69.2% of their free throws.
Basically, as long as this does not turn into a foul fest, neither of these teams are threatening the over with free buckets.
Ole Miss vs. Tennessee Betting Pick
These defenses are two of the best in the SEC. Tennessee is one of the best in the country, and with how poorly Ole Miss plays on the offensive end, expect few results.
Neither team will have much production from behind the arc and both will be battling for the rebounding advantage.
Although Tennessee usually plays quickly, Ole Miss will be able to control the pace on some possessions and defend the Volunteers' bigs, too.
Take the under at 133 and play it to 131.
