The Syracuse Orange take on the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, TN. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Tennessee is favored by 21 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2200. The total is set at 143 points.
Here’s my Syracuse vs. Tennessee predictions and college basketball picks for December 3, 2024.
Syracuse vs Tennessee Prediction
My Pick: Under 143.5
My Syracuse vs Tennessee best bet is on the under, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Syracuse vs Tennessee Odds, Spread
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+21 -110 | 143 -110 / -110 | +1100 |
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-21 -110 | 143 -110 / -110 | -2200 |
- Syracuse vs Tennessee spread: Tennessee -21
- Syracuse vs Tennessee over/under: 143 points
- Syracuse vs Tennessee moneyline: Syracuse -2200, Tennessee +1100
- Syracuse vs Tennessee best bet: Under 143.5
Syracuse vs Tennessee College Basketball Betting Preview
Syracuse Basketball
J.J. Starling is out with a hand injury.
Year two of the Red Autry era could have been a better start. The Orange have four wins against mid-major teams — none of which came easily. Their biggest margin of victory is 10 against Cornell, while Youngstown State pushed them to two overtimes and Colgate had every shot to beat them.
On the flip side, Cuse pushed Texas Tech and Texas during the Legends Classic a few weeks ago.
There are two pretty glaring problems for Syracuse.
The biggest is shooting. The Orange shoot just 27% from 3, which is among the worst in the country. The only rotation player shooting above 29% from 3 is freshman guard Elijah Moore, who seems to be earning a bigger role each game.
J.J. Starling has developed into a really strong player for Coach Autry, leading the team with 19 points. But he can't shoot, and neither can Chris Bell, Jyare Davis, Eddie Lampkin Jr. or promising five-star freshman Donnie Freeman.
That's a real problem if Syracuse wants to compete in the ACC. And with the ball-pressure Tennessee flashes, Syracuse will likely take a lot of 3s. I don't love that formula.
Second, the switch from being a primary 2-3 zone team to a man-to-man team under Autry isn't working well. I'm not sure zone would work either, but Cuse ranks 154th in defensive efficiency, and teams that shoot a lot of 3s have immense success against this poor defense.
Tennessee Basketball
Rick Barnes has been coaching for a long time, but he and his staff have fully bought into the portal, unlike some other long-tenured coaches.
People wondered if Barnes could strike lightning in a bottle like he did with Dalton Knecht last year, and he did. The star for the Vols is senior sniper Chaz Lanier, who leads the team with 17 points per game on a dazzling 49% from 3.
Four of Tennessee's top five scorers came over via the portal — Igor Milicic Jr., Lanier, Felix Okpara and Jordan Gainey.
The only in-house top scorer for the Vols is point guard Zakai Zeigler, who runs the show and sets the defensive tone.
Barnes learned from some mistakes that led to his teams packing up from the NCAA Tournament earlier than expected.
He has finally found some offense. The Vols made the Elite Eight last year with a potent offense and elite defense, and now the Vols boast the 11th-best offense and second-best defense in college basketball, per KenPom.
There isn't a spot where teams can key in on to exploit the Vols' defense. They have a very aggressive style, forcing ball pressure which leads to a 23% turnover rate. They also hold teams to 40% from 3-point range and 26% from 3.
More emphasis will be on Okpara avoiding foul trouble with backup big J.P. Estrella's season-ending injury. Okpara could get in foul trouble against Lampkin in this spot, but Milicic could exploit Lampkin's poor defense if he backs up Okpara.
The Vols have defeated each of their opponents by 15+ points, including convincing wins against Baylor and Louisville.
Syracuse vs. Tennessee Betting Analysis
I'm looking at the under here. I feel like the game script could follow the one Tennessee used in its 77-62 win over Baylor.
The Vols had plenty of offensive success against a poor Baylor defense, shooting 43% from 3, but held a solid offense to 42% shooting and 27% from 3. The game total closed at 142.5 and went under, even with Lanier going for 29 points.
I see the Vols slowing the game down and forcing Syracuse into its weakness — shooting 3s, which bodes well for the under.
