The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Florida Gators in Gainesville, FL. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Florida is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -185. The total is set at 150 points.
Here are my Tennessee vs. Florida predictions and college basketball picks for January 7, 2025.
Tennessee vs Florida Odds
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 150 -110 / -110 | +155 |
| Florida Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 150 -110 / -110 | -185 |
- Tennessee vs Florida spread: Florida -3.5
- Tennessee vs Florida over/under: 150 points
- Tennessee vs Florida moneyline: Florida -185, Tennessee +155
- Tennessee vs Florida best bet: Florida ML -130 (Play to -150)
My Tennessee vs Florida best bet is on the Gators moneyline, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Tennessee vs Florida College Basketball Betting Preview
Under Billy Donovan, the O’Dome was a house of horrors for opposing teams. But in recent years, the Gators have lost their bite on their home floor. Todd Golden has been the model of mediocrity, posting a .500 record against the spread at home.
But there’s something different about this year’s team in Gainesville.
For starters, Florida has proven it can dominate quality opponents on both ends of the floor. The Gators find themselves inside the top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per Evan Miyakawa.
They’ve limited six opponents to 60 points or less, suffocating them in the half-court with the 12th-best effective field goal percentage defense.
And when it’s time to run — something UF loves to do — it's exploded for 90+ points on five occasions. This gives the Gators the flexibility to win in different ways, which leads us to this top-10 tussle with Tennessee.
The Vols haven’t been pulled out of their comfort zone yet this season. They prefer to play games in the 70s, relying on their impenetrable defense and plodding offensive style. The last time they lost a regular season game was against Kentucky last March when the Wildcats sped things way up during an 85-81 upset in Knoxville.
That’s how Florida is going to hand the Vols their first loss of the season.
The Gators play at the third-fastest tempo in the SEC, and score 19 fast break points per game (fourth nationally). I expect Golden’s team to push it in transition for 40 minutes, preventing Tennessee from settling into its fortress-like half-court defense.
The Gators average 1.29 “Kill Shots,” or 10-0+ runs, per game game (t-5th). I’m banking on at least one in a win over Tennessee.
Pick: Florida ML -130 (Play to -150)
