A pair of SEC heavyweights are set to face off when the Alabama Crimson Tide travel to take on the Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday. Read on for our Alabama-Tennessee college basketball picks based on the top NCAAB odds.
Fresh off being ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time in 20 years, Alabama is set to be a betting underdog during a league battle with Tennessee inside Thompson-Boling Arena. The Crimson Tide (22-23, 12-0 SEC) have won four straight and 13 of their last 14. Nate Oats' squad looks like the front-runner to win the conference crown and a national title.
Meanwhile, No. 10 Tennessee (19-6, 8-4 SEC) was once considered among the best teams in the country and ranked as high as No. 2 just a couple of weeks ago. The Volunteers have dropped back-to-back games to Vanderbilt and Missouri, recording just one win since the calendar flipped to February.
Here is our best Alabama-Tennessee college basketball pick (odds via Caesars Sportsbook; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale)
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Alabama vs. Tennessee pick
From a situation standpoint, this is a perfect spot to back a Tennessee team at home against the top-ranked school in the country. But I prefer to rely on numbers and matchups when making a bet. So I'm going to be contrarian and bet on the Crimson Tide when the whole world will likely be on the Volunteers.
Tennessee plays at an elite level defensively while ranked No. 1 in adjusted efficiency. But the Volunteers have also been a bit fortunate with opposing teams missing open 3-pointers.
Opponents are shooting 25.9% from long range on unguarded shots against UT, accordin g to Synergy Sports Technology. Missouri and Vanderbilt both shot well from deep in wins over Tennessee, and we expect that positive shooting regression to continue on Wednesday.
Alabama is firing the 11th-most 3-pointers in the country while making 35.1% of its attempts. Freshman Brandon Miller, who's a future NBA lottery pick, has made a team-high 76 triples. Miller and Co. can make Tennessee pay for any open looks, which could help silence the crowd.
Additionally, Tennessee players Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips are both game-time decisions. If they can't go, this line could even start drifting down toward Alabama. So ignore the situation and bet on the team that hasn't lost an SEC game in 2022-23.
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Alabama vs. Tennessee best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
| +3 | +2.5 | +2.5 | +3 | +2.5 |
| -110 | -102 | -105 | -110 | +100 |
The spot matters enough that I would only recommend taking this bet at +3 or higher. In fact, this line could close at +3.5 if Tennessee gets positive news about the two players listed as game-time decisions.
We need to make this pick now, and Caesars and DraftKings Sportsbook are the only shops sitting at a 3-point spread. Caesars offers a juicer payout on the moneyline at +140 if you want to bet on the Crimson Tide winning outright in a tough environment.
We'll stick with the points for this three-star pick, as it's hard to win on the road in college hoops.
Alabama vs. Tennessee odds
Alabama vs. Tennessee odds analysis
Tennessee opened as a 2-point favorite, but the spread has drifted up to a full possession since then. Bettors would need to eat some juice to get a -2.5, as BetMGM and FanDuel Sportsbook are still hanging that line at -115 vig and -120, respectively.
The total for this game has also experienced one-way movement, climbing up to a range between 144.5 and 145.5 after opening at 141. FanDuel is sitting as high as 145.5, while BetMGM is as low as 144.5. Choose wisely when placing a total bet on this game.
Alabama is 15-9-1 against the spread in 2022-23, but the team's uptempo style has surprisingly only produced an 11-13-1 clip to the Over. Tennessee is 13-12 ATS and 14-11 to the Under thanks to its elite defense.
Alabama vs. Tennessee game info
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Location: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
Alabama-Tennessee pick made 2/15/2023 at 10:40 a.m. ET.
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