Game Time: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 1st, 2022

Venue: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee

Where to Watch:  SEC Network

 

DraftKings Sportsbook:  NL

Caesars:  Spread: NL

VegasInsider:  Spread: NL

WynnBet: Spread: NL

 

The opening line is Tennessee -11.5  with BetOnline listing it as Tennessee -12.5.  Those are big numbers for a visiting team in a defensive duel.  

Texas A&M: 4-4 conf, 15-6 overall (SEC)

Tennessee: 5-3 conf, 14-6 overall (SEC)

The SEC is a lot of things.  It’s the best conference for college football in America.  It’s a college landscape of big schools… and pageantry… and tradition.  These schools have fans who never even considered going to college.. They just live in the state and treat the SEC teams as the NFL team they don’t have.  The SEC is home to multiple 1 million dollar a year + NIL amateur players.  Except this isn’t football… It's basketball. In basketball the ACC, the Pac-12, and the Big Ten produce the winners and the blue bloods.  A Final Four of Duke, UCLA, Purdue, and Baylor would be not only great but expected on most people’s homemade brackets…. The SEC usually only gives us one basketball team at a time… and that team is usually Kentucky… Sometimes Florida and sometimes Vanderbilt. Things are changing however.  This year Auburn is ranked, Kentucky is ranked, Arkansas is ranked and Tennessee is hanging in there at #22… 4 teams hanging around and playing tough… while Florida and Vandy aren’t among them… The ACC and the Pac-12 must be careful going forward… if they slip and allow the SEC to add basketball to their dominance… There will simply be no reason to keep playing any of these sports.

The Aggies are on a four-game losing streak that has essentially snuffed any excitement they had for this season.  They went from undefeated in the conference to .500 after 8 conference games.  The South Carolina Gamecocks drubbed them 74-63, the LSU Tigers beat them 70-64, the Arkansas Razorbacks slid past them in overtime 76-73, and the Kentucky Wildcats beat them 64-58.  The thing bettors should pay attention to the losing streak is that the Aggies went 3-1 ATS over the 4.  They are covering the spread for the most part in these conference losses. In fact in conference games they 5-3 ATS.  So they don’t lay down for anyone.  They put up a fight.  They are 6-4 ATS over their last 10 games… so it is just the Conference games you want to hone in on.

The Volunteers lost a heartbreaker in their last game to the Texas Longhorns 52-51.  It was a win against the spread, but that doesn’t console the fans or team.  The three games prior were three straight wins against Vanderbilt, LSU, and Florida.  During the 4 game stretch they are 3-1 ATS.  They have won 7 of their last ten games… the biggest win may be the non-conference win over the Arizona Wildcats on December 22nd.  Beating teams like the Arizona Wildcats is a lift for most every team in the SEC.  It says “we aren’t just beating up on each other, we can go places”.  

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Texas A&M is 15-6 on the season, but 11-9 ATS.  They have logged 13 Overs and 7 Unders.  They are 3-2 in road games.

Tennessee is 14-6 on the season, but 12-8 ATS.  They have notched 8 Overs and 12 Unders.  They are 11-0 in home games.

The Aggies are 120th in scoring with 73.8 ppg, 159th in rebounds with 32.9 per game, and 143rd in AST/TO ratio with 1.1. They are shooting a banal 45.1% FG, 34.2% 3PT, and a lowly 64.5 FT% for a terrible 342 ranking in free throws.  The charity stripe shouldn’t be so costly every shot if free.   They excel at defense where they are ranked 54th in the nation while giving up 64.4 ppg to opponents.

The Volunteers are 130th in scoring with 73.5 ppg, 93rd in rebounds with 34.2 per game, and 48th in AST/TO ratio with 1.3… The shooting is shockingly similar.  43.4 % FG, 33% 3PT, and a sad 68% FT.  They also excel at defense where they rank 36th while holding opponents to 62.5 ppg.

Our prediction for Tuesday, February 1st is…  Tennessee 62 - Texas A&M 58

A defensive battle with a slight edge going to the Volunteers.  The Aggies and Volunteers share so much in common numbers wise that you have to give credit to the Volunteers ranking which the committee gives out based in part by strength of schedule. The point spread means that you will be betting A&M to win ATS … even though Tennessee will win the game.  These teams both excel at defense and shoot poorly from the field and the line… It may be prudent to bet the Under as well/instead.

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Texas A&M is 1-0 ATS versus Tenn at Tenn the last 3 seasons.

Texas A&M is 5-0 as road underdogs of 9.5 to 12 pts the last 3 seasons.

 Tennessee is 2-5 ATS as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 pts the last 3 seasons.

A&M: F Jalen Johnson (knee) Out for season… has been since October.

Tenn: No injuries to report

A&M: G Marcus Williams, G Andre Gordon, G Tyrece Radford, F Ethan Henderson, F Henry Coleman III

Tenn: F Olivier Nkamhoua, F Uros Plavsic, G Kennedy Chandler, G Santiago Vescovi, G Josiah-Jordan James

Texas A&M

Points: Quenton Jackson 12.9

Assists: Marcu Williams 3.7

Rebounds: Henry Coleman III 6.0

Steals: Andre Gordon 1.6

Blocks: Ethan Henderson 0.8

Tennessee

Points: Santiago Vescovi 14

Assists: Kennedy Chandler 4.7

Rebounds: Olivier Knamhoua 5.6

Steals: Kennedy Chandler 2.3

Blocks: John Fulkerson 1.2

Texas A&M:  Buzz Williams.  Coach Williams took this job in 2019.

Tennessee: Rick Barnes.  Coach Barnes used to coach the Texas Longhorns and has been here since 2015.