Tennessee Volunteers vs Florida Gators NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/7/25

Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Volunteers and Gators. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPN2, and it’s hosted by the Gators at Exactech Arena in Gainesville, FL. Get ready to place your bets! This Southeastern conference matchup has an over/under of 148.5 points, and Florida is favored to win by -2.5 at home vs. Tennessee.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS VS FLORIDA GATORS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Florida Gators -2.5

This game will be played at Exactech Arena at 7:00 ET on Tuesday, January 7th.

WHY BET THE FLORIDA GATORS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-70 in favor of the Gators.
  • Not only will Florida pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 148.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 148 points.

Will Tennessee Find a Way to Win on the Road?

Tennessee improved to 14-0 this season with a 76-52 win over Arkansas on Saturday. The Volunteers, who were -12 favorites, covered the spread with the victory.

Tennessee led 42-27 at halftime and held Arkansas to 25 points in the 2nd half while scoring 34. The game’s total points were 128, falling under the O/U line of 143.5.

In their latest game, Tennessee’s offense put up 76 points, despite shooting just 39.1% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.4%, with two-point shooting at 39.5% and three-point shooting at 38.5% (10/26). The Volunteers were strong from the free-throw line, hitting 80% of their attempts (12/15) and grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, contributing to 18 team assists.

Chaz Lanier led the way with 29 points, shooting 50% overall and 55.6% from deep (5/9). D.J. Wagner added 17 points, though he struggled from three, hitting just 1 of 5 attempts. Igor Miličić Jr. contributed 13 points and a team-high 18 rebounds, while Zakai Zeigler and Boogie Fland each chipped in 12 points, with Zeigler also dishing out 7 assists.

Despite Tennessee’s defensive efforts, they couldn’t stop their opponent from scoring 52 points. The Volunteers allowed a 39% shooting performance, with their opponent hitting 27 of 69 shots.

From beyond the arc, Tennessee’s opponent shot 38%, making 10 of 26 three-pointers. They also went to the free-throw line 15 times, converting 12 of those attempts for an 80% success rate.

Will the Gators Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

Florida’s perfect season came to an end with a 106-100 loss to Kentucky on Saturday, dropping them to 13-1. The Gators were +3.5 point underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 206 far exceeded the over/under line of 166.5.

Florida trailed 52-42 at halftime but put up 58 points in the second half while allowing 54. Despite the loss, the Gators showed resilience by making it a close game in the second half.

Florida’s offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 100 points with a 55% field goal percentage and a 65% effective field goal rate. They dominated inside, hitting 80.8% of their two-point attempts, while going 12-for-34 from beyond the arc, shooting 35.3% from three.

Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with 33 points and 6 threes, while Koby Brea hit 7 threes, shooting 77.8% from deep and finishing with 23 points. Lamont Butler added 19 points and 8 assists, and Amari Williams contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 85.7% from the field.

Florida’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 106 points on 57% shooting from the field. The Gators allowed 37 made field goals on 64 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Florida’s opponents hit 14 of 29 threes, shooting 48%. They also went 18/24 from the free-throw line.