Tennessee vs Florida Betting Odds – Vols continue to be at home in Gainesville

The SEC has been an online betting surprise this season with three legitimate top-25 teams (possibly four), and one genuine national-title contender (Kentucky). Two teams trying to keep up with the Wildcats will meet on Tuesday in Gainesville, and Tennessee has no problem traveling to Florida, where they’ve had success in recent years. That will continue due to the Vols’ edge in backcourt experience.

The Storyline: Tennessee vs Florida Betting Odds
The Volunteers (20-6, 8-4) rebounded from tough losses at Vanderbilt and Kentucky to win over Georgia, and then they pulled out a 63-55 victory at South Carolina. The Gators (19-8, 8-4) are tied with Tennessee in the SEC after a 64-61 win at Ole Miss, but three of their last four come against the best teams in the conference, including the season finale at Kentucky. The Gators would love to avenge a 61-60 loss in Knoxville on January 31st, but Tennessee has won four of their last five trips to the O’Dome.

Offensive Matchups: Tennessee vs Florida Betting Odds
Tennessee generally looks to get a good shot, and they shoot around 46% from the field. They shot 48.8% at South Carolina, and they’ve been getting production out of Wayne Chism, which should open it up for the outside shooters. However, the Vols are hitting under 33% of their attempts from beyond the arc, and they would have probably fared better if Tyler Smith, a great penetrator, hadn’t been suspended.
The Gators got points from unlikely sources against Ole Miss at Vernon Macklin had 22 and Chandler Parsons added 18 points. Usually, it’s the guard duo of Kenny Boynton and Ervin Walker that spark Florida, but they were having a terrible shooting day so they went inside. It’s crucial that the Gators get something going inside, as they’re hitting just over 30% of their three-point attempts.

Betting Edge: Tennessee

Defensive Matchups: Tennessee vs Florida Betting Odds
The Volunteers get out and harass the opposition into shooting poor percentages, and South Carolina hit just 31.7% of their shots against Tennessee. They also rank in the national top 30 in steals, but they also commit a lot of fouls. Chism needs to get some help on the boards if Tennessee wants to make noise in March.
Florida is actually one of the best in the country in avoiding fouls, and Ole Miss managed just 11 foul shots against the Gators. Florida doesn’t have a real shotblocker to stop the opposition from attacking the rim, so they have to stop teams before they get there.

Betting Edge: Draw

Coaching Matchup: Tennessee vs Florida Betting Odds
Bruce Pearl has to get some confidence for his team as it has to be shaken after failing the tests at Vanderbilt and Kentucky. But if anyone can do it, it’s Pearl, who doesn’t lack for confidence at all, and he’ll make sure that the Vols aren’t looking ahead to Saturday’s rematch with the Wildcats.
Billy Donovan is doing a great job managing to keep this team afloat without much depth and the inability to shoot from outside, but this is a stretch that could push the Gators out of the SEC picture. Luckily, they get Tennessee and Vanderbilt at home before heading to Lexington.

Betting Edge: Draw

Betting Prediction: Tennessee vs Florida Betting Odds
Florida should be favored in your sportsbook at the “O’Dome”, where they are 12-3, but going to Gainesville doesn’t scare the Volunteers, who have won four of their last five at Florida. The key to this game will be the backcourt, as the Volunteers have far more experience with Bobby Maze and J.P. Prince while the Gators have Boynton, a talented freshman that has slowed down a lot as of late. Tennessee’s experience at guard will help them stop their slide.

Washington’s Pick: Tennessee

Check out Washington’s sports betting tips and picks in BetOnline’s the Betting Edge as we head towards the Final Four.