Dive into the excitement of college basketball with our same game parlay pick for the Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers. Don't miss out on the action!
- Date & Time
- January 30th, 2025
- Teams
The best SEC East rivalry in the 1990s was the one between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers. These teams played some legendary games on the gridiron (with the great Peyton Manning unable to lead the Vols past the Gators in four attempts), but the quality of the football rivalry hasn’t been as strong over the last couple decades. Fortunately, the rivalry on the hardcourt between these programs has picked up slack in recent seasons. Tennessee has largely had the better of things, but the Gators have crushed the Vols in each of their last three meetings in Gainesville, winning by a combined 69 points. Florida has not won in Knoxville since 2014, so it would be huge if Todd Golden was able to knock off the Vols on their home court this Saturday.
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Tennessee got off to a strong start this season. The Volunteers were ranked No. 1 in the nation earlier this year after winning 14 straight games. During that stretch, Rick Barnes’ team took down Louisville, Virginia, Baylor, Syracuse, Miami, and Illinois. However, the start of SEC play has not been kind to Tennessee. The Vols are just 4-4 in conference action and have lost three of their last four games. They were walloped by the Gators for their first loss of the season back on January 7 by a score of 73-43, making just 21.4% of their field goals and 13.8% of their three-point attempts in that game.
As for Florida, Todd Golden has picked up the pieces and turned things around after Mike White left the Gators spinning their wheels. This team is sitting at 18-2 with its two losses coming by a combined seven points. The Gators thrashed their former coach and the Georgia Bulldogs 89-59 on Monday, and they are looking to grab a spot on the No. 1 line for the NCAA Tournament over the final stretch of the regular season.
Florida Gators at Tennessee Volunteers SGP
Tennessee has struggled recently, but the Vols are still ranked as the sixth-best team in the nation according to Ken Pomeroy. Rick Barnes has his team playing excellent defense with Houston being the only team that is ranked ahead of the Volunteers in this regard, and they excel on the perimeter. Tennessee is allowing opponents to make just 26.5% of their three-point attempts (1st in the nation), and the Vols also rank 7th in blocks.
Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier are the primary offensive weapons for Tennessee. Zeigler has not been an efficient scorer this year, making just 36.1% of his field goals and 27.8% of his three-point attempts, but he runs the offense and is averaging 7.4 APG. He ranks in the top ten nationally in assist rate, and he is also a consistent free throw shooter.
Lanier is the team’s go-to scorer late. He leads Tennessee with 17.8 PPG, and he is making 41.6% of his threes. No other frequent perimeter shooter is sinking more than a third of their treys, so Lanier is the player that opponents must corral.
Florida is currently ranked fourth according to Ken Pomeroy’s rankings. The Gators have the third-best offense in the country, as they are extremely effective on the glass. They rank third nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, giving them plenty of opportunities for second chances. Additionally, the Gators are making 56.1% of their two-point field goals and rank in the top ten in both three-point defense and two-point defense.
Walter Clayton Jr. is one of the best players in the country. Clayton transferred to Gainesville from Iona two years ago, and he has been one of the top players on the Gators since that point. He is averaging 17.8 PPG while making 46.1% of his field goals. Alijah Martin and Will Richard have also been effective scorers, giving the Gators multiple offensive weapons.
The Gators will be a popular pick given their blowout win over the Volunteers a few weeks ago coupled with Tennessee’s recent struggles. However, the Vols are going to be geared up for this game and will use a strong defensive effort to get the victory.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS VS. FLORIDA GATORS UNDER
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS ML
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