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Tennessee vs. South Carolina: How to watch, odds, predictions from ESPN, KenPom

Alex Weberby:Alex Weber01/07/23
tennessee
(Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The SEC’s best team visits the SEC’s worst team today on the hardwood. The Tennessee Volunteers are absolutely steamrolling opponents right now, having just busted up a top-20 Mississippi State defense for 87 points en route to a 34-point domination. And that Bulldog team was ranked just last week and is still a respectable 11-3 on the season. Rick Barnes’ group is simply playing that well right now.

Meanwhile, South Carolina is down there with Louisville and California as one of the worst power conference teams in the entire sport. They rank sub-200 in offensive and defensive efficiency and suffered non-conference losses to Furman, UAB, George Washington and East Carolina. The Volunteers should win and win in dominant fashion.

Let’s see what the computers and odds-makers think. Check out all the relevant info for the matchup right below:

How to watch

Tip-off: 3:30 p.m.

Location: Columbia, SC

Channel: SEC Network

Vegas odds

According to the consensus over at Vegas Insider, Tennessee averages out as about a 17-point favorite in today’s road bout with South Carolina.

ESPN BPI Prediction

Predicted winner: Tennessee

Predicted point differential: 20.1

Win probability: 96.5%

Matchup quality: 61.2

KenPom Prediction

Predicted final score: 69-52 Tennessee

Win probability: 94%

More on Tennessee-South Carolina

As mentioned, Tennessee is playing great basketball this season. But let’s look at it analytically, courtesy of our good friends at Bart Torvik. On Bart’s site, the Volunteers hve the No. 1 defense this season and are also No. 1 in offensive rebounding, effective FG% defense and three-point-shooting defense — holding opponents to an astounding 21.2% from beyond the arc. That’s a ridiculous number, when most teams shoot in the 30s from three on the year.

Not great news for South Carolina, who is 300th in effective FG%, 301st in two-point shooting percentage and one of the worst teams in the entire country at getting to the free throw line.

Hate to spoil the party…but Tennessee is going to win this game by however much they want to. At least that’s what the wise guys and number-runners will tell you.