The Tennessee Volunteers (9-0) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (7-2) on Saturday, December 14th. This game will be played at State Farm Center in Champaign and televised on FOX. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 5:30 ET.

Tennessee Volunteers vs Illinois Fighting Illini

The Volunteers Are Coming Off A Win

Tennessee improved to 9-0 on the season with a 75-62 win over Miami on Tuesday. The Volunteers were -15 favorites going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 137, which fell under the O/U line of 145.

Tennessee took control early, leading 38-25 at halftime. They scored 37 points in the 2nd half but allowed Miami to score 37 as well, which kept the game closer than expected.

The Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

Illinois improved to 7-2 this season with an 86-80 win over Wisconsin on Tuesday. The Illini, who were favored by 7.5 points, didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 166, surpassing the over/under line of 153.5.

Illinois led 39-35 at halftime and scored 47 points in the 2nd half while allowing 45 points to the Badgers.

Volunteers Offense Breakdown

Tennessee put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 48.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 57.7%. They connected on 40% of their threes, hitting 10 of 25 attempts, and were 15 of 18 from the free-throw line, good for 83.3%.

Chaz Lanier led the way with 22 points, knocking down 4 of 7 from deep. Zakai Zeigler dished out 10 assists, while Lynn Kidd grabbed 12 rebounds to go along with 14 points.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Illinois put up 86 points, shooting 42.2% from the field and 30.3% from beyond the arc, connecting on 10 of 33 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 50%, and they were strong from the free-throw line, hitting 22 of 25 for 88%.

Kasparas Jakucionis led the way with 24 points and 5 assists, shooting 53.3% overall and 50% from three. Tre White added 23 points, shooting 75% from the field and 66.7% from deep, along with 8 rebounds. Illinois also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and dished out 15 assists as a team.

Volunteers Team Defense

Even though Tennessee gave up 62 points, they allowed their opponent to shoot 48% from the field, including 55% on two-pointers (15/27).

From beyond the arc, Tennessee’s defense allowed 10 threes on 25 attempts (40%). They also sent their opponent to the line 18 times, where they hit 15 free throws (83%).

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Even though Tennessee gave up 62 points, their defense struggled, allowing the opponent to shoot 48% from the field. The Volunteers couldn’t contain the inside game, as the opposing team hit 55% of their two-point attempts, going 15/27.

From beyond the arc, Tennessee’s defense allowed 10 threes on 25 attempts, a 40% shooting performance. The Volunteers also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 18 times, where they converted 15 for an 83% success rate. Tennessee gave up 5 offensive rebounds in the game.

Volunteers vs Fighting Illini Trends

• Through their last ten road contests, the Volunteers offense has averaged 78 points per game while allowing an average of 70. Tennessee posted an overall record of 8-2 while going 5-5 ATS.
• Across their last five home contests, Illinois has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 70 points per game.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Fighting Illini have gone 5-4-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.
• As the betting favorite, the Volunteers have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.

Volunteers vs Fighting Illini Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +1.5, the Fighting Illini is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 147, and our model predicts the Volunteers and Fighting Illini to score a combined 146 points. We recommend betting on the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.