Who’s playing
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders @ Tennessee Volunteers
Current records: Middle Tennessee 9-3, Tennessee 11-0
How to watch
What you need to know
Blue Raiders fans have better hope that the team plays one heck of a game on Monday, because the odds are decidedly against them. They take a road trip to face the Tennessee Volunteers at 7 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Blue Raiders strut with some offensive power as they have averaged 80.8 points per game this season.
Middle Tennessee’s season wasn’t great last year, but it’s starting to look like trouble is in the rearview mirror. They certainly got their nails bitten, but they managed to escape with a 67-65 win over Lipscomb on Thursday. After predicting a close Blue Raiders victory, the oddsmakers were right on the money.
Middle Tennessee’s victory was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the biggest came from Essam Mostafa, who had a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds.
Middle Tennessee broke the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. This strong performance was nothing new for the team: they have now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in 12 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Tennessee put another one in the bag on Tuesday to maintain its perfect season. They simply could not be stopped as they easily defeated Western Carolina 84-36. The Volunteers have made a habit of sweeping opponents off the field, having won seven games by 22 points or more this season.
Tennessee can attribute much of its success to Jordan Gainey, who went 6 of 8 en route to 17 points plus five steals and two blocks, and Chaz Lanier, who had 19 points to go with seven rebounds and four interceptions. Lanier struggled to find his footing against Illinois last Saturday, so this was a nice turnaround. The team also had help from Felix Okpara, who nearly had a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
Middle Tennessee’s win was its third straight at home, improving its record to 9-3. As for Tennessee, its victory brought its record to 11-0.
Rebounding will likely be a big factor in this contest: Middle Tennessee has been smashing the glass this season, averaging 41.1 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Tennessee struggled in that department, as its average was 39.5. As both teams fight to recover missed shots, we’ll see if one team can take the lead.
Odds
Tennessee is a heavy 26.5-point favorite against Middle Tennessee, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line drifted a bit in favor of the Volunteers, as the match opened with the Volunteers as 24.5 point favorites.
The over/under is 142.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
