The No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers conclude their season-Sportsbook three-game homestand by welcoming the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to the Thompson-Boling Arena. Both teams are undefeated thus far and this is the fourth straight year these two schools have met. Tennessee has won the last two games and is a 16-point favorite in tonight’s contest with the total Sportsbook at 142 points.
- The total has gone OVER in five of Georgia Tech’s last six games (avg. combined score: 142.5).
- Tennessee is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games vs the Atlantic Coast.
- Georgia Tech is 0-7 SU and 2-5 ATS in its last seven games on the road (avg. losing margin: 13.14).
Georgia Tech vs Tennessee Game Center
Tennessee’s offense is clicking early
The Volunteers are seeking their second straight 3-0 start to a season and considering the way they have scored through the first two games, there’s no reason that shouldn’t come through. Tennessee is shooting 55.3 percent from the floor and is getting great looks at the rim thanks to terrific ball movement. The Volunteers are averaging 25 assists per game, which is the sixth-most in the nation in the early going, and average just 11 turnovers per game, making sure their passes are crisp and on the money. The Vols are very well-rounded with each of their five starters scoring double-digit points in the first two games, capped by Grant Williams’ season-high 31 points last Friday vs Louisiana.
Georgia Tech’s living and dying on a new style of play
The Yellow Jackets look to pull off the upset tonight and push their record to 2-0. Head coach Josh Pastner has wanted to increase his team’s long-range shooting this season after it ranked near the bottom of the league last year. Georgia Tech went 12-for-30 from beyond the arc in its first game, hitting 12 three-pointers in a game for the first time since February of 2011. A year ago, the Vols only had one game in which they hit 10 shots from three-point range. Additionally, senior guard Brandon Alston came off the bench in the victory over Lamar to score a game-high 17 points, including shooting 4-for-5 from the three-point line. Lastly, the 88 points they scored in their season opener was the most against a D-1 school since they put up 90 points against NC State in January 2016.
Is the UNDER the smart bet?
The UNDER has been trending in the recent meetings between Georgia Tech and Tennessee and Sportsbook has tonight’s total Sportsbook at 142. Three of the last four games between these two schools had an average combined score of 140.67. However, last year’s contest had 147 points and with the Yellow Jackets’ new-look offense putting more emphasis on shooting from three-point land, the OVER may be the better bet. The Vols have scored an average of 86.5 points per game thus far with each of their starters scoring double-digit points in both of their first two games. I think that the OVER is the smart bet in tonight’s game.
My take on Georgia Tech vs Tennessee
I like the OVER 142 points between Georgia Tech and Tennessee. The Volunteers are a well-rounded, experienced team that plays well as a single unit and should be fairly consistent this season, scoring 86 and 87 points in its first two games. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets have focused on shooting from long range this season, taking 30 three-point attempts in their Sportsbook game, and that should increase their point production. Last season’s meeting between these two schools had a combined score of 147 and I anticipate a similar outcome tonight.
