.jpg "North-Carolina-at-Tennessee-(ESPN)")
Rick Barnes needs to start winning big games with the Tennessee Volunteers and fast. Tennessee has failed to have a winning record in each of the two seasons he has spent in Knoxville and there’s a chance he could be let go of at the end of this year if the team doesn’t show some significant improvement. Last year, they were almost able to knock off the North Carolina Tar Heels, and that would have given Barnes just the win he needed. This year, he will try to pick up that win against the defending national champions.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, December 17, 2017, at 3 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The game will be televised live on ESPN. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Sunday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tennessee is off to a pretty good start under Barnes this year. The Vols are 8-1 and have picked up wins against Purdue, North Carolina State, and Georgia Tech. Those are some very nice scalps and when you consider that their one loss was to No. 1 Villanova, the resume looks even more impressive. Tennessee has covered three of its last five and four of its six games have gone over this year.
The Tar Heels are off to a nice start defending their championship, but they did get absolutely blasted out in Portland by Michigan State. UNC has recovered from that and is sitting at 9-1 on the year with wins over Michigan, Davidson, and Arkansas. The boys in baby blue have covered three of their last four.
Matchup to Watch
If Tennessee has any chance of pulling off the upset here, the Vols have to be able to stop UNC on the glass. The Tar Heels have been dominant down low in each of the last few seasons and are grabbing 44.8 rebounds per game, a number that is fifth-best in the country. Luke Maye has been the team’s leader with 10.5 RPG, but it’s been a true team effort.
Tennessee has been much worse on the rebounding end and two players have done most of their work. Grant Williams, a 6’7 forward, is the player North Carolina has to watch the most, but 6’11 center Kyle Alexander has been stepping up his game lately.
Last Meeting
When these teams met in Chapel Hill last season, Tennessee was not expected to give North Carolina much of a game. UNC was a 20-point favorite and the Tar Heels were supposed to hammer this team.
That’s not what happened though. Tennessee was game to the challenge from the outset and actually took an eight-point lead into halftime. Unfortunately, the team blew it from there but the Tar Heels emerged victorious by just two points.
In that game, Tennessee was able to hang tough with North Carolina thanks to some solid defense and great shooting. That kept the game close even though North Carolina was able to take 19 more shots because of its great rebounding.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Let’s face it. Tennessee is not going to outrebound North Carolina even though the Tar Heels aren’t quite as tall as they were last season. The Vols just don’t have the size inside to do it consistently throughout the game.
Instead, look for them to try to recreate last year’s model for the near-upset. Tennessee will do its best to stop North Carolina’s guards from getting the ball in the paint and will try to force the Tar Heels to be a jump shooting team. That’s easier said than done, however, the Tar Heels aren’t as efficient as they were last season. North Carolina is going to pick up the win again, but Tennessee will keep it close enough to cover.
College Basketball Odds: North Carolina 79, Tennessee 74
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
