The good news for the Wisconsin Badgers and Tennessee Volunteers is that they won’t have to worry about a No. 1 ranking and the problems that have befallen the top team in the land in the early going of the season. The bad news is that they both have a lot of work to do to even sniff a national ranking at this point. Both clubs put an end to a mini slide last time out and will look to expand on a victory when they hook up on Saturday afternoon. And both clubs have reinforcements on the way that could help them overcome sluggish starts.
This college basketball showdown takes place on Saturday, December 28, 2019. Tip-off will be at 1:30 p.m. ET from Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
Odds Analysis
Wisconsin is used to winning a lot of basketball games posting at least 20 victories 15 times in the previous 16 seasons, and reaching the 30-win plateau on four occasions. So, when the team goes just 6-5 to start the new season there has to be some concern. Plagued by poor shooting and turnovers, the Badgers endured a painful three-game losing streak that saw them top out at 54 points and lose by an average of over 11 points. And they weren’t playing ranked foes in that stretch. A 62-52 setback to Richmond and a 59-50 loss to New Mexico at the Legends Classic started the slide. A few days later NC State did the honors in a 69-54 game. Bucky beat in-state foe UW-Milwaukee last time out, 83-64, and has won two of three by averaging nearly 80 points. “You can’t win if you can’t score,” Greg Gard said after the loss to UNM. It looks like his guys got the message.
The Vols opened the season winning five straight and seven out of eight, including wins over ranked Washington, 75-62, and VCU, 72-69, to enter the national polls. The run ended with a pair of tough losses to strong teams. Tennessee’s 31-game home win streak was stopped by No. 13 Memphis. The Vols followed that up with a 78-66 loss at Cincinnati in their first true road game of the season allowing a season-high point total. In fact, the Vols hadn’t allowed more than 69 points in a game all season up to that point. After failing twice to get his 700th career win, Rick Barnes finally reached the milestone when the Vols took down Jacksonville State, 75-53, in their last game. The covered the 21-point college basketball betting line and returned to their defensive ways. The UNDER is 6-2 in Tennessee’s last eight games.
Key Injury
The Volunteers will have to navigate the remainder of the season without Lamonte Turner, after the senior guard elected to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. His loss leaves Tennessee vulnerable in the backcourt and takes a senior leader off the floor. Last year when the Vols reached the No. 1 ranking, Turner averaged 10.4 points, 3.7 assists and shot 79 percent from the free throw line. His shooting percentages dipped this season possibly due to the injury, but he still averaged 12.3 points and 7.1 dimes a game.
Teams can be impacted by the loss of players due to injury and they can also recover from slow starts by getting players into the lineup. Wisconsin is hoping Micah Potter can help jumpstart a sluggish offense. He’s not going to score 20 points and grab 10 boards a game, but he will help free up Nate Reuvers and D’Mitrik Trice. And the team got a glimpse of what the Ohio State transfer can do in a win over Milwaukee. Potter scored 12 points with five boards in less than 13 minutes of run time, and the Badgers shot an efficient 50 percent from the field for the game.
Player to Watch
Reuvers is likely to benefit the most with Potter in the lineup. The Badgers leading scoring will get more rest during games and at some point the two big men will be on the floor together. Potter’s presence inspired Reuvers to a 22-point night on 8 of 12 shooting against Milwaukee. For the season he averages 15.2 points with team highs of 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor.
College Basketball Pick
Both teams have played better defensively this season and that should keep this a low-scoring affair. Wisconsin will be more efficient offensively with Potter joining the mix, but it’s going to take time for him to get up to speed. And Tennessee is a much tougher opponent than Milwaukee. Playing at home has the Vols favored and they have the edge on the spread.
College Basketball Pick: Tennessee 69, Wisconsin 59
BookMaker 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 Sportsbook!
