Back Vols To Remain Undefeated In Tough Matchup

Tennessee vs. Florida, 7:00 ET

Tennessee vs. Florida, 7:00 ET

With all of the other sports going on, it has been quite some time since I did a college hoops post. In fairness, I still bet games; I just haven’t been writing about them, so it isn’t like I ever left the realm of betting on them; I just haven’t spent the word count on them. I could make a joke about not having written about this particular sport since last year, and while it would be true, it also would be corny. You don’t want corny, you just want winners, so let me give that to you without further ado as we bet on the game between Tennessee and Florida.

Tennessee comes into this game as the best team in the country. At least that’s what the number next to their name would indicate and their perfect record also shows. Tennessee has been elite on defense holding opponents to just 55.9 points on average. They’ve been very strong on offense as well, scoring about 80 points per game, but that’s not always reliable. I found it interesting the other day that a reporter asked Boston coach Joe Mazzula about effort and defense. The truth is, for most players, offense is more fun, but defense is way more rewarding. I’ve never played at any significant level – unless you count my current men’s league as significant (and I do) – but the goal should always be to outscore your individual opponent. That can be by defending well, shooting well, whatever, that’s your goal as a player. Tennessee has multiple guys that work well together on defense and move the ball fairly well on offense. There is still work to be done for them, but right now things are clicking. The biggest concern is that they haven’t really been tested. They beat Baylor on a neutral court, and beat Arkansas in Tennessee in their most recent game. They’ve only had one close game, against Illinois, so can they grind out a win on the road against a tough opponent? 

Jan 4, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) handles the ball during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Gators are off to a great start as well, and judging by their record, it is a bit surprising to see them as ranked at just eighth and not closer to the top. They come into this game with a 13-1 record, coming off of the first loss of the season. They went into Kentucky and dropped the game by six points in a very high scoring affair. The team is averaging almost 90 points per game so I suppose it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to anyone that they had that high of a game. Their defense has been good as well, but they are allowing almost 10 more points per game than the Volunteers. If I am somewhat bashing Tennessee for not being tested, the Gators actually have probably had even less of a stressful start to the season. The first time they faced a ranked opponent was their last game and it was a loss. Now, just a few days later, they have to play another tough opponent. 

This is a fairly even matchup in terms of skill sets and with Florida at home, I do somewhat understand why they are getting points. The problem is that I think if Tennessee slows this down, and really locks in on defense, something they seem to enjoy doing, home court won’t help the Gators enough. Give me Tennessee with the points in this one and I think this game also probably goes under. If it goes over, that bodes well for Florida. 

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