TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010 – FREE COLLEGE PICK
#19 Tennessee Volunteers (20-6) vs. Florida Gators (19-8)
The No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers will travel to Gainesville, Florida to take on the Gators in an SEC tilt on Tuesday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
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The last time these two teams met was back on Jan 31. The Vols snapped their two game losing skid by edging out the Gators in a 61-60 thriller at Tennessee.
The Vols have won their past two games and five of their last six to move to 8-4 and third place in the conference. They are coming off a 63-55 decision over South Carolina on Saturday. Bobby Maze had a team-high 14 points in the win. Tennessee shot a respectable 48.8 percent from the floor, held a 40-30 rebounding advantage, and a recorded a 19-10 edge in points from the foul line, all while holding the Gamecocks to just a mere 31.7 percent shooting. Senior center Wayne Chism has emerged as the leading scorer for the Vols this season, and is netting 13.1 ppg to go along with 7.2 rpg and 39 blocks. Tennessee is playing solid defense holding its opponents 64.7 ppg (39.1 percent shooting), while generating 75.3 points per game
As for the Gators, they have won their last two outings, including a 64-61 decision over Ole Miss on Saturday. Vernon Macklin scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor and Chandler Parsons pitched in with 13 points in the win. The Gators shot a sub par 36.5 percent of their field, a far cry from normal for a team that has a 71.8 ppg average. Defense has been key as Florida has been holding opponents to just 64.3 ppg. The Gators have five double-digit scorers on the roster, and Kenny Boynton leads the way with 13.5 ppg. Alex Tyus, who has made good on 51.3 percent of his field goal attempts, provides 12.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg, while Chandler Parsons pitches in 11.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg.
The odd makers have the Gators as –2 ½ -point favorites in this one.
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Florida will be looking to avenge their one-point loss to Tennessee in the earlier meeting, as well as get themselves off the bubble and into the NCAA Tournament, and a victory over the Vols would be huge. Expect a balanced offensive attack for the Gators to be the difference.
I expect the Gators to edge out a narrow margin victory in Gainesville in this one.
- Tennessee is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
- Tennessee is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tennessee’s last 7 games
- Tennessee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Florida is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
- Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida’s last 6 games at home
- Florida is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tennessee
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