The Auburn Tigers take on the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Tennessee is favored by 6 points on the spread with a moneyline of -290. The total is set at 149 points.
Here’s my Auburn vs. Tennessee prediction and college basketball picks for January 31, 2026.
Auburn vs Tennessee Prediction
My Pick: Tennessee ML
My Auburn vs Tennessee best bet is on the Volunteers to win outright. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Auburn vs. Tennessee Odds
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 149 -110o / -110u | +235 |
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 149 -110o / -110u | -290 |
- Auburn vs Tennessee spread:Â Tennessee -6
- Auburn vs Tennessee over/under: 149
- Auburn vs Tennessee moneyline: Auburn +235, Tennessee -290
Auburn vs Tennessee College Basketball Betting Preview
Auburn Basketball
In the dawn of a new era for the Tigers, head coach Steven Pearl has led Auburn to a 13-7 overall record thus far in his first season at the helm.
Pearl’s bunch is coming off two massive victories on the road in SEC play, which should prove very significant as the Tigers build their NCAA Tournament resume in hope for a bid that would mark the fifth consecutive season Auburn has played in the Big Dance.
The departure of star forward Johni Broome and fifth-year senior Chad Baker-Mazara definitely carried some uncertainty heading into the 2025-26 season. However, the Tigers brought in talent from the transfer portal.
6-foot-7 forward Keyshawn Hall elected to leave UCF for Auburn — a decision that reaped substantial rewards for a new-look roster desperate for production.
Hall ranks inside the top 25 nationally in scoring, posting over 20 points per game, along with just shy of eight rebounds on average.
Alongside Hall, the Tigers' frontcourt features fellow transfer KeShawn Murphy, who's scoring nearly 11 points per game.
Fortunately, Auburn was able to return star point guard Tahaad Pettiford, who had a spectacular freshman year for the Tigers in 2024-25. The 6-foot-1 talent is posting 14 points per game in his sophomore campaign and is the key operator for an Auburn offense that ranks 13th in offensive efficiency.
Pearl’s bunch hasn't been as effective on the other end of the floor, just barely ranking inside the top 50 in the nation in defensive efficiency.
Tennessee Basketball
There were a lot of uncertainties heading into Tennessee’s 2025-26 campaign, most notably the departure of star point-guard Zakai Zeigler — the primary operator for a Volunteers team that excelled on both ends of the floor over his four seasons in Knoxville.
Fortunately, Rick Barnes had a very successful offseason, highlighted by the arrival of senior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie.
The 6-foot-1 senior leads a 13-6 Tennessee team in scoring, posting nearly 19 points per contest while also dishing out 5.5 assists. Gillespie leads a Volunteers offense that's scoring over 82 points per contest.
Barnes wasted no time adding some frontcourt depth to play alongside Felix Okpara — a 6-foot-11 Nigerian forward who was a spectacular rim-protector for Tennessee last season.
In what was surely one of the biggest commitments amongst a loaded freshman class, Barnes landed the fourth-ranked recruit in the country, 6-foo-10 forward Nate Ament. The freshman superstar is averaging over 16 points and six rebounds per game, and is widely projected by most to be a top 10 selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Okpara and Ament lead a Tennessee defense that ranks 14th in the country in defensive efficiency, according to Haslametrics. The Vols have been more inconsistent on the offensive end of the floor, barely ranking inside the top 50 in offensive efficiency.
Auburn vs. Tennessee Betting Analysis
I think home court will play a massive factor in this game, giving the Vols a slight edge.
With several difficult conference road games awaiting Barnes’ bunch next week, this is an absolute must-win matchup for it.
Thus, I feel comfortable backing the Volunteers in this spot.
My Pick: Tennessee MLÂ
