College Basketball Odds, Pick for Tennessee vs Wisconsin

Below we have Tennessee vs Wisconsin odds and a pick, including a college basketball betting guide for Friday, Nov. 10.

Though the college basketball season started on Monday, this Friday feels like the true “fireworks display” that most CBB journos have been demanding. Finally not competing with football or an election, marquee matchups abound, including one in Madison, Wisconsin.

Tennessee has been an early-season darling, largely due to an impressive offensive performance in a televised charity exhibition at Michigan State. For a second straight preseason, the Vols’ offense wowed in a game that did not count (see: demolition of Gonzaga before last year), spurring hopes of real postseason longevity in the Rick Barnes era.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, started off with its usual grinding slog of a win, beating Arkansas State…105-76?? Is that right? The Wisconsin Badgers scored 105 points in a game? Well, that’s something! Is this a new-look Badger squad with an incendiary offense? Or was that an opponent-based anomaly?

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Much of the production fueling optimism on Rocky Top has come from Dalton Knecht and Jordan Gainey, scoring-minded transfers from Northern Colorado and USC Upstate, respectively. Both can shoot or put it on the floor, and both looked smooth in the opening win against Tennessee Tech.

Redshirt freshman Freddie Dilione V adds another high-upside offensive option, as well.

Another major boon for Tennessee: the swift return of Zakai Zeigler from a late-February ACL tear. The speedy dynamo is a tone-setter on both ends of the court; in particular, his ball pressure makes life miserable for opposing guards.

Combined with Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee has a veteran backcourt pairing that can excel on both ends of the court.

Speaking of which, the defense is not going anywhere. Jahmai Mashack and Josiah-Jordan James are switchable wing destroyers, and Tobe Awaka and Jonas Aidoo patrol the paint with fervor.

Barnes has lost key players and assistants every year, and yet his defenses have been getting more elite. In 2021, Tennessee ranked fifth in KenPom’s Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. In 2022, the Vols rose to third; last year, they finished first.

Barnes and his team will need to prove their mettle in the postseason, but Tennessee has been a regular season powerhouse for a while now.

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The Badgers’ season-opening explosion turned plenty of heads around the college hoops world. The last time Wisconsin hit the century mark was December 13, 2018; in fact, the last time the Badgers even hit 90 was back on November 27, 2020.

Similar to Tennessee, a transfer with immense scoring potential could unlock a higher ceiling in Madison. AJ Storr came from a sprinting system at St. John’s, and his combination of athleticism and smooth shooting injects an element that Wisconsin fully lacked last year. He tallied 15 points in just 24 minutes against Arkansas State.

The rest of the Badgers’ sell is continuity-based. All five starters return, including burly point guard Chucky Hepburn and versatile forward Tyler Wahl. Wahl was banged up down the stretch last year, but this is the same player who racked up 23 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas in the Bahamas last November.

The question of the sustainability of the offense is a valid one, though. Arkansas State clearly wants to hit the gas pedal this season (hired a longtime Nate Oats assistant off the Alabama staff), and the Red Wolves’ defense was hampered by a thin rotation (three expected rotation players out with injury).

I tend to think the Badgers’ scoring outburst was an anomaly. The tape shows a somewhat reckless Arkansas State defense still learning its pressure principles, allowing way too many quick (and easy) baskets. The Badgers’ true nature is as a patient offense that relies more on its stickler defense to win games – even with Storr in the fold.

Tennessee is prone to rock fights when playing a half-court-based foe. A 56-53 grind against Maryland last December comes to mind, as does a gruesome 57-52 overtime brawl against Texas Tech in December 2021.

This could turn into a defensive struggle as both teams lean on what they have done best for years.

If anything, Wisconsin’s first result is giving more value to this line. KenPom makes this total 139; it’s no surprise to see the market well below that number. In my opinion, though, the true number is even lower (around 130).

A final note that could help this play: Badgers' sharpshooting sophomore guard Connor Essegian is questionable with a back injury. That would rob Wisconsin of an important perimeter option.

Pick: Under 133.5 (Play to 131)

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