Texas A&M vs Tennessee Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The Texas A&M Aggies only went 9-9 in conference play but have upset both #4 Auburn and #15 Arkansas in the last two days.
• The Tennessee Volunteers are on a six-game winning streak.
• Tennessee beat Texas A&M 90-80 when they faced each other in the regular season.

Texas A&M vs Tennessee Volunteers Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook

Texas A&M Aggies vs Tennessee Volunteers Predictions and Picks

The Texas A&M Aggies will face the Tennessee Volunteers in the Championship game of the SEC Tournament. Tennessee beat Texas A&M 90-80 in the regular season, but Texas A&M has a lot of momentum from their last three wins and could upset Tennessee.

The Texas A&M Aggies only went 9-9 in conference play this year and entered the SEC Tournament as the #8 seed. Even though the odds were against them, they beat the Florida Gators 83-80 in triple overtime, followed by an impressive 67-62 victory against the #4 Auburn Tigers and an 82-64 beatdown of the #15 Arkansas Razorbacks. Their team is led by Quenton Jackson, Henry Coleman III, and Tyrece Radford. Jackson is an efficient shooter that averages 14.6 points per game, Coleman III is an impressive rebounder who grabs 6.3 boards a game, and Radford is a 6’2” guard with a knack for rebounding. He averages 5.8 rebounds per game.

The Tennessee Volunteers are a difficult team to beat. They entered the SEC Tournament as the #2 seed and received a bye to the Quarterfinals. They beat Mississippi State 72-59 in the Quarterfinals and won a close game 69-62 against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Volunteers do not have one prolific scorer, but they do have two players (Kennedy Chandler and Santiago Vescovi) averaging over 13 points per game. I am going to play it safe and pick Tennessee to win this game. They are the better team and have only lost two games to unranked opponents this season.

Pick:

Tennessee beats Arkansas 72-67. Texas A&M covers, Over 130.5 points.

Why Might the Texas A&M Aggies Win?

The Texas A&M Aggies did not have a great regular reason but have been excellent in the SEC Tournament. However, they will face a very tough matchup in the Tennessee Volunteers. They need to focus on playing tough defense and slowing down Kennedy Chandler.

Tennessee does not have the best offense in the SEC, but they have an efficient offense centered around passing and team basketball. Arkansas needs to cut off passing lanes and limit ball movement. If they do, they will limit scoring opportunities.

Kennedy Chandler was not an incredible scorer during the regular season. However, he is coming off a huge game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC Tournament Semifinals. He scored 19 points on 8-16 shooting. The Razorbacks cannot leave Chandler open and give him open shots, or he will make them pay.

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Why Might the Tennessee Volunteers Win?

The Tennessee Volunteers may be the favorites in this game but are facing a Texas A&M squad that has beat two top-15 teams in the last two days. The Volunteers need to focus on avoiding turnovers and slowing down Quenton Jackson.

Texas A&M does not have an incredible defense, but they are very good at stealing the ball. The Aggies average 10.4 steals a game. There is not one player who is particularly adept at stealing the ball. Instead, the whole team plays their role. The Volunteers need to protect the ball and be wary of the Aggies defense.

Quenton Jackson is coming off a massive Semifinals game against the Arkansas Razorbacks. He led the Aggies in scoring with 20 points and went to the free-throw line eight times. Jackson probably knows he must have another big game to beat Tennessee, so the Volunteers have to slow him down and force him to look to his teammates.

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Aggies Key Player: (G) Quenton Jackson

Guard Quenton Jackson has been one of the few bright spots on this Aggies team. He leads them with 14.6 points per game and hits almost 50% of his shots from the field.

I did not pick Quenton Jackson as the Aggies key player because of his regular season. The regular season is over, and the Aggies are looking to win the SEC Tournament and make March Madness. I picked Jackson because he has been terrorizing SEC defenses over this tournament. He is averaging 17 points per game over the SEC Tournament on excellent shooting.

Jackson needs to continue to take charge in this game, and the Aggies might win the tournament.

Volunteers Key Player: (G) Kennedy Chandler

Guard Kennedy Chandler has led the Volunteers to an excellent regular season finish and a #10 ranking. His counting stats are impressive, but his overall impact is greater than what you see on the score sheet.

Chandler averages 13.6 points per game, 4.6 assists, and 2.2 steals. He runs the Tennessee offense and plays a big role on the defensive side. He a pest, always making life hard for the guard he is defending.

Chandler will likely have to guard Quenton Jackson in this game. He needs to play hard-nosed defense and force him to take bad shots.

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