According to the NCAAB schedule, the Ole Miss Running Rebels will look to start their Southeastern Conference league play on the correct foot Wednesday evening when they host the Tennessee Volunteers.
The Rebels are coming off of a disappointing performance to close out the out-of-conference schedule where they fell, at home, to the North Alabama Lions by a 66-65 final tally.
The NCAA basketball teams are scheduled for a 5:00 PM EST tip-off from The Pavilion in Oxford, MS, and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Volunteers enters one of the NCAA basketball games today favored by (-9.5) after opening at (-8.5), with the total growing by a point after opening and currently sitting at 127.5 points.
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ole Miss Rebels Odds
Tennessee vs Ole Miss Performances and Stats
Tennessee Volunteers Stats
College basketball standings show that Tennessee is currently ranked seventh in the nation with a record of 10-2 on the season.
The Vols’ only losses have come against Colorado on a neutral floor in just the second game of the season, with the other coming against Arizona in a true road game by a score of 75-70.
The Vols were able to rebound after the Arizona game by defeating Austin Peay prior to the holiday break by 42 points behind Oliver Nkamhoua’s 20-point, five rebound, and five assist performance.
The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the most balanced teams in terms of their college basketball players in the nation this season, which helps their NCAAB odds, boasting six players averaging between 8.8 and 11.8 points per game.
Unfortunately for Rick Barnes, the team has been playing without star utility man Josiah-Jordan James over the last three games. James has been dealing with lingering knee issues and has missed seven of the Vols’ twelve games this season.
Tennessee Volunteers Scores
Nkamhoua is the co-leader on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per contest while ranking second in rebounding at 5.3. Senior guard Tyreke Key is third on the club at 10.7 points, while freshman Julian Phillips is fourth at 10.6 per game.
Sophomore Zakai Zeigler is the undoubted defensive leader on the perimeter but is also an established scoring threat at 10.5 points per game to go along with his 2.3 steals per contest.
Santiago Vescovi is the floor general for Rick Barnes and is tied with Nkamhoua at 11.8 points per game while also leading the team in assists per game at 3.7, as well as steals per contest at 2.5.
The senior point guard is, unfortunately, also one of the most inconsistent shooters in the SEC, which he has put on full display lately. Before going 5-5 from beyond the arc against Austin Peay, Vescovi shot just 2-16 from deep in his previous two contests.
Ole Miss Rebels Stats
Ole Miss is currently 8-4 on the season but has been stumbling as of late, which definitely affects Volunteers vs Rebels betting. Aside from their disappointing loss to North Alabama, the Rebs had lost three of their last five games though none of which were resume’ destroying losses.
The losses came against Central Florida, Memphis, and Oklahoma, all of whom will at least be in the tournament discussion come March.
The Rebs are led by junior guard Matthew Murrell who is leading the team with 15.6 points per game. Murrell is not just a scoring threat.
However, the 6’4 guard also contributes on the glass, collecting 3.7 rebounds per game along with 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. He leads the team in free throw attempts per game at 3.3 while shooting over 87% from the stripe.
Ole Miss Rebels Scores
Coach Kermit Davis is undoubtedly overjoyed to have former top 100 recruit Daeshun Ruffin who missed the first seven games of the season. Since returning, Ruffin has been a pretty consistent contributor averaging just under 10 points per game, primarily off of the bench.
Much of the Ole Miss struggles lately seem to be a direct correlation with the struggles of forward Jaemyn Brakefield.
The Rebs began the season 6-0 while Brakefield was playing well, averaging 11.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 68.6% from the field.
Over the last six games, in which Ole Miss has lost four, the third-year player has averaged just 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. His numbers are reflecting his struggles, as well as he is averaging roughly seven fewer minutes of court time over his last six games.
According to the college basketball injury report, there are no injuries affecting the odds for these teams.
Tennessee vs. Mississippi Betting Trends
- For Volunteers vs Rebels betting, Tennessee leads the all-time series 68-41, including six of the last seven meetings.
- Mississippi has been the home team in four of their last five victories in the series, with a record of 4-2 in the six home meetings.
- The total has gone under in nine of the last ten meetings.
- Over the last ten contests, the average total is 133.5 points.
- In three career games against Ole Miss, Santiago Vescovi is averaging 7.7 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 33.3% from the field.
Tennessee vs. Ole Miss Betting Pick
One of the easiest NCAAB picks for Volunteers vs Rebels betting is the under. The trend points to a strong likelihood of that, while both teams are strong defensive teams.
The Rebels only surrender roughly 64 points per game by way of a 250th-ranked tempo. Tennessee, on the other hand, is arguably one of the best perimeter defensive teams in the nation, ranking third in the country in steal percentage and first in adjusted defensive efficiency.
The Vols are also the best offensive rebounding team in the nation according to percentage, while Ole Miss is ranked 239th in the nation in keeping teams off of the offensive glass.
Tennessee has a reputation for surprisingly bad performances when fans and bettors least expect it, and this game would certainly apply. However, it is nearly impossible to ignore all of the trends and metrics in this NCAAB matchup and give a single-digit spread.
Tennessee vs. Ole Miss Prediction
- Total 127.5 points: Under
- Tennessee (-9.5): Volunteers Cover
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