Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs Tennessee Volunteers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Middle Tennessee vs Tennessee NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Knoxville.

Middle Tennessee vs Tennessee Prediction

Betting on today's Blue Raiders and Volunteers game? Catch the action at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN, as the Volunteers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on SECN. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 142.5 points, with Tennessee being favored by -26.5 over Middle Tennessee.

Middle Tennessee vs. Tennessee Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Tennessee Volunteers
Where: Knoxville at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
Date: Monday, December 23rd
Betting Odds TENN -26.5, MTNST +3166 | TENN -15666 O/U 142.5

Blue Raiders Preview: Can the Middle Tennessee Offense Score Enough on the Road?

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Recent Game/Games

The Blue Raiders improved to 7-3 on the season with a narrow 67-65 win over Lipscomb on Thursday. Playing at home, Middle Tennessee entered the game as -2.5 point favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 132, falling short of the 148.5 O/U line.

Middle Tennessee led 37-30 at halftime but allowed Lipscomb to score 35 points in the 2nd half while putting up 30 points of their own. Despite the close finish, the Blue Raiders managed to hold on for the win.

Blue Raiders Offense Breakdown

Middle Tennessee struggled offensively in their recent game, shooting just 38.1% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.9%, and they hit only 59.1% of their free throws.

Jacob Ognacevic was a bright spot, scoring 32 points on 66.7% shooting, while also grabbing 6 rebounds. The Blue Raiders managed 19 offensive rebounds, but finished with just 8 assists as a team.

Blue Raiders Team Defense

Middle Tennessee's defense held their opponent to 65 points on 38% shooting from the field, including 42% on two-point attempts (18/42). They also limited their opponent's three-point shooting to 28%, with just 6 made threes on 21 attempts.

At the free-throw line, Middle Tennessee's opponent shot 59%, converting 13 of 22 attempts. The Blue Raiders gave up 19 offensive rebounds in the game.

Volunteers Preview: Can the Volunteers Secure a Win at Home?

Tennessee continued their dominant season with an 84-36 win over Western Carolina on Tuesday, moving to 11-0. The Volunteers were heavy favorites at -36.5 and covered the spread, while the total points of 120 fell short of the 142.5 O/U line.

Leading 38-15 at halftime, Tennessee's defense remained strong, allowing just 21 points in the 2nd half while scoring 46 themselves.

Volunteers Offense Breakdown

The Volunteers put up 84 points in their last game, shooting 46.4% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52.2%. They were strong inside, hitting 57.1% of their two-point attempts, while struggling from beyond the arc, going 8-for-27 for 29.6%.

Tennessee also connected on 85.7% of their free throws, and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds. They dished out 22 assists, with Chaz Lanier contributing 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jordan Gainey added 17 points, shooting 75% from the field.

Volunteers Team Defense

Despite Tennessee’s defensive efforts, they gave up 36 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 46% from the field, with 32 made baskets on 69 attempts. Inside the arc, Tennessee’s defense struggled, as their opponent connected on 24 of 42 two-point attempts, shooting 57%.

From three-point range, Tennessee held their opponent to 29% shooting, with 8 made threes on 27 attempts. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 14 times, where they made 12, shooting 85%. Tennessee allowed 14 offensive rebounds in the game.

Blue Raiders vs Volunteers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Blue Raiders have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 4-5-1 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 72 points per game in these contests.
Although Tennessee has a straight up record of 8-2 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-4-1. The team averaged 76 points per game in these games.
Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Middle Tennessee has an ATS mark of 1-1-1 while going 1-2 straight up.
Across their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Volunteers have an overall record of 3-0 while going 1-1-1 against the spread.