Tennessee Volunteers vs Western Carolina Catamounts Matchup

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

Western Carolina vs Tennessee Prediction

The Catamounts and Volunteers are set to face off at 7:00 ET on SEC. The Volunteers will host the game at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. The over/under for this game is set at 144 points, and Tennessee is favored by -38 against Western Carolina in a non-conference matchup.

Western Carolina vs. Tennessee Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Western Carolina Catamounts at Tennessee Volunteers
Where: Knoxville at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
Date: Tuesday, December 17th
Betting Odds TENN -38, WCAR +3300 | TENN -10000 O/U 144

Catamounts Preview: Will the Catamounts Defense Show Up on the Road?

Western Carolina Catamounts Recent Game/Games

Western Carolina's season struggles continued with a 78-61 loss to UNC Asheville on Saturday, dropping their record to 1-6. The Catamounts were +7 point underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 42-33 at halftime, Western Carolina managed just 28 points in the 2nd half while allowing 36. The game’s total points of 139 fell short of the O/U line of 147.

Catamounts Offense Breakdown

Western Carolina struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 39.3% from the field and 24.1% from beyond the arc, finishing with 61 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.9%, and they hit only 46.2% of their free throws, going 6 for 13 from the line.

Josh Banks led the way with 21 points on 9 of 13 shooting, while Jordan Marsh contributed 18 points and 4 assists. Kameron Taylor and Marcus Kell both shot 66.7% from the floor, with Kell hitting both of his 3-point attempts.

Catamounts Team Defense

Western Carolina's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 78 points on 52% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to hit 56% of their two-point shots, with the team going 22/39 from inside the arc.

From three-point range, Western Carolina's defense gave up 4 threes on 11 attempts, a 36% shooting percentage. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 28 times, where they converted 22 of those attempts for 78%. The Catamounts gave up 5 offensive rebounds.

Volunteers Preview: Can Tennessee Live Up to the Hype at Home?

Tennessee improved to 10-0 on the season with a 66-64 win over Illinois on Saturday. The Volunteers were -2 favorites going into the game, and the win was an ATS push. The total points of 130 fell well short of the O/U line of 148.5.

Tennessee led 31-30 at halftime and scored 35 points in the 2nd half while allowing 34. They continue to find ways to win, even in tight games.

Volunteers Offense Breakdown

Tennessee struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 32.3% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 37.1%, and they managed only 6 assists as a team.

Jordan Gainey led the Volunteers with 23 points, hitting 3 of 6 from three-point range. Kasparas Jakucionis added 22 points, despite shooting 33.3% overall and 28.6% from deep. Chaz Lanier contributed 17 points, but connected on just 29.4% of his shots.

Volunteers Team Defense

Despite Tennessee's defensive efforts, they sent their opponents to the free-throw line 36 times, where they converted 30 of those attempts for 83% shooting. However, Tennessee's defense held strong from the field, limiting their opponents to just 64 points on 29% shooting overall.

From beyond the arc, Tennessee's defense was particularly effective, as their opponents shot just 17%, making only 4 of 23 three-point attempts. Inside the arc, Tennessee allowed 11 two-point field goals on 28 attempts, a 39% shooting rate.

Catamounts vs Volunteers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Catamounts last three road games, the team averaged 60 points per game while allowing 87. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 0-3 straight-up.
Through their last three home games, Tennessee has an ATS record of just 1-1-1. However, their overall record was 2-1 while averaging 69 points per game.
The last ten games that Western Carolina was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 1-9 straight up.
Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Tennessee has an ATS mark of 7-2-1 while going 10-0 straight up.