The No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (3-0) and Syracuse Orange (3-0) clash in the Maui Invitational on Thursday. Tip-off at the Stan Sheriff Center is at 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Tennessee vs. Syracuse odds as we make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Volunteers beat the Wofford Terriers 82-61 on Tuesday night, their 3rd straight 80-plus point effort. They are shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.8% on 3-pointers for the season. G Dalton Knecht, a 5th-year transfer from Northern Colorado. leads the team in scoring at 19.7 points per game. He had 18 points in the win over Wofford.
In their first season without Jim Boeheim on the bench, new coach Adrian Autry has the Orange off to a 3-0 start after a tremendous comeback on Tuesday vs. the Colgate Raiders. Syracuse trailed by 16 at the half and by as many as 24 in the 2nd half before they rallied for a 79-75 win. A talented pair of sophomores led the Orange — F Chris Bell with a game-high 25 points and F Judah Mintz with 23.
This will be Syracuse’s 3rd Maui Invitational and the Orange have won the title in all 3 trips. Tennessee has also been to this event 3 times, but have yet to take home a title.
– Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Tennessee vs. Syracuse odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:11 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Tennessee -1200 (bet $1200 to win $100) | Syracuse +725 (bet $100 to win $725)
- Against the spread (ATS): Tennessee -13.5 (-110) | Syracuse +13.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 145.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Tennessee vs. Syracuse picks and predictions
Prediction
Tennessee 80, Syracuse 69
Moneyline
PASS.
I feel good about Tennessee winning this game although obviously Syracuse is no pushover. You should never bet anything that is -1200, just a good rule of thumb. I will avoid the moneyline and put my cash down on the spread.
Against the spread
BET SYRACUSE +13.5 (-110).
This line is way too big for a matchup of this caliber. I know that Tennessee is a top-10 team, but it’s still really early in the season and teams are still gelling and finding their identities at this point. It is also on a neutral court, which evens the playing field just a bit.
This will be a real measuring stick type game for Syracuse especially under a new coach having to replace a legend. That comeback in their last game showed they want to play for him and I expect more of that effort in their 1st real test of the season.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Over/Under
BET OVER 145.5 (-110).
Both of these teams are averaging over 80 points per game so far. Both are shooting better than 45 percent or better. You should fully expect to see a back-and-forth affair. It should be an entertaining opening game to what is typically a fun early-season tournament.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow @DrewPhelps05 on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin /
College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School
_2.png)
