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Tennessee vs. Missouri Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Tuesday, Feb. 20 (No Letdown from Vols)

By Reed Wallach

Feb 17, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler (5) defends
Feb 17, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler (5) defends / Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
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Tennessee's push for the top of the SEC and a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament continues on Tuesday at Missouri.

It's been a down year for the Tigers, who don't have an SEC win yet, and now welcome a Tennessee team that is shaping up to be a true National Championship contender. This is the first meeting of the season between these two conference foes, can the Vols take care of business and win by double digits? Here's our full betting preview for Tuesday's matchup:

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Tennessee vs. Missouri Odds, Spread and Total

Missouri vs. Tennessee Betting Trends

  • Missouri is 6-19 against the spread (ATS) this season
  • Tennessee is 12-13 ATS this season
  • Missouri is 2-8 ATS in the last 10 games
  • Tennessee has gone OVER in 15 of 25 games this season

Tennessee vs. Missouri How to Watch

  • Date: Tuesday, February 20th
  • Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
  • Venue: Mizzou Arena
  • How to Watch (TV): SEC Network
  • Tennessee Record: 19-6
  • Missouri Record: 8-17

Tennessee vs. Missouri Key Players to Watch

Tennessee

Dalton Knecht: The Northern Colorado transfer filled the stat sheet on Saturday against Vanderbilt in the Vols 35-point win, scoring 14 points to go with four rebounds and five assists in only 22 minutes of action. Knecht continues to evolve as the year goes on and he continues to receive a ton of attention from opposing defenses. He has raised his assist rate in SEC play while lowering his turnover percentage considerably.

Missouri

Sean East: East returned from a two-game absence to score 25 points in a close loss to Ole Miss on Saturday. The Bradley transfer has done his best to keep the Missouri offense afloat, but the team is 11th in effective field goal percentage as a unit. It won't get any easier against one of the best defenses in the country on Tuesday.

Tennessee vs. Missouri Prediction and Pick

It's never a comfortable feeling laying this many points on the road, but I do believe that is the best bet in this game.

Missouri's home court hasn't benefitted Dennis Gates' group in SEC play, losing to every Top 40 KenPom team by double digits in Columbia this season. The Tigers have lost to Alabama by 18, Florida by 12, and Mississippi State by 24 on its home court this season.

In comes Tennessee, who is viewed as the most well-balanced team in the SEC, able to score both inside and out and suffocate opposing offenses. Where the Vols should thrive is on the glass against a Missouri team that has the second-worst defensive rebounding rate in the conference.

The Vols don't make many mistakes on the court, and Missouri is chock-full of them, posting the highest opponent free throw rate in SEC play as well as a below-average turnover rate and offensive rebounding percentage.

I don't see the Tigers keeping up, even at home, which has been rendered useless all season. Lay it with the visiting Vols to cover with ease.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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