Texas vs. Tennessee Prediction, Odds & Score Picks: SEC Quarterfinal Best Bets

Can Texas upset Tennessee and all but secure its place in the NCAA Tournament?

The Longhorns picked up a massive 94-89 double overtime win over Texas A&M yesterday to keep their March Madness odds hopes alive. Will fatigue factor into the best Texas vs. Tennessee prediction, odds, and expert picks for today’s SEC quarterfinal game?

When these two teams met earlier this season, the Volunteers won 74-70. Despite that close game, Tennessee is favored by 10 in today’s 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) game at Bridgestone Arena. Can Texas overcome this being its third game in three days and keep it close?

💰 Texas vs. Tennessee predictions, expert picks & best bets: SEC Quarterfinal

Here are my best Texas vs. Tennessee predictions, expert picks, and best bets today for the SEC quarterfinal with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.

• Against the spread pick: Texas +10.5 (-112 via FanDuel) vs. Tennessee ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• My best game prop bet: Race to 10 points - Texas (+140 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Exact score prediction: Tennessee 72, Texas 64 (+17000 via DraftKings)

👉 Check out our latest March Madness projections with our SBR Bracketology ahead of the NCAA Tournament!

🏀 Texas vs. Tennessee ATS prediction & best player prop bet pick

Here's why I'm betting on Texas to cover the spread (+10.5) while targeting Texas to win the race to 10 points as my best game prop bet pick for today:

✅ Texas to cover the spread (+10.5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

There are two reasons for this huge spread. The first is that Tennessee is much fresher than Texas. The Volunteers haven’t played since March 8, while the Longhorns are on their third game in three days. And the second reason is that the Volunteers are much better than the Longhorns this season. But are they really going to win this game by 11 or more?

It’s been a brutal season for Texas in the insanely competitive SEC. It finished just 6-12 in conference play, but also only lost five games by more than 10 points. It went toe-to-toe with Tennessee and Auburn in back-to-back games in January, and it's playing this SEC tournament like a desperate team that knows it needs to win.

Ultimately, I think the freshness of the Volunteers will lead to their victory. But while Tennessee won five of its last six games, only one of those victories was by double digits. Look for Texas to take a lead early before fatigue sets in and the Volunteers pull away late.

📊 Best odds: -112 via FanDuel (bet $10 to win $8.93)

🔥 Race to 10 points - Texas ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Texas is bound to be tired after yesterday’s epic game, but I don’t think the fatigue will show until later in the game. Look for the Longhorns to come out on a high after yesterday’s win, while Tennessee is sluggish playing its first game in nearly a week.

You could consider taking Texas to cover the spread in the first half, or even win it, but this is the most valuable bet of the game. The Longhorns have already played two games inside Bridgestone Arena, so there won’t be any nerves as they enter today’s game against one of the best teams in the country. Texas had no trouble scoring early in either of its two SEC tournament games thus far.

DraftKings is the only one of our best sports betting sites offering this prop at the time of writing. Shop around as game time approaches, as you may be able to get this at +150 or higher at some of the sportsbooks that are more heavily favoring the Volunteers.

📊 Best odds: +140 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $14)

🎯 Expert Texas vs. Tennessee score prediction

🔮 Expert score prediction: Tennessee 72, Texas 64

These two teams play pretty different styles, with the Longhorns averaging nearly 80 points per game and the Volunteers averaging less than 75. Defensively, the Volunteers are allowing just 61.9 points per contest while the Longhorns are allowing 71.9. Because this is the Longhorns’ third game in as many days, I expect this to be a lower scoring game than the first meeting between these two teams, as the Volunteers' defense clamps down late.

Ultimately, the Longhorns will still score in the 60s, after all they’ve scored at least 67 in 14 consecutive games. However, the Tennessee defense will hold them to their lowest total since January 21, while the Volunteers’ offense will overcome some early-game jitters to score right around their season average.

📊 Best odds: +17000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1,700)

📊 Live Texas vs. Tennessee odds & latest betting splits

Here are the latest odds for Texas vs. Tennessee, which update live in real time. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

🔢 Texas vs. Tennessee opening odds

Here's a look at the opening odds for Texas vs. Tennessee according to BetMGM.

• Spread: Texas +10.5 (-115) | Tennessee -10.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Texas +375 | Tennessee -500
• Over/Under: Over 134.5 (-115) | Under 134.5 (-105)

🏆 Who will win Texas vs. Tennessee?

As of 9:45 a.m. ET, Tennessee is favored by 9.5 points to beat Texas with moneyline odds of -550 at BetMGM, which suggests an 84.62% win probability for the Volunteers. We're predicting a 72-64 win for Tennessee as our final score projection.

So far, 68% of bettors have wagered against the spread on Texas +10.5, while 56% of bettors expect the game to finish Over the projected total of 135.5 points.

📺 How to watch Texas vs. Tennessee today

📅 Date: Friday, March 14
🕗 Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ Texas vs. Tennessee FAQs

Who's favored to win the SEC tournament?

The Auburn Tigers are favored to win the SEC tournament.

Who is favored to win Texas vs. Tennessee?

The Volunteers have moneyline odds of -550, implying they have a greater than 84% chance of winning this game.

What are the betting odds for Texas vs. Tennessee?

The latest spread is Texas +9.5 (-105) | Tennessee -9.5 (-105), with a total of 135.5 points (-110).

What will be the final score of Texas vs. Tennessee?

We're predicting a final score of Tennessee 72, Texas 64 entering today's matchup at Bridgeston Arena.

What time is Texas vs. Tennessee today?

Texas vs. Tennessee will tip off today at 3:30 p.m. ET.

⛹️ Best college basketball betting sites

Looking to bet on college basketball today? Here are our best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review, along with our best March Madness betting promos ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

• Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
• BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
• bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
• FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
• DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission