Alabama (23-5, 12-3) faces a tough road test against Tennessee (23-5, 10-5) in a pivotal SEC matchup.
Which of these teams will be able to impose their style of play on the other and come out on top in a top-10 contest?
Alabama vs. Tennessee Betting Preview
All Alabama vs. Tennessee odds is from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, March 1, 2025.
- Spread
Tennessee -3.5 - Moneyline
Tennessee -175, Alabama +145 - Over/Under
158.5 Points - Game Time
Saturday, March 1, 4 p.m. ET - Location
Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN - How to Watch
ESPN
Playing in the SEC has presented a grueling, gauntlet of a schedule for each program in the conference.
A perfect example of that is Alabama. The Crimson Tide have faced four consecutive ranked opponents, and they finish their season at Tennessee, vs. Florida, and at Auburn, each ranked inside the top five.
That is one of the toughest stretches any team in the country has gone through during the span of the season. Especially taking into consideration that it leads right into the conference tournament and March Madness.
Meanwhile, Tennessee has also gone through the trenches but has faced only four ranked teams in the last month.
Could this previous stretch of tough games cause burnout for the Crimson Tide? Can the Volunteers take advantage of that?
Prediction for Alabama vs. Tennessee
These teams want to control the pace of the game, but at two completely different speeds.
While Alabama wants to get up and down the court, jacking up as many threes as possible, the Volunteers want to play at a controlled, steady pace and manage the game.
The Crimson Tide have an opportunity to get Tennessee out of its comfort zone early on, which could spell disaster for Rick Barnes and the Volunteers.
We saw Tennessee fall behind quickly on the road against Texas A&M a couple of weeks ago. The Volunteers did recover and ended up prevailing, but that cannot happen against an Alabama team that can find its rhythm early.
Mark Sears, averaging 19 points, five assists, and three rebounds per game, and Chaz Lanier, averaging 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and one assist per game, are the clear go-to options for their respective teams.
This game will come down to which supporting cast is able to make an imprint at a consistent rate.
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I would lean towards the Crimson Tide’s role players, as Sears opens up more of the offense as the main facilitator.
Lanier is somewhat dependent on Zakai Zegler and others to find him in open space. He can create his own shot regularly, but he doesn’t have the ball in his hands for each and every possession.
Tennessee’s lack of efficiency – 45.2% from the field (155th in the country) and 34.4% from three (146th in the country) – is the main reason for concern in this matchup.
The Volunteers cannot afford to waste possessions against Alabama.
On the other hand, Alabama’s fast pace and high volume of threes open up easy points in transition for their opponents. Whether those opportunities present themselves from turnover or long rebounds, the Volunteers must take advantage.
Burnout is a reason of concern for picking Alabama, but Sears’ ability to create off the dribble opens up space for the rest of his teammates, leading to open shots on the perimeter. Because the Tide shoot from downtown at an incredible volume, as long as they hit a handful of those, they should be in good shape.
I simply don’t trust the Volunteers’ ability to keep up in this game.
Prediction: Alabama 87, Tennessee 80
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