Memphis Tigers vs. Tennessee Volunteers Preview and Pick

The Memphis Tigers pay a visit to the Tennessee Volunteers in a battle for college basketball bragging rights in the state of Tennessee Wednesday night in Knoxville.

Memphis has lost just once this season, a 92-85 decision at the hands of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Maui a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the Tigers have won four games in a row, including a 78-59 verdict over Marshall as 22-point favorites Monday in the C-USA opener for both teams.

Tennessee started this season by winning its first four games, then dropped two in a row to Butler and North Carolina. The Vols have since won a couple of games in a row, including an 89-64 victory over Murray State as 18-point chalk last Friday.

The Tigers are 2-4 against the spread so far this season, and Wednesday night’s game will be their first true road bout of the season. Memphis has played four home games and played three on a neutral court out in Maui.

Tennessee is 3-4 vs. the numbers this season, but 3-0 straight up and 2-0 ATS at home.

Memphis returns two starters from a team that won 33 games last season before getting knocked out of the NCAA tournament by UCLA in the regional finals.

Tennessee returns three starters from a team that won 22 games last season before falling to Wichita State in the second round of the NCAAs.

Last January, the Tigers beat the Volunteers 88-79 in Memphis as nine-point home favorites. The game was tied with 6 ½ minutes to go, but the Tigers went on a 10-0 run to take control. The game also easily topped its posted total of 160.

These two teams have not played any common opponents so far this season.

Memphis is averaging 85 points a game this season. But the over/under in Tigers’ games this season is 1-5, mainly because Memphis has allowed just 63, 60, 59 and 59 points over its last four games, all of which have gone under.

The O/U is 4-3 in Vols games this season, and UT is outscoring foes by an 81-69 PPG margin.

The Tigers are shooting 46% from the field this season, but only 32% from 3-point land and 61% from the free-throw line.

Tennessee is shooting 44% from the floor and a solid 39% from long distance, but just 61.5% from the line.

Memphis is outrebounding opponents by an average of 5.6 per game this season, and has outboarded every foe except Georgia Tech.

The Vols are outrebounding opponents by a 3.9 boards-per-game margin.

The Tigers are holding opponents to 38% FG shooting this season and just 30% from 3-point range.

Tennessee is allowing opponents to shoot 45% from the floor this season.

Memphis, as a team, owns a 1.21 assists-to-turnovers ratio this season.

Tennessee, on the other hand, has tallied fewer assists (125) than turnovers (147).

The Sagarin PREDICTOR ratings at USAToday.com ranks the Tigers 15th at 87.8, the Volunteers 37th at 84.2.

This game started out as a pick ‘em, with a total of 161, and those numbers have moved very little.