Tennessee Volunteers

Backing the Volunteers as favorites in 2025-26 lost 5.75 units, more than all but five teams in Division I. Tennessee were favored 28 times, won 19 and covered 11.

Nine favorite defeats

Tennessee lost nine games they were favored to win, and none of them cheaply: at Syracuse 62-60 at -375, to Kansas 81-76 at -340 at a neutral site, at home to Kentucky 80-78 at -270 and to Alabama 71-69 at -258, plus Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and twice Vanderbilt. The five that lost more as favorites were Chattanooga, Florida Gulf Coast, UAB, Maryland Eastern Shore and Lamar. Four of the 25 priced favorite games carried prices of -10000 or longer and returned almost nothing when won.

Against the spread

The Vols covered 14 of 33; 66 teams nationally had a lower cover rate. Laying points they covered 11 of 28; at home 7 of 17, away 4 of 10. November, 7-1 straight up, was 3-5 against the number, and December, 3-2 with the Syracuse and Illinois defeats in it, cost 1.48 units.

The underdog games

Tennessee were underdogs five times and won three: 76-73 over Houston at +142, 79-73 at Alabama at +160 and 69-65 at Vanderbilt at +130. Those games made 2.32 units, not enough to cover the favorites’ losses; the season finished 3.43 down over 30 priced games.

SEC opponents

Vanderbilt won two of three, the last 75-68 in the SEC tournament quarterfinal. Kentucky won both meetings and covered both. Auburn lost twice, Tennessee covering both, the second in the SEC tournament. The NCAA tournament went further: wins over Miami (OH), Virginia and Iowa State, then a 95-62 Elite Eight loss to Michigan.

The total

Seventeen unders and 16 overs, no lean. Tennessee allowed 69.36 a game; 58 teams allowed fewer.

Questions and answers