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No. 1 Kansas and No. 7 Tennessee will try to salvage their respective trips to Hawaii when they square off in the third-place game of the 2023 Maui Invitational on Wednesday afternoon. The Vols (4-1) suffered their first loss of the season on Tuesday night, falling to No. 2 Purdue in a 71-67 final. There were a combined 52 foul calls, and Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes drew a technical foul in the first half. Kansas (4-1) lost to No. 4 Marquette in the nightcap in what was also testy semifinal, but the Golden Eagles led for all but 22 seconds of that game. 

Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET at SimpliFI Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Jayhawks are favored by 1 point in the latest Kansas vs. Tennessee odds, while the over/under is set at 140 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Tennessee vs. Kansas picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2023-24 season on an 88-57 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anyone who followed it saw huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Tennessee-Kansas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:

  • Kansas vs. Tennessee spread: Kansas -1
  • Kansas vs. Tennessee over/under: 140 points
  • Kansas vs. Tennessee money line: Kansas -118, Tennessee -102
  • Kansas vs. Tennessee picks: See picks here

Why Kansas can cover

Kansas was unable to overcome 18 turnovers against Marquette on Tuesday night, but that game was not nearly as physical as the one that Tennessee played against Purdue, leaving the Jayhawks as the fresher team. The Vols were whistled for 31 fouls and were outrebounded 44-31 in that contest. The physicality took a toll on their offensive performance, as they shot just 33% from the floor and 26.7% from 3-point range. 

The Jayhawks have already taken down one ranked team this season, beating No. 17 Kentucky last Tuesday in Chicago. Senior center Hunter Dickinson poured in 27 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in that game, and he will be eager to face a Tennessee defense that is still trying to find its best option down low. Dickinson is averaging a double-double with 22 points and 11.2 rebounds, while senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. is adding 19 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists. 

Why Tennessee can cover

Tennessee refused to go away against Purdue on Tuesday, showcasing its depth throughout the evening. That depth will be on display again on Wednesday, especially with both of these teams playing on short rest. The Vols have seven players averaging at least 20 minutes per game, and five more players are seeing at least six minutes of action per contest. 

Senior guard Dalton Knecht led the way with 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists against Purdue, while junior guard Jordan Gainey had 15 points off the bench. Sophomore forward Tobe Awaka returned from an ankle injury that he suffered in the opening round of the Maui Invitational, playing pivotal minutes down low against Purdue big man Zach Edey down the stretch. Tennessee came away with a 64-50 victory when it faced Kansas in the Bahamas last November. See which team to pick here.

How to make Kansas vs. Tennessee picks

The model has simulated Tennessee vs. Kansas 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Kansas vs. Tennessee, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on an 88-57 roll on its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.