An important SEC matchup looms Wednesday night when surging Tennessee hosts a solid Florida team in a nationally televised showdown at 9 p.m. ET. The Volunteers are posted as four-point sportsbook favorites, with the over-under for total points scored set at 137.
Before picking a side, you need to see what SportsLine handicapper Zack Cimini has to say. SportsLine's No. 1 college hoops expert, Cimini enters Wednesday's card on a 35-25 run (60 percent) against the spread in college basketball. He's a contrarian thinker who's known for finding subtle yet powerful deciding factors for determining ATS outcomes.
Tennessee (19-7, 9-5) is in the midst of a breakout season and sits in second place behind Auburn in the SEC standings.
But the Volunteers have slumped a bit of late, with losses in two of their past three following a six-game winning streak. The defeats at Alabama and Georgia came by double figures.
Lamonte Turner had 14 points and Jordan Bowden scored 13 in a 73-62 loss at Georgia on Saturday. The Volunteers were outrebounded, 40-33, and were felled by 34.9 percent field-goal shooting.
The home team has covered four straight in this series, and the favorite is on a 5-1 ATS run.
Florida (17-10, 8-6) has been beset by the injury bug and some inconsistency, but the Gators are a formidable club when at the top of their game.
They have lost four of their last six, including back-to-back defeats by three points each. They are looking to rebounds from a 71-68 loss at Vanderbilt in which they squandered an 11-point lead in the second half.
Keith Stone had 20 points and six rebounds, while Egor Koulechov had 14 points and seven boards for Florida.
The Gators are on a 5-1 ATS run in this series, and are 5-2 ATS in their last seven against opponents with winning records.
Will the Volunteers (-4) notch another quality victory Wednesday, or will the Gators get a much-needed SEC win? ... Visit SportsLine to see Zack Cimini's strong ATS pick on Florida-Tennessee and see what x-factor determines the side you need to be all over, all from a handicapper on a 35-25 run on his college basketball picks.
