Syracuse vs. Tennessee odds, spread, line: 2023 college basketball picks, Nov. 20 best bets from proven model
No. 7 Tennessee (3-0) will try to begin a run through the loaded 2023 Maui Invitational field when it faces Syracuse (3-0) in the first round on Monday afternoon. The Vols picked up a pair of blowout wins at home to go along with an 80-70 win at Wisconsin to open the season. Syracuse has won all three of its games as well, but all of those victories have come by 12 points or less. The Vols and Orange have not met since 2002, when Tennessee notched a 66-62 win.
Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET at SimpliFI Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu. The Vols are favored by 12.5 points in the latest Syracuse vs. Tennessee odds, while the over/under is set at 147 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Tennessee vs. Syracuse picks, you'll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered Week 2 of the 2023-24 season on an 87-56 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anyone who has followed it saw huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Tennessee-Syracuse. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:
- Syracuse vs. Tennessee spread: Tennessee -12.5
- Syracuse vs. Tennessee over/under: 147 points
- Syracuse vs. Tennessee money line: Syracuse +613, Tennessee -949
- Syracuse vs. Tennessee picks: See picks here
Why Tennessee can cover
Tennessee was the preseason favorite to win the SEC, and it has not done anything to change that narrative thus far. The Vols have won all three of their games by double digits, including an impressive 80-70 win at Wisconsin as 2.5-point favorites. Senior guard Dalton Knecht scored a team-high 24 points in the win over the Badgers, and he is averaging a team-high 19.7 points per game.
Junior guard Jordan Gainey and senior guard Josiah-Jordan James are both averaging 12.3 points per game, while four of their teammates are scoring at least five points per contest. Tennessee has experience winning this type of event, beating Butler, USC and Kansas to win the Battle 4 Atlanta last year. The Vols are 6-3 in three early-season tournaments outside the continental United States during coach Rick Barnes' tenure.
Why Syracuse can cover
Syracuse has won all three of its games to open the season, and it only needs to stay within single digits to cover the spread on Monday. The Orange have four players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore guard Judah Mintz at 23.0 points per game. He has scored at least 20 points in all three wins, including 26 points against Canisius and 23 points against Colgate.
Sophomore forward Chris Bell is coming off his best performance of the season, pouring in 25 points on 9 of 19 shooting against the Raiders. The Orange trailed Colgate by 24 points in the second half, but they rallied with an impressive second half, forcing 14 turnovers. Mintz was named to the Wooden Award watch list last week, so the Orange are led by one of the top players in the country. See which team to pick here.
How to make Syracuse vs. Tennessee picks
The model has simulated Tennessee vs. Syracuse 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
