The Colorado Buffaloes, fresh off a 21-12 campaign that prevented them from making the NCAA Tournament, travel east to Nashville, TN, on Sunday to play the Tennessee Volunteers.
The Volunteers had a 27-8 record at the end of the previous campaign and won the SEC Tournament before losing to Michigan in the second round. Buffaloes enter this game with a record of 1-1, while the Volunteers are currently 1-0 on the season. 2:00 PM EST is the time for the first tap.
Colorado vs Tennessee Betting Odds
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Colorado vs Tennessee Match Details
Fixture: Colorado at Tennessee
Date and Time: Sunday, November 13 at 2:00 PM ET
Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Colorado vs Tennessee Key Stats
The Buffaloes' first two games this season have resulted in a split. They defeated UC Riverside at home in their opener, winning 82-66. The Buffaloes lost 83-74 at Grambling State on the road in their second game. In his attempt to establish a rotation, Boyle has used ten players in his first two games.
Throughout the last two games, KJ Simpson has been the team's top scorer with an average of 15 points and a 39% field goal percentage. Throughout the first two games, the Buffaloes have played well against 3-pointers, allowing their opponents to shoot just under 30%, but they have struggled to make 3-pointers themselves, making only 32% of them.
It is not unexpected that the Volunteers began the season at the #10 slot in the Top-25 rankings after finishing the previous campaign with a 27-win total, winning the SEC Tournament, and returning four starters. The Volunteers won their home debut game 73-45 against the Golden Eagles in front of a raucous crowd.
Transfer Tyreke Key had a strong performance in the Volunteers' opener. The former Indiana State Sycamore scored 17 points in the win, making 4-of-9 three-pointers. Despite shooting only 40% overall from the field, the Volunteers outrebounded Tech 37-28 and recorded 17 steals in the victory.
Colorado vs Tennessee Best Picks and Prediction
In their home debut, the Volunteers were able to show off a glimpse of what they were capable of, thanks to 17 thefts and smothering man-to-man defense. However, Zeigler and Santiago struggled, making a combined 5-of-20 from 3-point range, with Zeigler making just 2-of-12.
The two scored just 21 points in total throughout the game, but as the season continues, those totals will undoubtedly rise. Colorado struggled against a Georgia Southern squad that fought hard on defense and had poor shooting in both of their opening two games. The Buffaloes will have a much tougher test now, and I don't believe they can pass it.
Pick: Tennessee -14.5 (-110)
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