Tennessee Volunteers at #23 Mississippi Rebels
Thursday, January 24, 2013, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN2
C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum – Oxford, Mississippi
Opening Line: Ole Miss -9
Current Line: Ole Miss -7 1/2
Opening Total: 139 1/2
Current Total: 141
Opening Money Line: Ole Miss -360 / Tennessee +290
Current Money Line: Ole Miss -335 / Tennessee +285
The 15-2 Ole Miss Rebels and one of two undefeated teams left in the SEC. Florida is 5-0 and the Rebels are 4-0. Ole Miss takes on the 9-7 Tennessee Volunteers Thursday. The Volunteers are 1-3 in conference. Tennessee leads the series 69-40, including 25-22 in Oxford. Ole Miss has won 2 straight games in the series including 92-74 earlier this month in Knoxville.
Tennessee is coached by Cuonzo Martin. The Volunteers have losses to Oklahoma St in a tournament in Puerto Rico, at Georgetown, Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, and home against Memphis in addition to the Ole Miss loss. Tennessee has key wins over UNC-Asheville and Massachusetts in Puerto Rico, Oakland, Wichita St, Xavier, and 72-57 over Mississippi St Saturday. The win snapped a 4 game losing streak for Tennessee. The Volunteers do not have a true road win this season. Tennessee is 8-6 ATS and the total is 6-4 this season.
Ole Miss is coached by Andy Kennedy. The Rebels have losses Middle Tennessee and Indiana St in a tournament in Hawaii. Both losses were a total of 5 points. Ole Miss has won 7 straight games. The Rebels have key wins over Rutgers, Loyola Marymount, San Francisco, Hawaii, Fordham, at Tennessee and Vanderbilt, and home against Missouri and Arkansas Saturday 76-64. Ole Miss is 9-3 ATS this season and the total is 6-3-1 this season.
Tennessee is outscoring teams 66-62 this season. Tennessee shoots 43% from the field and 30% from 3 point range. The Volunteers make 66.3% of their free throws. Tennessee averages 36.9 rebounds per game and gives up 29.4. Tennessee opponents are shooting 40.7% from the field and 29.1% from 3 point range. The Vols are #27 in the country in three point defense. Tennessee averages 11 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks and 12 turnovers per game.
Guard Jordan McRae averages 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Forward Jarnell Stokes averages 11.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks a game. Guard Trae Golden averages 10.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists a game. Guard Josh Richardson averages 8.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and a steal. Guard Derek Reese averages 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds. He missed all but 5 games with a knee injury. Forward Kenny Hall averages 6.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Guard Skylar McBee averages 5.6 points per game. Forward Jeronne Maymon is out indefinitely but hasn’t played yet this season. Forward Dwight Miller left the team after a shoulder injury.
Ole Miss is outscoring teams 82-65 this season. The Rebels are #3 in scoring nationally. Ole Miss is shooting 44.6% from the field and 31.7% from 3 point range. The Rebels make 69.8% from the free throw line. Mississippi is #10 in rebounding averaging 41.4 rebounds per game, and give up 32.6 per game. Rebel opponents are shooting 38.7% from the field and 27.9% from 3 point range. The Rebels are #34 in opponent’s field goal percentage, and #11 in three point defense. Ole Miss averages 13 assists, 10 steals, 6 blocks, and 12 turnovers per game.
Guard Marshall Henderson averages 18.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 steals. Forward Murphy Holloway averages 15.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.8 assists per game. Guard Nick Williams averages 10.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Forward Reginald Buckner averages 10.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. Guard Jarvis Summers averages 8.7 points, 3.6 assists, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Guard Derrick Millinghaus averages 6.5 points per game. Aaron Jones and Ladarius White will also get significant minutes. Center Demarco Cox is questionable with an ankle injury.
Tennessee is 6-1 ATS in road games , and against teams with winning home records, and 11-3 against SEC teams. The underdog is 6-2 ATS and the road team is 5-1 in this series. The over is 3-1-1 in the last 5 in this series.
Ole Miss is 6-0 ATS overall, 5-0 at home, 4-0 against teams with winning records, and in SEC games, 6-1 against teams with losing road records, 18-6 after a cover, and 20-7 after a straight up win. The under is 4-0-1 in Oxford in this series.
Ole Miss routed Tennessee in Knoxville 2 weeks ago, and the Volunteers are even worse on the road. Ole Miss is one of the highest scoring teams in the country, and I don’t see Tennessee slowing them down. The Rebels should roll.
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