Potentially Shorthanded LSU, Tennessee Square Off
Freshmen could take center stage. LSU’s Brandon Murray has scored in double figures in five of his last six games and is coming off season-bests of 19 points and three 3-pointers in a loss to Alabama. Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler endured some rough times after a strong start for one of the most heralded recruits in his class. He seems to be trending back in the right direction as he has scored in double figures in three of his last four games. He also has 20 steals in his last seven contests.
The teams are both 3-3 in conference play and three games behind first-place Auburn.
Tennessee has won its last three games decided by less than 10 points.
Tennessee is 9-0 at home this season and is one of three SEC teams still undefeated at home.
No. 13 LSU (+1800) has fallen to being tied for the fourth-best odds to win the SEC title while No. 24 Tennessee (+2600) is down to seventh. LSU (+850) is 15th while Tennessee is tied for 19th in the odds to reach the Final Four.
Game: Louisiana State (15-3) at Tennessee (12-5)
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Day/Time: Saturday, January 22, 6 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Louisiana State Tigers at Tennessee Volunteers
LSU’s Depth Could Be Tested
The Louisiana State Tigers aren’t the deepest team in the SEC when everybody is available but question marks surrounding two of their top eight players hardly is the ideal scenario heading into a key conference game.
Point guard Xavier Pinson who is the team’s leader with 69 assists despite three games is considered doubtful, leaving LSU without its third-leading scorer and one of the three Tigers with at least 30 steals. Second-leading scorer Darius Days, who is also the team leader in rebounds and made 3-pointers, has a better chance of playing.
“[Pinson] is making really, really good progress,” LSU coach Will Wade told the media. “He was moving well [Friday]. I don’t think he’s quite ready to play, so he’ll probably be out.
“I think Days will be a game-time decision. I’d say there’s a better chance than not, though, that he’ll play.”
Days is one of three LSU players to start every game and is the team leader in minutes played so if he can go, that will provide a huge boost. It will be worth monitoring his availability.
The one that seems likely to occur is that LSU will play in a game going down to the wire as five of the six games LSU has played in January have been decided by seven points or less. The Tigers dropped the last two games falling by seven at home against Arkansas and by three at Alabama.
Louisiana State has covered against the college basketball spreads in four of its last five games.
Ball Security Imperative for Vols
Tennessee has committed 34 turnovers in the last two games. The Volunteers’ occasional sloppy play didn’t cost them the last time out against Vanderbilt but that could a different story on Saturday.
Visiting Louisiana State thrives on creating turnovers and getting out in transition so live-ball turnovers would be an issue against the Tigers.
“I think Will [Wade’s] teams play the way he wants them to play,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes told the media. “They do a really nice job of mixing their defenses. They’re a team that really relies on your turnovers and you not taking care of the ball. I think they lead the nation in steals, No. 1 defensive team in the country. Then on the offensive end, they’re really good in isolation, good one-on-one players. But there’s a pace they like to play with. He’s done a good job with them. You go back over the last couple of years, you can’t argue with the success that he’s had.”
The key for Tennessee is to have the ball in the hands of Santiago Vescovi and Kennedy Chandler. The duo has combined for 130 assists and 68 turnovers. Zakai Zeigler is another reliable player as evidenced by his +20 assist/turnover ratio. The other seven players averaging more than 10 minutes per game have six more turnovers than assists.
Tennessee’s bench may be a player short as Josiah-Jordan James is considered to be a game-time decision. He is one of three Volunteers averaging more than five rebounds per game and one of two Tennessee players in double figures in both steals and blocked shots.
The Volunteers have covered against the Las Vegas odds in eight of its last 12 games.
Different Styles set To Meet
Louisiana State and Tennessee are among three SEC teams averaging more than 10 steals per game LSU’s total of 11.9 steals per game tops among Division I teams. LSU is also third in the conference in blocked shots.
While LSU is productive offensive turning defense into offense, the Volunteers rely a little more on its perimeter shooting as Alabama is the lone SEC team to average more three-point attempts than Tennessee.
Six of the last seven games between LSU and Tennessee have gone over the total.
A 5.5-point line is certainly a number that will grab the attention of those who bet online as the teams seem pretty closely matched.
The total has gone under in 14 of LSU’s last 16 games which makes sense when factoring in the way the Tigers shut things down on the defensive end of the floor. The total of 130½ is a pretty low number, however so it makes sense to go with the over in this one.
