The SEC features two top-25 matchups for Saturday’s college basketball lineup, including the No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide (21-7) against the No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers (20-8).
Alabama sits in second place in the SEC standings with an 11-4 conference record, while Tennessee is fourth with a 10-5 mark. The Crimson Tide has won seven consecutive games, while the Volunteers are looking to rebound from Tuesday’s loss against Missouri.
Let’s dive into Saturday’s 6:00 p.m. ET battle on ESPN, circling an Alabama vs. Tennessee prediction and picks. Make your NCAAB picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Alabama vs. Tennessee Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Volunteers are 7-3 in the last 10 head-to-head matchups, including a five-game winning streak against the Crimson Tide. The under has dominated to the tune of 8-2 over the previous 10 battles.
Alabama is 4-6 against the spread (ATS) in its past 10, compared to UT’s 6-4 mark in the split. The Vols’ strong defense continues to lead the way, contributing to the under’s 7-3 record over their last 10 matchups.
Alabama vs. Tennessee Spread, Over/Under
Following Tennessee’s 79-73 win over Alabama on January 24, the Volunteers are favored by 4.5 points on Saturday on PrizePicks Team Picks.
Despite UT’s recent under trend, the SEC clash features a high 165.5 total on PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 34 states.
- Spread: Tennessee Volunteers -4.5
- Over/Under: 165.5
- Game Winner Payout: Alabama 2.77x | Tennessee 1.42x
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
Alabama vs. Tennessee Prediction on Over/Under
According to Bart Torvik, Saturday’s collision is a contrast in styles, as Alabama is in the 99th percentile for the quickest adjusted tempos, while Tennessee is in the 74th percentile for slowest adjusted tempo.
January 24’s matchup went under the 166.5 total, with the Volunteers winning the rebounding battle by +9. Tennessee ranks in the 100th percentile of offensive rebounding percentage and 94th percentile for defensive rebounding rate. The Tide, meanwhile, sit in the 60th and 34th percentiles of the categories, respectively.
In the previous head-to-head bout, Alabama attempted only 58 shots compared to its 66.3 season average.
The Crimson Tide lean on the 3-ball with 13.0 makes per game, but opponents shoot only 30.2% from deep against the Vols. Tennessee’s strong perimeter defense rang true on January 24, with Bama making only 6 of 26 triples.
Backed by UT’s ability to win the possession battle and control the pace, can the Volunteers enforce another low-scoring game?
Alabama vs. Tennessee Picks for PrizePicks Today: 2/28/26
Alabama G Aden Holloway and Tennessee G Ja’Kobi Gillespie could thrive from 3-point land, pointing to point projections on PrizePicks.
Alabama G Aden Holloway vs. Tennessee Projection: 15.5 Points
- Alabama features a modern philosophy, ranking in the 100th percentile of 3-point shot distribution.
- Holloway is second on the team with 6.3 attempted treys per game. While opponents carry low efficiency from deep against the Volunteers, the junior guard shoots 43.0% from beyond the arc.
- In his last eight games, Holloway posted 16.8 PPG, on par with his 16.9 season average.
- The 6’1” guard has earned trips to the charity stripe often with 4.0 free throw attempts per game in his last four games. UT is in the 39th percentile of personal fouls per play.
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Tennessee G Ja’Kobi Gillespie vs. Alabama Projection: 20.5 Points
- The Crimson Tide surrender 8.1 made treys and 24.4 3-point shots per game.
- Gillespie leads the Vols with 8.3 attempted triples per matchup; that’s increased to 9.3 in his last seven games.
- The Maryland transfer shoots 35.1% from deep, and his 25.2% usage rate is second on Tennessee. His hefty volume might put 20.5 points within grasp.
- His primary defender could be Holloway, and he touts a concerning 1.09 Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR), per EvanMiya.
Make #17 Alabama vs. #22 Tennessee Picks on PrizePicks
Will Tennessee enforce another slow-paced game against Alabama? Holloway and Gillespie are a pair of 3-point specialists who could get hot, perhaps providing an angle for player projections.
Make your Alabama vs. Tennessee picks at PrizePicks, where you can earn real-money rewards for your predictions if you’re right. Just choose players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and follow the hoops action to see if your picks hit. You can make picks on winners, spreads, and over/unders on Team Picks, now available in 34 states.
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