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The first 2 rounds of the SEC Tournament had fans on the absolute edge of their seats. After close games on Wednesday, Thursday brought about a pair of last-second game-winners and a double-overtime game. But despite the drama, we’ve only really seen 1 major upset. With the quarterfinals getting underway, 7 of the top 8 seeds are still battling for a spot in the semis.
If the action on Friday is anything like the day prior, it’ll be must-watch television.
Here’s how I’m betting on the day.
2024-25 record: 22-17
Note: The odds you see below are the best prices at the time of publication. Feel free to shop around at your preferred betting apps. New users can grab one of our sign-up bonuses to score a boost just about anywhere.
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Texas +10.5 vs. Tennessee (-120 via FanDuel)
After 7 straight ATS defeats, Texas is 3-1 against the spread over its last 4 games. I’m starting to buy into the Longhorns, who are getting major contributions from everyone through their first 2 SEC Tournament games. Tramon Mark has been aggressive. Arthur Kaluma has been steady. Kadin Shedrick and Chendall Weaver came up huge against Texas A&M. And Tre Johnson is doing Tre Johnson things. But before Johnson got hot deep into the A&M game, Texas was operating well enough offensively around him. That’s huge heading into a matchup with one of the best defenses in the country. Everyone in the UT rotation should be confident, though the only concern here is stamina. Mark, Johnson, and Kaluma each played at least 40 minutes on Thursday. Tennessee is a favorable matchup in that regard, as the Vols are one of the slowest teams in Division I. This is a classic case of rest versus rust. Texas is playing well and pushing for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Longhorns have a rhythm and some momentum. Tennessee has the rest advantage. But will the Vols be able to shoot it? I’m backing Texas to cover this number.
Mizzou +8.5 vs. Florida (-102 via DraftKings)
Mark Mitchell seemed to spend more of Thursday’s win over Mississippi State on the exercise bike on the sidelines than he did in the game. Mizzou won 85-73 despite Mitchell playing only 12 minutes. Tamar Bates scored 25 points and Tony Perkins added 20 to push Mizzou past Mississippi State. The Tigers won by double-digits despite getting only 12 minutes from Mitchell and only 14 foul-riddled minutes from Anthony Robinson II. Caleb Grill also went 2-for-11 from the field and 1-for-5 from 3. Mizzou trailed by 3 with 10 minutes to play and won by 12. The Tigers showed us earlier in the season they could beat anyone on any given night; they didn’t look like that team as the regular season wound down. Thursday’s performance was encouraging. It doesn’t seem like the issue with Mitchell is too serious, but even if he can’t go, I like getting this many points for Mizzou.
Alabama-Kentucky total over 178.5 points (-115 via ESPN Bet)
Points, points, points. Vegas is expecting a ton, and while this is a big number, these 2 sides are more than capable of clearing it. Kentucky got 49 combined points on Thursday from Otega Oweh and Koby Brea, who showed zero rust after an extended break. The first two meetings between these squads featured 199 points and 179 points. Kentucky didn’t have Lamont Butler or Jaxson Robinson for that second game, and Oweh shot 1-for-9 in just 22 minutes. When he was able to stay on the court in the first meeting, he scored 21. Assuming he doesn’t get into the same foul trouble, Kentucky should keep it closer. And that means another back-and-forth shootout with this lightspeed-paced Alabama outfit.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
