Alabama Will Outlast Struggling Tennessee

Tennessee vs. Alabama, 8:30 ET

There are some schools that just don't like each other. I live on the South Side of Chicago, and there are a lot of rivalries. I went to St. Laurence High School, and for whatever reason, we hated Brother Rice. The reality was that Laurence wasn't very good at most sports, Rice was, so that probably had something to do with it. My kid went to St. Laurence. He told me they still don't really like Rice, even though the sports programs have gotten significantly closer. I don't have that same hatred, but I was kind of glad to see a rivalry still existed. I never went to an SEC school for college, so this is the only way I can relate, but I have to imagine that Tennessee and Alabama have the same type of rivalry, and it is renewed here tonight as they square off. 

Tennessee is just 12-6 for the season, which is a bit of a down year in comparison to what they've done in previous seasons. They are also struggling at the moment in the SEC play. They are only 2-3 for the year. I'd be surprised if they don't find a way to win enough games to at least be considered for the NCAA Tournament, but I suppose time will tell as the SEC has plenty of good teams. They really haven't played very well lately, losing three of their past five games. They lost at Arkansas, then beat Texas, then lost at Florida by 14. Their past two games were at home, and they beat Texas A&M in overtime, and then last weekend they lost to Kentucky, another rival. That was a close game, losing by just two points. The other three losses came all in a row in late November, early December, losing to Kansas, Syracuse, and Illinois. The problem seems to be that they can somewhat be competitive with two losses being one possession, but three of their losses have also been by over 10 points. 

The Smokey mascot walks on the court during a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026.

Alabama is trying to figure out what to do without Mark Sears on the roster. Last year, he was their go-to guy, and he consistently led them to bucket after bucket when needed. There wasn't much of a defensive identity on the team, and I'd argue that is the same case this year, considering the team is allowing 82.6 points per game. They are 13-5 overall, and they are 3-2 in the SEC. The Crimson Tide have lost two of their past four games, both of them reasonably close matchups, losing on the road to Vanderbilt, and at home to Texas by four. The other three losses were all to ranked teams. They fell to Purdue early in the year 87-80, and then lost to Gonzaga by 10 in a Thanksgiving tournament matchup. The other loss was a neutral-site game where they fell by 21 to Arizona. Taking over the role of main scoring threat is Labaron Philon Jr. He has been great for the team in his sophomore season. He is just 6'4", so not a huge guard, but he is pouring in 22 points per game, up from 10.6 last season. 

I really expect this to be a tight game, but ultimately it could come down to who can get the big bucket when needed. Alabama has the go-to guy in Philon. I think both teams are going to get into the 80s for their score as well. I know this is a game that the Volunteers really need, but neither of these teams can really afford to have another blip on their schedule. Alabama hasn't been perfect at home, but they shouldn't need to be against a flawed Tennessee team. Let's take Alabama to cover the short number. If it gets low enough and you're comfortable, just take the moneyline. 

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