TENNESSEE ST TIGERS @ TENN

Tennessee’s frontcourt availability

Local reporting says Tennessee forward Jalen Washington remains ineligible, leaving the Vols without him in the frontcourt; Barnes said Dwayne's rebounding was impressive and he wants to get him more touches.

Tennessee State’s guards can create in transition

Tennessee State recorded 56 assists against 18 turnovers in its two wins, including Ty-Laur Johnson's 12 assists against Fisk; that ball movement and transition play will test the ranked Vols.

Tennessee has set a defensive tone early

The Vols allowed 59 points to Wofford and 47 to Radford, averaging 53.0 points allowed through two games; Barnes said, "Our guards have got to rebound the ball," reinforcing Tennessee's defensive emphasis.

A tough first road test for the Tigers

This is Tennessee State's first true road game of the season, and Tennessee has won all seven previous meetings in Knoxville.

Published lineup guide, not a game-day confirmation

The latest preview lists Terrence Hill Jr., Juke Harris, Tyler Lundblade, DeWayne Brown II and Braedan Lue as Tennessee's most recent starters, with Deondrea Lindsey, Aaron Bradshaw, Christian Alston, Arterio Morris and Ty-Laur Johnson for Tennessee State. Barnes said the Vols can start a different lineup every game based on practice, so these are not confirmed tipoff lineups.

Pick Ideas

Angles drawn from the matchup analysis above and refreshed as the news changes. They are a separate read from the LineCrush pick for this matchup, so the two can land on different sides.

Tennessee State +29.5

Lean toward Tennessee State +29.5 rather than laying a near-30-point margin; a competitive stretch or late scoring run could keep the Tigers within the number.

Small lean: Under 156.5

The total has risen from 154.5 to around 156.5, so consider the under; Barnes said Tennessee's execution was "not even close to what I know we're capable of" and that it had "too many guys that are too anxious to shoot the ball".

Pass on the Tennessee moneyline

Pass on Tennessee's moneyline: the favorite's extremely steep price offers little practical value compared with the spread or total.