Blake Krass provides his preview, prediction and pick for Saturday’s college basketball game between Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

The Tennessee Volunteers take on the No. 19 Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday afternoon in an SEC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 2:00 p.m. EST in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Commodores are listed as 3.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at O/U 149.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this SEC college basketball matchup.

Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee prediction, preview

Tennessee has been playing great as of late. It has won seven of its past eight games, with the lone loss coming in a tight one on the road against Kentucky. However, this has been an easy run on the Volunteers’ schedule. Their last six wins have been against Oklahoma, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia and Auburn. Those are six of the seven SEC teams with sub-.500 records in conference play. Tennessee has been beating up on the worst teams in the conference, but it also has a couple of great wins. It beat Alabama on the road and Texas A&M prior to this easy run. The Volunteers are elite on the defensive end in particular, ranking 14th in defensive rating.

Vanderbilt is also playing at a high level as of late. The Commodores have won five of their past seven games, with both losses coming by exactly one point. Vanderbilt is one of the most well-rounded teams in the country. It is hard to beat the Commodores because they are so sharp on both ends of the floor. They are one of just seven teams in the nation to rank inside the top 20 in both offensive and defensive rating. Vanderbilt can score with anyone in the country and sit back and defend when necessary.

Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee pick

My best bet for this game is for Vanderbilt to cover as short favorites. This is a battle of contrasting styles between Tennessee’s two SEC teams. Vanderbilt wants to push the pace and make it an up-and-down game. Meanwhile, Tennessee wants to make it a half-court game. Vanderbilt ranks 52nd in the nation in adjusted tempo, while Tennessee ranks 269th. The Commodores should use their home-court advantage to dictate the pace and make Tennessee run with them. Playing a team like Vanderbilt could be a bit of a shock for Tennessee after its incredibly easy run the past few weeks. Vanderbilt should get the win at home and cover the short spread.

Best Bet: Vanderbilt -3.5 (-105)