Several SEC bubble teams picked up quality wins on Tuesday, and that could have the conference sitting in decent shape when March rolls around.
There are three games on Wednesday’s schedule, as a few of the league’s best teams will try to continue their excellent play.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 154-46
No. 1 Tennessee at Vanderbilt – 7 p.m. EST, ESPN2
The Vols are now the nation’s top team, and a matchup against a Vanderbilt squad that is 0-5 in conference play would seem to set up very nicely for the visitors.
Of course, even with everything leaning in Tennessee’s favor, this is a rivalry game where one of the teams could completely turn its season around with a victory.
But as I’ve said many times over the past few weeks, the Vols are the most complete team in college basketball, and they should be able to pull away down the stretch for yet another win.
Prediction: Tennessee 78, Vanderbilt 64
Georgia at No. 25 LSU – 7 p.m. EST, SEC Network
LSU looks like a legitimate SEC title contender at this point, and that shouldn’t come as a huge surprise due to the amount of talent on the roster.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs simply have not played very well away from home this season, and their conference schedule has been pretty brutal in the early going.
Considering how dominant Will Wade’s team was against South Carolina last weekend, there’s no reason to pick against the Tigers in this spot.
Prediction: LSU 80, Georgia 66
Missouri at Arkansas – 9 p.m. EST, SEC Network
Both teams would love to have a win due to slow starts in league play, and that should make for an entertaining matchup in Fayetteville.
This will certainly be a clash in styles as Missouri ranks 322nd nationally in average offensive possession length (18.8 seconds) while Arkansas is at 13th nationally (15.0 seconds).
I still have my concerns with the Razorbacks’ consistency, but they should be able to grab the victory in what feels like a must-win game for Mike Anderson’s group.
Prediction: Arkansas 77, Missouri 71
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