Tennessee Volunteers vs Arkansas Razorbacks Prediction, 1/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tennessee Volunteers vs Arkansas Razorbacks

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

Location: Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR

TV: ESPN2

Bud Walton Arena is where the Arkansas Razorbacks (10-3) will meet the Tennessee Volunteers (10-3) on Saturday.

The Tennessee Volunteers took the court against South Carolina State and went home with a win by a final score of 105-54 in their last contest. Tennessee walked away from the game with a 60.9% FG percentage (39 out of 64) and converted 8 out of their 23 three-point shots. When they shot from the free throw line, the Volunteers converted 19 of 33 attempts for a percentage of 57.6%. In relation to pulling down boards, they compiled 50 with 20 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 30 dimes for this game as well as forcing 9 turnovers and getting 6 steals. In terms of the defense, Tennessee allowed their opponent to shoot 34.5% from the floor on 19 out of 55 shooting. South Carolina State dished out 9 assists and had 9 steals for the game. In addition, South Carolina State collected 16 rebounds (6 offensive, 10 defensive), but didn't have a block. South Carolina State finished the game at 50.0% at the charity stripe by knocking down 10 of their 20 shots. They also knocked down 6 out of their 20 attempts from beyond the arc. In regard to fouls, the Volunteers walked away with 16 while South Carolina State recorded 23 fouls.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie is a player who was important for the game. He was able to score 21 points on 7 out of 12 shooting. He played 28 mins played and snagged 3 boards. He finished shooting 58.3% from the floor and also earned 8 assists.

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Tennessee enters this matchup with a win-loss mark of 10-3 on the season. They are losing possession via turnover 12.5 times per game and as a group are committing 16.9 fouls per game. As a unit, Tennessee is pulling down 43.8 boards per game and has 258 dimes this year, which is 20th in the country in terms of passing. The Volunteers are shooting 34.6% on three-point shots (99 of 286) and 69.9% from the free throw line. They are averaging 83.9 pts per contest (71st in the country) while connecting on 49.1% from the floor.

On defense, the Volunteers are able to force 12.5 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 18.1 fouls. They give up 28.2% on shots from downtown while they are 16th in the nation in points per game allowed (63.7). The Volunteers defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 37.8% (286 of 756) and they relinquish 28.8 rebounds per game as a team. They are currently ranked 17th in the nation in allowing assists to the opposition with 130 surrendered on the campaign.

The last time they took the court, the Arkansas Razorbacks walked away with a victory by a final of 103-74 against James Madison. The Razorbacks recorded 24 defensive rebounds and 12 offensive boards totaling 36 in this contest. They also gave up possession of the ball 6 times, while earning 7 steals in this matchup. James Madison committed 20 fouls in this game which took the Razorbacks to the charity stripe for 31 attempts. They were able to knock down 20 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 64.5%. In regard to 3-point attempts, Arkansas made 15 of their 28 tries (53.6%). In all, the Razorbacks shot 34 out of 62 from the floor which gave them a rate of 54.8%. The Razorbacks permitted James Madison to bury 24 of their 58 attempts from the field which gave them a rate of 41.4% in the game. They finished 37.5% from distance by shooting 12 out of 32 and ended up going 14 of 19 at the free throw line (73.7%). With respect to rebounding, Arkansas allowed James Madison to grab 29 in total (12 offensive).

Meleek Thomas was important for the Razorbacks in the game. He recorded 28 points in his 27 mins of playing time, but wasn't able to tally an assist. He knocked down 8 out of 16 in this matchup for a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and had 2 rebounds.

Arkansas has a win-loss mark of 10-3 on the year. As an offense, the Razorbacks are connecting on 49.1% from the field, which has them ranked 50th in D-1. Arkansas has totaled 1,177 pts so far this year (90.5 per contest) and they pull in 38.0 rebounds per game. They are getting an assist 18.2 times per game (35th in college hoops) and they turn the ball over 9.5 times per contest. The Razorbacks are committing 16.1 fouls per contest and they hit 74.4% from the free throw line.

The Razorbacks on the defensive side of the court are 221st in college hoops in PPG surrendered with 74.8. They are able to force 12.1 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 41.9% from the field (104th in the nation). The Arkansas defense gives up 30.6% on shots from distance (113 of 369) and their opposition knocks down 67.9% of their shots from the free throw line. They have allowed 14.5 assists and 35.0 rebounds per contest, which is ranked 260th and 210th in those categories on the defensive end.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Tennessee

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