Tennessee

Tennessee vs. Auburn predictions, picks and best bets: Can the Tigers stay undefeated in SEC play?

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2025

Tennessee vs. Auburn predictions, picks and best bets: Can the Tigers stay undefeated in SEC play?

Top-ranked Auburn’s undefeated conference record is on the line Saturday night when No. 6 Tennessee makes the trip to Neville Arena. The Tigers already notched impressive wins over Houston, Iowa State and Purdue, but facing the Volunteers could be the toughest game yet.

Home-court advantage will be crucial, as Auburn’s only loss of the season came on the road. The Tigers are a 6.5-point favorite and the total is set at 140.5. Let’s get into my betting picks for the must-see matchup between Tennessee and Auburn.

Tennessee vs. Auburn predictions and best bets

Auburn -6.5: -115 at FanDuel Sportsbook
Under 140.5: -106 at FanDuel Sportsbook

*Note: Odds are based on the best value our experts find as of publication; check lines closer to game time to ensure you get the best odds.

Auburn benefits from a week of rest leading up to the top-10 clash. With a daunting SEC schedule, the time off gives the Tigers a chance to reset before an extremely important game.

Tennessee is one of the best teams in the nation, but the Volunteers’ two losses came on the road. This includes an upset loss against unranked Vanderbilt. According to TeamRankings, Auburn is 5-2-1 against the spread at Neville Arena, while Tennessee is 2-3 ATS in away games.

Johni Broome’s status is the biggest storyline heading into the game. The Wooden Award candidate has missed back-to-back games with an ankle injury, but head coach Bruce Pearl said Broome could return to practice at the end of the week.

Auburn has chugged along without Broome, notching a pair of ranked wins over Mississippi State and Georgia. The Tigers haven’t shown signs of regression without Broome in the lineup, so I’ll take Auburn to cover the spread.

I’m also betting the under because both teams play lockdown defense. Tennessee surrenders the third-fewest points in the nation, while Auburn allows just 66 points per game. The under is 7-4 when the Volunteers and Tigers square off with SEC opponents.

Tennessee vs. Auburn moneyline odds analysis

Why Auburn could win as the favorite

Odds: -285 at FanDuel Sportsbook

Broome suiting up would be massive for the Tigers. The senior forward leads the team in scoring, assists, rebounding and blocks, but may not play at the same level after sitting for two weeks.

If Broome isn’t ready to return, Auburn has proven it can contend without the big man, thanks to a deep roster that includes five other players averaging double-digit scoring. Chaney Johnson has gotten more minutes due to Broome’s injury and made the most of the opportunity with a 17-point performance in a blowout win over Mississippi State.

Freshman Tahaad Pettiford has been a game-changer for Auburn, and he’ll need another big game to take down the Volunteers. Pettiford is hitting 44% of his shots from beyond the arc and poured in a season-high 24 points in Auburn’s last game.

Why Tennessee could win as the underdog

Odds: +230 at FanDuel Sportsbook

Strong defense hasn’t forced the Volunteers to sacrifice scoring opportunities on the other end of the court. Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler combine to average just under 31 points per game, and Tennessee ranks seventh in offensive rebounding, per KenPom.

However, the Volunteers couldn’t buy a bucket in a 73-43 road loss versus Florida. Tennessee shot just 21.4% from the field and Zeigler and Lanier were the only players to reach double digits.

Auburn’s lengthy defenders block more shots per game than any team in the nation, and Tennessee can’t solely rely on Lanier and Zeigler to carry the load offensively. Jordan Gainey and Igor Milicic Jr. must step up to keep pace with the Tigers.

Source link

Tennessee

Memphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’

Published

5 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

Memphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WSMV) – Three Memphis voters, through the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed a federal lawsuit against Tennessee leaders, claiming the state’s new congressional maps are discriminating against Black voters.

The ACLU announced the lawsuit on Monday, saying that three organizations — the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Equity Alliance, are also part of the lawsuit that was filed against Sec. of State Tre Hargett, Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins and several others.

“In May 2026, over the course of mere days, a White-dominated supermajority of the Tennessee General Assembly redrew Tennessee’s congressional map to crack the predominantly Black city of Memphis into three pieces and destroy the only district in which Black voters are able to elect representatives of their choice, shutting Black voters completely out of power in federal elections in Tennessee,” the filing states.

The ACLU and the other plaintiffs echo arguments made by Democrats while the maps were being debated during last week’s special session: “The cracking of Memphis unlawfully targeted Black voters.”

“The new plan carves through the center of Tennessee’s second largest city, dividing neighborhoods that have voted together for decades, splitting numerous counties and precincts, and cutting the Black population into thirds with suspect precision,” the lawsuit says. “The districts then run hundreds of miles east towards the Nashville suburbs, snaking through predominantly White and rural counties to dilute the voting power of now-divided Black Memphians.”

Gov. Bill Lee signed the new congressional map into law last week. The new map splits Shelby County, home of Memphis, into three districts.

Republicans have said the map modernizes the districting process and removes “racial data from the mapmaking process entirely.” Democrats, on the other hand, say that the move is meant to dismantle the Black-majority district.

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R) told WSMV that Republicans “have been very clear” on their intention to secure a ninth Republican seat in the state. He has said the map would help “ensure the state’s representation in Washington reflects its conservative values.”

The lawsuit draws significant attention to the racial makeup of Tennessee lawmakers, describing, “White control over Tennessee politics.” Plaintiffs allege that a white majority “faction” of state leaders “gave bizarre, robotic answers to the most basic questions about the map they were sponsoring.”

“None of the sponsors of the plan would admit who actually drew it, and the lead Senate sponsor—a White legislator with over a decade of service in the Tennessee General Assembly who had attended law school in Memphis — would not say whether Memphis was predominantly Black and claimed not to know that Congressional District 9 was a majority- Black district,” the filing says.

They seem to be referencing Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon), who was asked during the special session if he was aware that the majority of the residents in the ninth district are Black.

“I’m not aware,” he responded. “I know how the map is divided, but I don’t know the racial makeup of the map.”

Stevens got his juris doctorate from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

The three Memphis residents who took part in the lawsuit are Amber Sherman, a lifelong resident of Memphis and the lead Tennessee regional organizer for Black Voters Matter Fund, Rachael Spriggs, a Memphis resident for more than 20 years who is the director of Power Building for the Equity Alliance, and Kermit Moore, a nearly lifelong resident of Memphis who is the president of the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute.

The lawsuit claims intentional discrimination in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments, as well as retaliation for protected expression and association in violation of the First Amendment.

Plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the newly drawn map is unconstitutional and restore district lines before primary elections proceed.

Source link

Tennessee

New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet

Published

17 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet

Tennessee State Senators Michele Reneau of Signal Mountain and Bo Watson of Hixson spoke today about the new law supporting police K-9’s.

The act allows injured dogs to get stabilization services on-site and then be transported via ambulance or helicopter to a vet hospital.

“In the past, officers were basically putting the k9 in their car and transporting them in their in their own vehicle, they didn’t have an ambulance or an air ambulance,” said Senator Watson. “This allows for an air ambulance. It also allows for a educational program for those in EMS, who will be taught how to manage canines emergency medical condition, which is different than a human’s.”

In April, Erlanger flew a K9 officer from Clay County, to North Carolina.

It was the first time the program was used for a live transport after several training runs.

Source link

Tennessee

What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Tennessee softball’s path back to the Women’s College World Series is set. On Sunday night, the Lady Vols were named the No. 7 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will host the regional stage in Knoxville as it looks to return to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons.

The Lady Vols are matched up with Virginia, Indiana and Northern Kentucky in the regionals. It would play Georgia, Clemson, UNC Greensboro or Charleston in the super regionals.

Ahead of the tournament, here’s a look at each team in the Knoxville Regional and potential matchups for the ensuing best-of-three super regional if Tennessee advances.