Former Texas basketball head coach Rick Barnes and the No. 1 ranked Tennessee Volunteers have a big early-season SEC play meeting against the Longhorns and head coach Rodney Terry on Jan. 11.
Texas (11-4, 0-2 SEC) has dropped each of its first two matchups in SEC play, against the No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies on Jan. 4 and the No. 2 Auburn Tigers at the Moody Center on Jan. 7.
Tennessee (14-1, 1-1 SEC) suffered its first defeat of the season against the No. 8 Florida Gators by a commanding 30-point margin on Jan. 7 in Gainesville.
Here's a look at the TV/streaming information, game time, betting odds, and game prediction for the SEC home opener for Texas vs. No. 1 Tennessee at the Moody Center in Austin, TX, on Jan. 11.
How to watch Texas basketball vs. Tennessee
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio/Audio Stream: Longhorn Radio Network
Game time: 5 p.m. CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw will call the action between Texas and Tennessee at the Moody Center on ESPN.
Craig Way and Eddie Oran will be on the radio broadcast on Longhorn Radio Network.
Texas basketball vs. Tennessee betting odds
Texas opens as a 4.5-point underdog against Tennessee at home on Jan. 11 (per FanDuel). The over/under is 136.5 points.
The Volts are favored in the moneyline (-184) against the Longhorns (+152).
Texas is 8-7-0 against the spread this season (per TeamRankings). Tennessee is 10-5-0 against the spread.
Texas vs. Tennessee prediction
Texas played well in the second half against one of the best and deepest teams in the country in college basketball against Auburn on Tuesday night. After the Longhorns were down by double digits at halftime, Texas roared by to get the game within one possession late in the second half against the Tigers.
Senior forward Arthur Kaluma scored a career-high with over 30 points in the loss to Auburn. But the Longhorns need more from freshman guard Tre Johnson, who has gotten off to a cold start shooting from the field and from beyond the arc in SEC play.
Tennessee senior guards Zakai Ziegler and Chaz Lanier lead the way for one of the best backcourts and defensive pairings in college basketball. The Vols rank second in the nation in defensive rating and second in team defense (57.1 points per game allowed).
I'll pick Terry and the Longhorns to get their first SEC win of the season, building off the momentum his team found late in the game in the second half against Auburn a few days ago.