Tennessee vs. Syracuse, Pick and Prediction, Tuesday, December 2, 2025

The Syracuse Orange (4-3) will host the Tennessee Volunteers (7-1) at the  JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York on Tuesday night. Syracuse is 3-0

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First road test

The Tennessee Volunteers are led by legendary coach Rick Barnes, who has been with the program since 2015. Last season, Barnes guided Tennessee to the Elite Eight, where they lost to Houston, finishing 30-8 overall. This season, the Volunteers are off to a 7-1 start. Barnes’ career record now stands at 843-424, with a 239-110 record at Tennessee.

Like Syracuse, Tennessee played three games in three days at the Players’ Era Festival in Las Vegas last week. They opened with a 25-point win over Rutgers, then pulled off a 76-73 upset over Houston, before falling 81-76 to Kansas on the final day.

Tennessee is ranked 12th in the nation on KenPom, 13th in defensive efficiency, and 18th in adjusted offensive efficiency. The team is led by Jacoby Gillespie (18.5 PPG), a transfer from Maryland, and 6’10 freshman Nate Ament (17.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG).

Big test for Syracuse

Syracuse is in its third season under head coach Adrian Autry, looking to end a four-year NCAA Tournament drought. The Orange started strong with four straight wins but hit a rough patch in Las Vegas last week, dropping three consecutive games. Those losses came against Houston (78-74, OT), Kansas (71-60), and Iowa State (95-64).

Donnie Freeman, a 6’9 sophomore and returning starter, led the team with 17.8 points per game over the first four contests but missed all three games in Las Vegas. Freeman is expected to miss the matchup against Tennessee as well.

Without Freeman, true freshman Kiyan Anthony—yes, Carmelo’s son—is the team’s second-leading scorer at 11.9 PPG, followed by Tyler Betsy with 10 PPG. William Kyle III leads Syracuse with 8.0 rebounds per game and adds 9.9 points.

Syracuse ranks 71st overall on KenPom, with the 57th-rated defense and 89th-rated offensive efficiency.

Tennessee vs Syracuse Spread Pick and Predictions

Tennessee Vols vs Syracuse Orange ATS Pick:

• Tennessee -6.5 (5 units)

Syracuse has home-court advantage, but Tennessee’s experience and talent make it a tough road opponent. With Donnie Freeman out, Syracuse will struggle to contain Nate Ament inside and Jacoby Gillespie should shine against the Orange's young and less experienced backcourt. Tennessee is the stronger team on both ends, and they do the little things better as well. The Vols shoot 77% from the free-throw line (45th), while Syracuse is one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the country at 57.1% (363rd).

Take Tennessee to cover.

Tennessee vs Syracuse Total Pick:

• Under 146.5 (3 units)

Syracuse struggled to score in Las Vegas, failing to surpass 67 points in regulation in any of their three games. Facing a top-15 defensive team in Tennessee, points will be hard to come by for the Orange. Both teams are allowing just 65 PPG to opponents, and given the stakes, I expect to see intense defensive pressure on both ends of the floor. When also considering how poorly Syracuse shoots from the free-throw line, I like the under.