The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Kansas Jayhawks in Las Vegas, NV, in the Players Era Festival third-place game. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on TNT.
Tennessee is favored by -5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -245. The total is set at 139.5 points.
Here’s my Tennessee vs Kansas predictions and college basketball picks for November 26, 2025.
Tennessee vs Kansas Odds, Spread, Pick
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | +200 |
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | -245 |
Pick: Under 140
My Tennessee vs Kansas best bet is on the under. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Tennessee vs Kansas NCAAB Betting Preview
Tennessee Basketball
The Vols are a very big squad with immense positional size. With Nate Ament's versatility allowing him to play the three, Tennessee starts three players 6-foot-10 or taller. It shouldn't be a shocker that the Vols lead the country with a 48.6% offensive rebounding rate with all that length.
Tennessee struggled to contain Kingston Flemings in its game against Houston on Tuesday. There's no shame in that, as the freshman can create shots like few can. The good thing is that nobody on Kansas can replicate Flemings' brilliance.
The pressure and physicality from Tennessee typically forces teams to shoot 3s. It should scare the Jayhawks, who don't shoot well from downtown, that over 45% of opponents' field goals against Tennessee are 3s. If Kansas can't get the ball to the hoop, it won't score much.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Ament make up the brunt of the Vols' scoring. Gillespie scored 22 in the win over Houston and averages 19.2 points per game, compared to Ament's 19.
Kansas Basketball
It might not be pretty, but Kansas is 2-0 in Vegas with wins over Syracuse and Notre Dame.
Ugly is what it has to be for Bill Self's squad until stud guard Darryn Peterson returns, and he'll be out again on Wednesday.
The good thing is we know Kansas can defend. It held Notre Dame and Syracuse to 0.92 PPP, helping the Jayhawks jump to ninth in defensive efficiency. They're doing an excellent job forcing tough shots, as opponents are shooting just 46.8% from 2 against them and 27% from 3.
With Peterson out, it's a by-committee offensive approach. And it shows in the numbers, with Kansas sitting 58th in KenPom's offensive efficiency.
Shooting continues to be an area of concern (32% from downtown), as most of the lineup is built around non-shooters.
Melvin Council Jr. hit two 3s versus Syracuse, but he's been a horrific shooter throughout his career. Tre White is hitting better than ever at 42%, which you figure will regress.
Flory Bidunga is a terrific player, but he's a non-shooter. Bryson Tiller has been a bright spot, drilling 37% from 3, but Kohl Rosario is hovering around 26%. Rosario was known for his shooting in high school, so he'll likely improve.
But no matter how you slice it, this squad has at least three poor shooters in the lineup.
That'll make things easier to defend for a Tennessee squad that has the toughness and defensive makeup to contain any opponent.
Tennessee vs Kansas Betting Analysis
The pace in this game figures to be snail-like.
The Vols want to make it an ugly, physical game, so Kansas has no choice but to play slow.
Tennessee sits 224th in adjusted tempo and Kansas is at 261st.
Plus, the first couple of Jayhawk games in Vegas should give an idea of what to expect in the finale. Go under.
My Pick: Under 140
