How To Watch: No. 13 Tennessee Basketball at Syracuse

It’s game day for Tennessee Basketball and it’s a back on the road for the Vols, this time going to Syracuse for an ACC/SEC Challenge game on Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN2.

The Vols (7-1) moved up to No. 13 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Coaches Poll on Monday, after wins over Rutgers and Houston in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Syracuse (4-3) went 0-3 in Las Vegas, with losses to Houston, Kansas and Iowa State.

Tennessee is a 5.5-point road favorite at Syracuse, with the total set at 149.5.

How To Watch: No. 13 Tennessee vs. Syracuse

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. Eastern Time | Where: JMA Wireless Dome

TV: ESPN2 | Streaming: ESPN App

Radio: WNML 99.1 FM in Knoxville. The Vol Network radio broadcast can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee.

Satellite Radio: SiriusXM and SiriusXM App

BetMGM Odds: Tennessee -7.5 | Total: 146.5

KenPom.com Prediction: Tennessee 78, Syracuse 71

Syracuse leading scorer out vs. Tennessee

Syracuse leading scorer Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward, won’t be available against Tennessee due to injury. He hasn’t played since the Orange beat Monmouth on November 18. 

Freshman Kiyan Anthony, the son of Carmelo Anthony, averages 11.8 points per game and Tyler Betsey averaged 10.0.

Syracuse opened the season with wins over Binghamton, Delaware State, Drexel and Monmouth before the losses in Las Vegas to Houston (78-74 in overtime), Kansas (71-60) and Iowa State (95-64). 

Head coach Adrian Autry is in his third season as the Syracuse head coach, after replacing Jim Boeheim. The Orange went 14-19 last season, after going 20-12 in 2023-24.

Tennessee Basketball’s history vs. Syracuse

Tennessee is 5-3 all time against Syracuse and has won four straight in the series, including two wins over the last two seasons. 

The Vols won 96-70 in an ACC/SEC Challenge game at Food City Center last December and won 73-56 in the Maui Invitational in November 2023. 

Tennessee won the first meeting with Syracuse 87-83 in Knoxville in December 1972. The Vols lost in overtime, 93-88, in the Mideast Region quarterfinals of the 32-team NCAA Tournament in Baton Rouge in March 1977.

The two teams played home-and-home in both the 1990s and the 2000s. Syracuse swept the first one, winning in Knoxville in 1992 and at home in 1993. Tennessee swept the second one, winning at Syracuse in 2000 and at Thompson-Boling Arena in 2001.