The Tennessee Volunteers may not have the same pedigree as some of the other top seeds in the NCAA men’s tournament, but are hoping to make a deep run alongside some of those bluebloods. Tennessee will begin its journey as the No. 3 seed when it matches up against No. 14 the Wright State Raiders in the first round of March Madness.
Tennessee is going to be a sizable favorite to take care of business as it is the superior team. Wright State finished in second place in the Horizon League in the regular season and then won the conference tournament to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
Wright State has won four in a row heading into March Madness but will need to play extremely well in order to keep that streak rolling.
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Odds Analysis
The Volunteers are listed as sizable 13-point favorites to win this game. Wright State is the more common pick to cover, as 70 percent of the action is headed its way. The scoring total for this game is listed at 132 points, with the “under” the more popular choice.
Tennessee is 25-8 straight up and 18-13 against the spread. The Volunteers have covered in half of their six neutral court games on the year. Tennessee is 13-10 against the spread as the favorite.
Wright State is 25-9 straight up and 18-13-1 against the spread. The Raiders have covered in all three of their neutral court matchups this season. They are 5-2 against the spread as the underdog.
Key Stat
65.7. That’s how many points per game Wright State allowed this season. The Raiders will look for a strong defensive performance in this one in order to keep things close.
The tempo could be slow, as Tennesee also has a solid defense and is willing to play a low-scoring affair. A premium will be put on execution in the half-court offense. When these teams do find those rare opportunities to run, they have to capitalize on them.
Rebounding is also big in this one, as any extra possessions could really allow Wright State to stay close in this one despite being the inferior team.
Player To Watch
Grant Williams — Tennessee’s sophomore forward is still young, but has shown a lot of growth this season. Williams is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.3 points and six rebounds a game for the Vols.
The underclassman has had is share of off-nights this season, even being called out by Tennessee’s head coach Rick Barnes in late February after going 1-for-8 in a loss against Georgia. He has also shown a ton of promise this year, proving, at times, he can be the clutch players Barnes believes him to be.
Which version of Williams shows up in this tournament will likely dictate how far Tennessee can go. He was solid in his last two game of the Southeast Conference tournament, combining for 27 points and 14 rebounds in those games, and will hope to continue playing that way this week.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Tennessee doesn’t have the same pedigree as some of its conference brethren like Kentucky or Florida but has put together a really solid season. The Volunteers are heavy favorites to win this game and advance to the second round.
Wright State has put together a nice season, and this spread is large enough that it should cover, but Tennessee is the choice to advance in NCAA basketball wagering odds. The “over” is the right call as these teams should start the first half both shooting the ball well.
NCAA Odds: Tennessee 74, Wright State 65
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