The first day of the NCAA tournament already saw a number of big time players go by the wayside. Brackets were busted by the UConn Huskies, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Kentucky Wildcats whose hopes of cutting down the nets were dashed by New Mexico State, Richmond and St. Peter’s respectively. Heck, even the Gonzaga Bulldogs were put on upset alert through a half of play! Same goes for the Michigan Wolverines who were forced to battle back from a seven-point halftime deficit to get the best of Colorado State and punch a ticket into the second round. The Tennessee Volunteers however carried the brilliance over from their first SEC tourney triumph in 43-years by pasting Longwood 88-56 to cover the closing 17.5-point spread at online sportsbooks. Miffed at only being installed a No. 3 seed, the Vols let it be known just how disappointed they were with the selection committee’s decision and they’re not done yet! This is a team that’s been locked in for the better part of the last two months, and it’s one I’ll be backing to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time under Rick Barnes’ watch after bowing out early a season ago.
Take this Second Round matchup in live from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN on Saturday, March 19, 2022. BookMaker.eu will have NCAA basketball odds available for this and every game lined up for today’s NCAA Tournament schedule.
NCAA Tournament Odds at BookMaker.eu
Michigan Wolverines +6
Tennessee Volunteers -6
Total 136
Odds Analysis
Tennessee hit the board as 5.5-point favorites with the total lined at 137. As impressive a beat down the Volunteers just administered over overmatched Longwood, the betting public looks to be jumping on board their train after fading them against the Lancers. The number to beat is up to -6 with a majority of the bets and money going their way per early wagering reports. The Volunteers have only been defeated twice in their last 17 games and they stand a bankroll boosting 11-6 ATS in those contests. It’s rattled off four straight wins and covers on a neutral court to move to 5-2 SU and ATS in those matchups. Thursday’s win over CSU has now seen Michigan alternate wins and covers in each of their last 11 games; crazy! It’s held the opposition to an average of 65.4 points in its last seven wins (6-1 ATS), and 79.8 points in its last seven losses (1-6 ATS). Even so, the total is down a point to 136.
Michigan Wolverines
It’s not so much that Michigan was terrible in the first half against the Rams as it was Colorado State seemingly hitting every shot taken. At the break, Michigan was yet to convert a 3-point shot and turned it over a ton, while CSU had already drained seven and limited miscues. If ever there was a spot to hammer the Wolverines in the second half that was it! Juwan Howard’s kids then proceeded to hit shot after shot to outscore the Rams by 19 and cruise to the 75-63 win and cover as 1.5-point favorites. They’d end up shooting 54 percent and owned the battle of the boards (35-24). Tennessee will be a much stiffer test with it one of the best in the business at hitting the offensive glass (No. 47) and forcing turnovers (No. 15). Michigan was simply bigger than Colorado State. That won’t be the case against the Vols. With basically a six man rotation, it’ll be interesting to see how they survive without DeVante’ Jones running the show.
Tennessee Volunteers
With nearly nine minutes expired in the first half, the heavily favored Volunteers only owned a 17-15 lead. That’s when Barnes called a timeout to light a fire under his kid’s behinds. He made some switches on defense and demanded they got after it. That’s exactly what occurred after rattling off a 10-2 run and following it up by scoring the final 13 points to take a 25 point lead into the break. The assault continued at the outset of the second half enough to the point that Tennessee was able to rest a number of its regulars for a large stretch. When the dust cleared, the Vols cruised to the 30+ point win by way of draining 14 of 24 attempted 3-balls and shooting 60 percent as a team. The defense held an opponent to 60 or less points for the third time in the last four games and also forced 15 turnovers. If the unit can hinder Hunter Dickinson down low and get him into early foul trouble, Michigan will have a whale of a time sticking close running up against arguably the nation’s most unforgiving defense (No. 2).
Betting Prediction
The Big Ten as a whole was considerably down this season. Even the best teams at the top of the standings have their shortcomings. Michigan finished in the middle of the pack evidenced by being installed a No. 11 seed. Tennessee on the other hand is likely underseeded as a No. 3 just going by the team’s overall body of work the last couple months. While I get that Tennessee is notorious for going on prolonged scoring droughts, I have no fear with Michigan’s inefficient offense should that occur in stretches throughout this game. Bottom line, the Vols will fluster Hutchinson down low and force the Wolverines enigmatic shooters to carry the offense. It’s not going to happen! Cut the Wolverines offense off at the head, and the rest of it is useless. Look for the Vols relentless defense to come in waves, and for Santiago Vescovi and his mates to benefit from it tremendously. This spot has back the Brinks truck written all over it – lay the points!
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