Round two of the NCAA Tournament continues as Texas faces Tennessee. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Texas-Tennessee prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Texas entered as the seventh seed in the Midwest Region. That would give them a game with Colorado State, who won their First Four match-up. It was a low-scoring affair. Colorado State had an 8-2 lead almost five minutes into the game, but that is where the Texas defense took off. They would end the half on a 25-3 run to lead 27-11 going into the half. From there, Colorado State would make the game tight again. They had in within seven points in the later part of the second half, but could not complete the comeback. Texas would win 56-44.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is the two seed in the Midwest Region. They would face Saint Peter's in the first round and it was a game of domination. Tennessee used an 18-2 run in the first half to build their lead. They would be up by 26 at the half, and would not slow down. While they did have a four-minute scoreless streak in the second half, the game was already well out of reach. Tennessee would win the game 83-49.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Texas-Tennessee Odds
Texas: +6.5 (-104)
Moneyline: +230
Tennessee: -6.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -285
Over: 146.5 (-110)
Under: 146.5 (-110)
How to Watch March Madness
Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Texas Will Cover The Spread/Win
Texas comes in ranked 25th in KenPom adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 27th on offense while sitting 39th on defense. They are 87th in points per game this year while sitting 44th in the nation in assists per game this year. Further, they are 55th in the nation in effective field goal percentage. Max Abmas has led the way in terms of points per game this year. He is averaging 17.9 points per game of the season while shooting 42.8 percent from the field. He is also passing the ball well, with 4.2 assists per game. Joining him in shooting and passing well is Tyrese Hunter. Hunter has 11.0 points per game this year, while also having 4.2 assists per game on the season. Rounding out the top scorers is Dylan Disu, who is averaging 15.7 points per game this year while shooting 48.0 percent from the field this year.
Texas is not a great rebounding team. They are 183rd in rebounds per game this year, sitting outside the top 100 in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates this year. The major presence on the boards this year is Dillon Mitchell, who comes in with 7.6 rebounds per game on the season. Meanwhile, Dylan Disu comes in with 5.0 rebounds per game, while Brock Cunningham comes in with 3.8 per game this year.
Texas is 78th in the nation in opponent points per game this year. They are 77th in effective field goal percentage against his year. One of the biggest parts of their defense is the blocks. Texas is 39th in the nation in blocks per game this year. Dylan Disu comes in with 1.1 blocks per game, and Kadin Shedrick comes in with 1.1 blocks per game. Disu also has 1.2 steals per game as Dillon Mitchell and Max Abmas also add a steal per game.
Why Tennessee Will Cover The Spread/Win
Tennessee comes in ranked seventh in the nation in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They are ranked 28th in adjusted offensive efficiency and third in adjusted defensive efficiency. Tennessee ranks 33rd in the nation in points per game this year but sits 13th in assists-to-made field goal ratio and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio. Dalton Knecht comes in leading the offense this year. He comes in with 21.2 points per game this year while shooting 46.7 percent from the field this year. Meanwhile, Jonas Aidoo comes in with 12.0 points per game and is shooting great this year. He is shooting 53.5 percent from the field this year. Tennessee also has Zakai Zeigler, who comes in with 11.8 points per game but leads the team with 6.0 assists per game this year.
Tennessee has been solid on the glass, sitting 25th in the nation in rebounding. They are top 50 in the nation in offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding but are 168th in defensive rebounding rates this year. Jonas Aidoo leads the way here. He comes in with 7.7 rebounds per game this year. Further, Josiah-Jordan James comes in with 6.4 rebounds per game, while also adding 8.2 points per game of his own.
Tennessee is 40th in the nation in opponent points per game this year, while sitting fourth in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage. Zackai Zeigler comes in with 1.8 steals per game this year, while James comes in with 1.4 steals per game. Tennesssee has 7.9 steals per game, while just turning over the ball 10.3 times per game before.
Final Texas-Tennessee Prediction & Pick
While Texas is a solid team, Tennessee is better in just about every aspect of the game. They are one of the best defensive units in the nation, while also being great on the board. Further, They are a solid offense. The two offensive units are close together in efficiency, but Tennessee can move the ball better and shoot better overall. Tennessee takes the victory in this one.
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Final Texas-Tennessee Prediction & Pick: Tennessee -6.5 (-118)
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