Creighton (3) vs. Tennessee (2) Sweet 16 Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
Pegged as the No. 3 seed in the Midwest, the Bluejays turned in a pair of decisive wins last weekend, both straight up and against the spread to improve to 9-2 SU and ATS over their past 11 contests. The No. 2 Volunteers were equally dominant in first and second round action, posting consecutive wins to snap a worrisome two-game slide, but have been a massive disappointment in Sweet 16 action, going 1-6 SU since 2000 including outright losses as betting favourites in their past three appearances.
The Volunteers continue to lead the way as 3.5-point favourites on the Sweet 16 odds, while the Bluejays are pegged as intriguing +130 March Madness moneyline underdogs in their third Sweet 16 appearance in four years. The total is listed at 144.5.
Creighton vs. Tennessee NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Friday night’s matchup marks the first ever meeting between these schools. While the Bluejays are enjoying a steady 9-2 run, their recent success has come while consistently pegged as betting chalk. However, this team has regularly disappointed loyal sports bettors while sporting positive odds, losing outright in eight straight dates as betting underdogs prior to their stunning 85-66 upset victory over top-ranked UConn back on February 20. Creighton has also not fared well as March Madness underdogs, going 3-10 SU in their past 13 including a crushing 83-65 loss to Gonzaga in 2021 Sweet 16 action. That track record has not helped boost the Bluejays on the national championship odds, where they sit well back of the favourites as a +2500 bet.
The Vols leveraged impressive defensive performances in last weekend’s win over Saint Peter’s and Texas, allowing just 53.5 points per game. However, scoring has also come at a premium for this team, which converted just 33.8 per cent from the floor against the Longhorns and scored an average of just 67 points over the past three games. In addition to seeing the UNDER improve to 8-2 over their past 10 games, the Volunteers have now covered just once in four games, and added value to the +450 odds of this contest being the lowest scoring game of the Sweet 16.
Creighton Bluejays (3)
The team’s leading scorer during the regular season, Baylor Scheierman, has remained a force in the postseason. The senior big man followed up on a 15-point, 13-rebound performance against Akron by playing all 50 minutes in the Bluejays’ 86-73 double-overtime win over Oregon, and is an intriguing +5000 dark horse on the March Madness Most Outstanding Player odds. Another senior big man has also stepped up. Ryan Kalkbrenner dropped 19 points to go along with 14 rebounds against the Ducks and has averaged 20.3 points and 11.3 boards in his past three games.
Tennessee Volunteers (2)
While the Volunteers have failed to light up the scoreboard with regularity of late, Dalton Knecht has continued to produce at a torrid pace. The senior guard was one of just two starters to record double-digit point totals against Texas with a team-high 13 points and was also tops on the squad with nine boards. Overall, he has averaged 24.7 points per game over his past seven games, but has failed to top 18 points on three occasions over that stretch.
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