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Charlie Grant
Tennessee (3) vs. Wright State (14) Odds, March Madness Prediction
Rick Barnes built a reputation for early March Madness exits during his 17-year stint at Texas and he’s hoping his first NCAA Tournament appearance as Tennessee’s head coach won’t end in the first weekend like it did so often with the Longhorns. Wright State is part of the tourney field for the first time since 2007 and just the second time in school history.
NCAA Tournament Odds and Betting Analysis
Tennessee finished as one of the hottest teams in the SEC and nearly pulled off a hat trick against rival Kentucky before being stopped in the conference tournament championship game. The Volunteers lost their first two SEC games and then won 13 of their final 15 conference games. They’re 25-8 straight up and 18-13 against the spread this season.
Tennessee topped three NCAA Tournament teams – including second-seeded Purdue – during its non-conference schedule and went 9-2 SU and 5-4 ATS against teams from outside the SEC. The under went 11-4 in the Vols’ last 15 regular season games and 18-13 in their 31 games.
Wright State won the Horizon conference’s automatic bid by winning the league tournament. The Raiders are 25-9 SU and 18-13-1 ATS this season and this March Madness matchup riding a four-game win streak. Tennessee opened as a big favourite on the March Madness betting board.
Wright St. Raiders
Wright State butters its bread on D as well – just not as well as Tennessee. The Raiders held opponents to 41.3 percent shooting (33rd best in the nation) 66.2 points per game. Wright State will need its defense to keep the game close because it doesn’t possess good enough 3-point shooting climb back from a double-digit deficit. Senior guard Grant Benzinger is the lone Raider player who’s a threat from deep.
Tennessee Volunteers
The Volunteers’ strength is at the defensive end of the floor. Only Virginia, Cincinnati and Texas Tech finished with a better adjusted defensive efficiency rating according to KenPom.com. Sophomore forward Grant Williams is the offensive focal point for Tennessee and most of his 15.3 points per game come from banging and bruising in the paint. The Vols can still hit from 3-point land (38.1 percent) thanks in large part to Admiral Schofield who made four of his nine 3-point attempts against Kentucky in the SEC title game.
