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NCAAB Tourney Picks for Tennessee vs Texas Round of 32 Matchup
Texas and Tennessee took different paths to the second-round March Madness showdown. Texas limited Colorado State to 44 points while Tennessee scored 46 points in the first half to take down upset-minded Saint Peter’s. The Vegas March Madness odds list Tennessee as the favorite for its ninth straight March Madness game.
This is the third consecutive season that Texas and Tennessee will cross paths, with the teams both winning at home in 2022 and 2023. The soon-to-be conference rivals have seen five of the last six games in the series finish over the total.
Tennessee is listed as a 6½-point favorite according to the NCAAB expert picks in the matchup between coaches who know each other well. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes hired Rodney Terry of Texas as an assistant coach in 2002 when he was coaching at Texas.
Texas and Tennessee. Rodney Terry and Rick Barnes.
Can the pupil outclass the mentor in the NCAA Tournament?
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Tennessee is tied for fifth at +1400 in the odds to win March Madness. Texas is tied for 21st at +8000 in the championship odds.
Keep on reading for more on the matchup between Texas and Tennessee.
Game Information
- Game: Texas 21-12 vs Tennessee 25-8
- Date/Time: Saturday, Mar. 23, 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
- Texas vs Tennessee Live Stream: TBS.com
Texas has won 13 of its last 19 neutral-site games but the Longhorns have covered in just eight of those games. Tennessee is 15-9 when playing on a neutral court during that stretch with an ATS mark of 11-13.
Tennessee is looking to reach the regionals in back-to-back seasons for the first time in 16 years. Texas reached the regionals last season for the first time since 2008.
Tennessee is priced at -260 to win the game outright with Texas at +220 on the Moneyline.
Tennessee vs Texas Odds and Spreads
Betting Trends
- Tennessee has covered in four of its last six games against Texas.
- Five of the last six games between the Longhorns and the Volunteers finished over the total.
- Texas has lost seven of its 11 games this season as the underdog.
- Tennessee is 23-5 outright at the betting favorite.
- Tennessee has covered ATS in five of the last seven games.
- Four of the five neutral-site games for Texas went over the total.
- Texas is 4-2 against the Las Vegas College Basketball odds in its last six games.
- The Longhorns have covered in just one of the last seven matchups with SEC teams.
ATS Pick: Tennessee -6½
This will be a tough call but one number that jumps out is that Texas is 3-8 against the college basketball spread when facing ranked teams compared to a 5-4-1 mark by Tennessee.
While the degree of difficulty will increase, it was a good sign that Tennessee got 28 bench points and 26 combined points from Jonas Aidoo and Zaka Zeigler rather than it becoming the Dalton Knecht show.
The eight Tennessee players who play more than 10 minutes per game have combined to miss just one game this season. Meanwhile, two of the losses for Texas this season came without second-leading scorer Dylan Disu, who is back for the Longhorns.
Over/Under Pick: Under 146½
Something will have to give as the total has gone over in four of the last five games for Texas while going under in four of the previous five games for Tennessee.
Three of the first four baskets for Tennessee in its NCAA Tournament opener were either dunks or 3-pointers. Expect Texas to make it harder for that to happen in this matchup.
With the way the teams played in the first round, it might surprise some who bet online to realize that the Pomeroy college basketball ratings have Tennessee rated higher in defensive efficiency.
Player Prop Pick: Dalton Knecht Over 22.5 Points (-110)
Knecht needed 20 seconds to hit his first 3-pointer so there were no jitters for Tennessee’s All-American as he played in his first NCAA Tournament game. With Tennessee in control, Knecht didn’t have to force the issue against Saint Peter’s. He’ll need to be involved early and often against Texas.
Knecht averaged 23.5 points in his last four games when facing a ranked team.
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Score Prediction
Questions Of The Day
Which team has a better record against the spread going into the matchup between Texas and Tennessee?
Tennessee is 17-15-1 against the spread this season. Only Oklahoma State had a worse ATS record among Big 12 teams than Texas’ mark of 13-20.
What is a player prop worth considering for the Texas Longhorns?
Max Abmas had 33 points and four 3-pointers in his most recent game against a ranked team so take a look at the -106 odds for Abmas to have at least 16 points in this game.
