The Tennessee Volunteers justified the role of a favorite in the first round of the NCAA Tournament South Region with a convincing 73-47 win over the Wright State Raiders on Thursday, March 15. Tennessee comfortably covered the -12.5 spread, while the game easily went under the total of 132.5 points.
The Volunteers will move on to face the winner of the matchup between Miami (FL) and Loyola-Chicago in the Round of 32, and whoever turns out to be their next opponent, we anticipate Tennessee to be considered as favorite.
The odds for that game will be released by BetDSI Sportsbook in a few hours, and the Volunteers could have bigger problems to get to the Sweet 16 than they had against Wright State, but they should edge the winner of Miami/Loyola-Chicago tilt.
Game Recap
Tennessee controlled the clash from the very start and had an 11-point lead at intermission, while they maintained the double-digit lead in the second half and deservedly secured a victory. They were excellent in defense and held the Raiders to 32.8% from the field and just four triples on 22 attempts (19%).
On the other end, the Volunteers shot 45% from the floor and hit five out of 18 attempts from the perimeter (27.8%). Tennessee scored nine more points from the free-throw line, while they outjumped Wright State by 13 rebounds (44-31).
Lamonte Turner led the Volunteers with 19 points and game-high nine dishes off the bench; Admiral Schofield posted a double-double of 15 points and 12 boards, along with a pair of blocks, while Grant Williams chipped in with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Tennessee’s odds to win the NCAA Tournament can be found at BetDSI and they are pegging the Volunteers at +4500, which means that Rick Barnes’ side has a chance to lift the trophy out of the shadows. The Volunteers’ next possible opponents Miami (+22000) and Loyola-Chicago (+60000) are considered as underdogs.
