Michigan Wolverines vs. Tennessee Volunteers Picks, Predictions, Odds

Dave Schwab Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Friday afternoon’s NCAA Tournament betting action on CBS in the South Region features a second round showdown between the Big Ten’s Michigan Wolverines and the SEC’s Tennessee Volunteers. Game time from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is set for 5:15 p.m. (ET).

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Score Prediction

Tennessee 82, Michigan 70

Best Bet

Tennessee -6 (-110)

NCAA Tournament Expert Picks | NIT Tournament Picks

MARCH MADNESS BETTING RESOURCES

• 68 Team Betting Trends
• How to Bet on March Madness
• NCAA Tournament Sleeper Teams
• NCAA Tournament Contenders to Fade
• NCAA Tournament Contenders to Back
• NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Picks
• NCAA Tournament Efficiency Ratings
• Where to Bet on the NCAA Tournament?

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES vs. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS PREDICTIONS

Going back to a victory against Purdue on Feb. 10, Michigan has followed up a straight-up win with a loss heading into this game. It is 6-5 SU in its last 11 games. The good news for Wolverines’ fans is Thursday’s 12-point victory over Colorado State as two-point favorites. The bad news has them facing a white-hot Tennessee ball club later Saturday afternoon tying to break this current trend.

Tennessee made short work of Longwood in its NCAA Tournament opener with a 32-point romp closing as an 18-point favorite. The Volunteers continue to win on a regular basis at 8-0 SU in their last eight outings. This includes the team’s recent run to the SEC Tournament title. Going back over the last 14 games, the only SU loss was against Arkansas on Feb. 19.

I went against Michigan on Thursday because of the continued inconsistency in this team’s play. That losing wager can also be attributed to overestimating Colorado State and the Mountain West in general. Tennessee is a whole other story with a team that could be gearing up for a national title run. Lay the points and bet the Volunteers to win and cover.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES vs. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES vs. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BETTING RESOURCES

• Date: Saturday, March 19, 2022
• Matchup: No. 11 vs. No. 3
• Region: South
• Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
• Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
• TV-Time: CBS - 5:15 p.m. ET

• Viewable Brackets & Odds
• Team Trends & NCAA Records
• March Madness History
• East Region Breakdown
• Midwest Region Breakdown
• South Region Breakdown
• West Region Breakdown

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 18-14
• ATS: 14-18
• O/U: 19-13

Michigan was able to play to form in Thursday’s second half to advance to the second round and cover the two points with the 75-63 victory. It has matched its SU record over the last 11 games at 6-5 against the spread. The total went OVER 137 points against Colorado State and it has now gone OVER in seven of the last nine games.

The Wolverines are 18-14 SU overall with a 14-18 record ATS. They have gone 5-3 ATS in eight games closing as underdogs this season and they are an even 2-2 ATS in four neutral-site matchups. The total went OVER in 19 of those 32 games.

Guard DeVante Jones missed Thursday’s game with lingering issues from a concussion and he remains out of the lineup. Jones was averaging 10.7 points and a team-high 4.6 assists a game. In his absence, freshman Frankie Collins stepped up and scored 14 points with six rebounds to help pace the win. Center Hunter Dickinson led Michigan with 21 points.

Michigan is averaging 73.1 points per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 34% from three-point range. It is pulling down an average of 35.5 rebounds a game and holding opposing teams to 69.7 points on defense. The Wolverines trailed by seven points at the half on Thursday and outscored the Rams 46-27 in the second half.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 27-7
• ATS: 21-13
• O/U: 15-19

The Volunteers have complemented their SU eight-game winning streak with a profitable 6-2 record ATS. They have been able to cover the closing number in nine of their last 13 games. The total went OVER 133.5 points in Thursday’s lopsided 88-56 victory after staying UNDER in six of their previous nine outings.

Tennessee is 27-7 SU this season and 21-13 ATS. It has gone 18-9 ATS wen closing as a favorite. In six previous neutral-site games this season, the Volunteers have covered in five of those contests. The total has stayed UNDER in 19 or 34 games overall.

Thursday’s win was a total team effort in a game that amounted to a brisk workout. Tennessee opened up a 54-29 lead at the half against Longwood and cruised from there. The team’s run to the recent SEC Tournament title was fueled by a defensive effort that did not allow more than
62 points in any of the trio of wins.

On Thursday, the Volunteers got it done by shooting lights out. They went 60% from the field and knocked down 14 of their 24 shots from three-point range. Five different players scored in double figures.

INSIDE THE STATS - MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

• Record: 18-14
• PS/G: 73.1 (123rd)
• PA/G: 69.7 (195th)

INSIDE THE STATS - TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

• Record: 27-7
• PS/G: 73.6 (111th)
• PA/G: 62.6 (22nd)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

• MICH: Hunter Dickinson - C (18.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg)
• MICH: Eli Brooks - G (12.4 ppg)
• TENN: Santiago Vescovi - G (13.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
• TENN: Kennedy Chandler - G (13.8 ppg, 4.6 apg)

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES vs. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BETTING CONCLUSION

Michigan is going to put up a much tougher fight in this matchup. However, Tennessee is not a team you should be betting against right now. The Volunteers are the complete package on either end of the court and they are playing with some serious momentum right now.

MARCH MADNESS PICK RESOURCES

• Sweet 16 Betting Picks
• Elite Eight Betting Picks
• Final Four Betting Picks

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES vs. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BETTING TRENDS

• Tennessee has won nine straight games when facing a non-AP-ranked school.
• Tennessee has gone into overtime in two of its last four NCAA Tournament games.
• Michigan has won 1H in seven straight games when playing on a neutral court on Saturday.
• Michigan has seen 138 total points scored in six straight games.

Dave Schwab

Dave Schwab has been covering the sports betting industry for the past 12 years as the main focus of his specialty marketing company for online content. This endeavor followed a previous career in the field of sales and marketing in the wholesaling sector.Most of his weekly pieces focus on the rapidly expanding legal US sports betting industry. However, he still does extensive work covering betting angles that can provide a competitive edge to avid players. Dave believes that it is always a challenge to take past results and current form to try and correctly determine a future result. Sports brings out the unpredictability in what should be a fairly predictable outcome based on the stats, facts and recent trends in a particular matchup. More from Dave Schwab