Categories
NCAAB

Sweet 16 Odds Tennessee Volunteers vs. Michigan Wolverines Betting Prediction

Vols vs Wolverines NCAA Gambling Lines

The 11th-seeded Tennessee Volunteers will take on the 2nd-seeded Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday night in a Sweet 16 showdown. [ad-4468020]

2014 NCAA Tournament Free Pick
Midwest Region – Sweet 16
11 Tennessee Volunteers (24-12) vs. 2 Michigan Wolverines (27-8)
Date: Friday, March 28, 2014
Time: 7:15 PM ET
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
City: Indianapolis, Indiana
O/U Odds: 134
Spread: Michigan -2.5
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

Matchup Stats | ATS Insider Preview

Michigan has cruised through its first two tournament games, winning them by an average of 15.5 points, while Tennessee has already picked up three tournament victories, starting with a win over Iowa in the First Four.

The Volunteers have a trio of wins under their belt entering the Sweet 16, and they have uncharacteristically scored in bunches. One player who has been largely responsible for that uptick in scoring has been junior forward Jarnell Stokes.

*CLICK HERE* GRAB OUR BEST Expert CBB Picks for 2014 GAMBLING season!

Stokes has had a coming out party of sorts in the tournament thus far. Through three tournament games, he is averaging 20.3 points and 15.0 rebounds, while knocking down 56.3 percent of his shots from the field, and 86.2 percent of his free throws.

That’s hardly outside of the norm for Stokes this season. He closed the regular season with 12 double-doubles in the final 18 games. His presence under the basket could cause Michigan some trouble in the paint, a problem the Wolverines have had to deal with in Mitch McGary’s absence.
[ad-6571516]
As for Michigan, their standout performer has certainly been guard Nik Stauskas. The sophomore led the team in scoring in each of their first two games, and has hit on 7-of-15 shots from beyond the arc. In addition to carrying the scoring load, he’s also chipped in a team-high nine assists in two games.

Forward Jordan Morgan has also come up big for the Wolverines in the absence of McGary. It was at this time last year that McGary became a breakout star, and this year, it is Morgan who is filling that role.

Morgan recorded a double-double in each of the two tournament games. He’s averaging 12.5 points and 10 rebounds, and providing a valuable presence under the basket on a team short on bigs.

As good as the Michigan offense has been, the Wolverines’ defense has been equally strong. After holding Wofford to 34.0 percent shooting in their opener, the team limited a good Texas team to 37.1 percent shooting in the Round of 32.

Tennessee has proven that they were woefully underseeded by the selection committee on Selection Sunday. Their win over Iowa was a good one, but the team will now take a major step up in class in the form of a tough Michigan team that is determined to get back to the title game.

John Beilein’s squad has one of the best offenses remaining in the tournament, and while Tennessee likes to slow the pace of their games to stifle their opponents, that won’t take the Wolverines off their game.

The Wolverines are 7-1 ATS in their last eight NCAA Tournament games.

The play: Michigan -2.5

By Gino Bottero

Gino is new to CappersPicks.com but NOT new to the online gambling industry.He's got an AMAZING knack for discovering hidden gems when it comes to betting on sports. Stick with him as he predicts when a team will have a letdown! Check Gino out for NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB betting articles all season long!