Many 8-vs-9 clashes in the bracket are viewed as coin tosses, but talent edges and betting trends point to one team well over the other today in the West Region.
Michigan Wolverines opened as favored, but almost all the betting action - and the opinion of many pundits - has the Tennessee Volunteers covering the spread in college hoops action on Friday. The line swung around to -2 for the Vols at shops such as Sportsbook and Sportsbook today.
This season, the Wolverines are 20-13 overall and a bankroll-padding 19-8 ATS, while the Volunteers are 19-14 (but drained bettors' pockets with a 12-18 mark against the number). Tennessee will rely on freshman Tobias Harris to get the job done here.
View Tennessee vs Michigan Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had set the Wolverines as 1-point favorites on the Sportsbook line for this contest.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Wolverines at No. 125 and the Volunteers at No. 26 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 72-70 result in favor of the Wolverines.
How They Match Up:
In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Michigan's No. 300-rated squad against Tennessee's No. 34-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Michigan rates No. 24 in the country with 8.1 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 279 nationally with 5.2 per match.
Defensively, Tennessee features the nation's No. 38-rated defense on the road, allowing 64.8 points per game. Michigan, meanwhile, comes in at No. 251 nationally in scoring at home.
Last time out for Tennessee, they were an 85-74 loser as they battled Florida. They failed to cover in the match as a 3.5-point underdog.
Last time out for Michigan, they were a 68-61 loser as they battled Ohio State. They covered in the match as a 10-point underdog.
Tennessee Volunteers Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
After playing Florida are 10-0
After a loss are 7-3
Michigan Wolverines Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
After playing Ohio State are 6-4
After a loss are 5-5
A few Volunteers at Wolverines trends to consider:
Michigan is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
