The second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers collide with the third-seeded Purdue Boilermakers in a Sweet 16 matchup in the South Region. Tennessee edged Colgate and Iowa to advance to the Sweet 16, while Purdue dismantled Old Dominion and Villanova for its third straight Sweet 16 berth. The higher-seeded Vols are a 1-point favorite with the total Sportsbook at 146 points.
Purdue vs Tennessee Game Center
Standout Stats
- Both teams have been on a tear through the latter stages of the season. Purdue is 8-2 SU and 5-5 ATS since mid-February with its only two losses over that span coming against Minnesota. Tennessee is 7-2 SU and 4-5 ATS in its last nine contests with the two defeats coming against Auburn.
- The OVER has been fairly profitable for the two squads down the stretch as the total has gone OVER in four of Purdue’s last six contests and in each of Tennessee’s last six. The Vols’ last six OVERs topped 146 points, but just two of the Boilermakers’ last six games went OVER 146 points.
- Tennessee has been the better offensive team, chipping in 81.6 points per game this season compared to Purdue’s average of 76.1 ppg. That being said, the advantage moves in the Boilermakers’ favor on the defensive side of the ball, as they surrender 66.1 ppg, while the Volunteers’ opponents have scored 69.7 ppg.
- The offense has come from different areas on the floor for these teams as Tennessee gets the bulk of its offense from inside the arc, while Purdue gets a large portion of its scoring from downtown. Defensively, the Boilermakers rank 52nd in opponent two-point percentage, while Tennessee ranks 204th in opponent three-point percentage.
- Although the Volunteers are a lot more dominant inside the arc offensively, they are tied with the Boilermakers with 37.3 rebounds per game so there should be an interesting battle on the glass in this contest. The two squads are evenly matched in the turnover game in both takeaways and giveaways.
My Best Bet for Purdue vs Tennessee
Purdue +1
Tennessee has big issues stopping teams from beyond the arc as its two losses over its last nine contests came against Auburn, which shot 38 percent from downtown while sinking a total of 28 triples in the two games. Purdue ranks 22nd in the nation with 39 percent of its total offense coming from three-point range.
I think the Boilermakers have all the tools to earn the upset and advance to the Elite Eight.
