The Tennessee Volunteers are once again a contender in the NCAA Tournament. Can they finally live up to expectations?
They’ve been given the No. 4 seed in the East Region this year, as well as a first round matchup against the No. 13 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.
Louisiana won the Sun Belt Conference beating South Alabama in the conference tournament. Could an upset be in the books?
Let’s dive into the odds for this Round of 64 showdown.
Louisiana vs. Tennessee odds, spread, and total
Louisiana vs. Tennessee prediction and pick
Tennessee boasts arguably the best defense in college basketball. Entering the NCAA Tournament, the Volunteers rank second in defensive efficiency and second in opponent effective field goal percentage.
Louisiana ranks 169th and 179th in those two areas against much weaker competition.
The Ragin’ Cajuns played one ranked team all season and it resulted in a 100-72 loss to the Texas Longhorns. They have to play at an A+ level and hope the Vols have a subpar performance in order to have any shot.
So, can Tennessee cover the big spread? The Vols enter the tournament ranking second in the country in average scoring margin, winning games by an average of 13.8 points, so they know how to cover spreads as a betting favorite.
Tennessee has also been shooting relatively well lately, sporting an effective field goal percentage of 55% over their last three games. If the Vols continue to shoot well, they’re a dangerous team and a Final Four contender.
I’ll lay the points with Tennessee in this one.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
