Tennessee March Madness Odds: Is Rick Barnes' Team Ready to Re-Write History?
Tennessee March Madness Odds: Is Rick Barnes' Team Ready to Re-Write History?
The Tennessee Volunteers' No. 3 seed puzzled many, as a side-by-side comparison with their metrics compared to Duke's, for example, revealed that Tennessee was very much deserving of at least a No. 2 seed. AP Poll voters agree as the Volunteers were ranked fifth in the final poll. So while Tennessee's path in March is more challenging because of its seed, the Volunteers also present as a great value pick given their potential. Below are some of Tennessee's futures odds for various stages of March Madness.
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First Round Game: Tennessee March Madness Odds
Spread: Tennessee -17.5 (-110)Â (Bet $110 to Win $100) Moneyline: (-2500) vs. No. 14 Longwood
Tennessee opens March Madness against a Longwood team making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Can the Lancers play loose in a game of this magnitude, or will the environment get the best of them? Tennessee is the largest favorite of any No. 3 seed, so oddsmakers are clearly buying the momentum that the Volunteers can bring from their long-awaited SEC Tournament championship. However, from an ATS perspective, many may fade Tennessee given head coach Rick Barnes' lack of tournament success. Barnes' teams are 1-11-1 ATS in their last 13 NCAA Tournament games.
Final FourÂ
Tennessee +330 (Bet $100 to Win $330)
Tennessee has the best March Madness odds of any No. 3 seed, which is interesting given the potential path they would endure getting to the Final Four. If seeding holds, Tennessee would have to face No. 2 Villanova and No. 1 Arizona, two teams they met in the regular season. Tennessee's 18-point loss to Villanova was its second-largest loss of the season, while the Volunteers were the first team to beat Arizona (77-73) at the time. Once again, history is against Rick Barnes' squads to advance this far. Since making the Elite 8 with Texas in 2008, Barnes' teams have reached the Sweet 16 just once in the last nine tournament appearances. Is this the year his team breaks through to a second Final Four?
Bet $5, Win $200 on Any Team to Win March Madness
National Championship
Tennessee +1400 (Bet $100 to Win $1400)
Tennessee's NCAA Tournament resume was impressive, with no losses to non-tournament teams and a litany of huge wins. The Volunteers beat UNC, Arizona, LSU, Kentucky twice, and Auburn. Thus, if you can get past what history says about Rick Barnes' teams historically underperforming in March Madness, this Tennessee team is talented enough to cut down the nets.