The Tennessee Volunteers were denied a third consecutive trip to the SEC Tournament championship game when they were defeated by Alabama in the semifinals last weekend. They have yet to receive an opportunity to play for the national championship, as their best showing in the NCAA Tournament was an appearance in the Elite Eight, where they lost to Michigan State in 2010. The fifth-seeded Volunteers (18-8) hope to fare better in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and they begin their journey with a Midwest Region first-round showdown against the No. 12 Oregon State Beavers (17-12) on Friday. Tennessee has split its last eight contests while Oregon State has won six of seven, including the Pac-12 Conference championship game against Colorado on Saturday.
Tip-off from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is set for 4:30 p.m. ET. The Volunteers are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Tennessee vs. Oregon State odds at William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 130.5. Before making any Oregon State vs. Tennessee picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned almost $500 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Tennessee vs. Oregon State in the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Oregon State vs. Tennessee:
- Tennessee vs. Oregon State spread: Volunteers -8.5
- Tennessee vs. Oregon State over-under: 130.5 points
- Tennessee vs. Oregon State money line: Volunteers -450, Beavers +350
- TENN: The Volunteers are 0-4 against the spread in their last four NCAA Tournament games
- OSU: The Beavers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 contests
Why Tennessee can cover
Oregon State has averaged 73.8 points over its last six games, scoring at least 75 three times in that span. It may be hard-pressed to reach that number against the Volunteers, who led the SEC and are 23rd in the nation with an average of 63.2 points allowed per contest. Tennessee also boasts a defensive ace and an excellent shot-blocker in Yves Pons, who has knocked away at least two attempts 11 times this season.
A guard from France, Pons was a force in Tennessee’s victory over Florida in the SEC quarterfinals. The 6-6 senior, who has recorded 120 blocks since the start of last season, tied the tournament mark and set a school record by recording nine blocked shots in the 78-66 triumph. Jaden Springer leads the Volunteers in scoring (12.5 points) and fellow freshman guard Keon Johnson, who averaged team bests of 16.5 points and nine rebounds during the SEC tournament, ranks second (11.2) while junior guard Victor Bailey Jr. is a close third (11). They could be asked to carry even more of the scoring load with veteran forward John Fulkerson considered day-to-day after taking an elbow to the head against Florida in the SEC Tournament.
Why Oregon State can cover
The Beavers defied the critics this season, becoming the first team to win the Pac-12 tournament after being picked to finish last in the preseason poll. Thanks to that success, they enter the 2021 NCAA Tournament having won six of their last seven contests. Oregon State did an excellent job defending the long-range shot as it had the lowest percentage of successful 3-pointers (30.7) in the conference.
Despite being held under 10 points for just the fourth time in 29 outings this season in the Pac-12 championship game, Ethan Thompson leads the Beavers in scoring (15.3 points). The senior guard, who also is first on the team in assists (3.9) and steals (1.3), joined Gary Payton as the only players in school history with over 1,400 points and 400 assists in their careers. Junior forward Maurice Calloo scored a team-high 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench in the win over Colorado after totaling 12 while averaging 8.3 minutes in his previous nine games.
How to make Oregon State vs. Tennessee picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 136 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Oregon State vs. Tennessee? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
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