The No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers (25-8) square off against the No. 14 Wright State Raiders (25-9) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. The game gets underway at 12:40 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 132.5 points with Tennessee set as a 12.5-point favorite.
Wright State Raiders vs. Tennessee Volunteers ATS Prediction
In the , the Raiders topped the Cleveland State Vikings, 74-57. The Raiders held the Vikings to an offensive rebounding percentage of 12.5 (below their season average of 22.7) and had a turnover percentage of 7.9 (better than their season average of 16.6). With 19 points on 7-for-18 shooting, Grant Benzinger was the game’s high scorer.
The Volunteers were beaten by the Kentucky Wildcats in the , 77-72. Converting at the free throw line was one of Kentucky’s largest advantages. They were 20-24 (83.3 percent), while the Volunteers were 16-20 (80.0 percent). With 22 points on 7-for-15 shooting, Admiral Schofield led Tennessee in scoring.
Baskets could be hard to come by in this battle between two of the NCAA’s premier defenses. Tennessee currently ranks 52nd in defensive efficiency (99.2) and Wright State is seventh (93.9).
Wright State holds records of 25-9 straight up (SU) and 18-14 against the spread (ATS). Of the Raiders’ 32 games that accepted bets, 19 have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is 25-8 SU and 18-13 ATS. Much like Wright State, Volunteers games also have typically finished under the total (56.7 percent).
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Grant Benzinger (15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds) has been stellar for the Raiders while Admiral Schofield (20.2 points and 6.4 rebounds) has made solid contributions to the Volunteers.
Wright State Raiders vs. Tennessee Volunteers ATS Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Tennessee, ATS Winner – Wright State, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Tennessee ranks 38th in blocks per game (4.5) while Wright State ranks 224th (2.2).
The Volunteers rank 40th in assists per game (15.8) while the Raiders rank 168th (13.3).
Wright State averages 36.3 rebounds per game, which ranks 108th in the NCAA. Tennessee ranks 134th in rebounds allowed per game (34.3).
Bettings Trends:
The Raiders’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.0, up from 6.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Volunteers have scored an average of 72.0 points per game (2.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 63.4 points per game (3.0 below their season average).
@@@@@
