The No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 3 seed Creighton Bluejays link up in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday with an Elite Eight matchup against the winner of Purdue and Gonzaga on the line. Tennessee rolled past Saint Peter's in the first round before edging out Texas in the second round. Creighton handled Akron in the first round before needing double overtime to hold off Oregon in the second.
Tipoff from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit is set for 10:09 p.m. ET. The Vols are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Creighton vs. Tennessee odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 146. Before making any Tennessee vs. Creighton picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 152-109 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. It also has a strong 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated spread picks this season, and it called 13 Sweet 16 teams this year. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Tennessee vs. Creighton and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Creighton vs. Tennessee:
- Tennessee vs. Creighton spread: Volunteers -3
- Tennessee vs. Creighton over/under: 146 points
- Tennessee vs. Creighton money line: Volunteers -177, Bluejays +147
- TENN: The total has gone Under in five of Tennessee's last six games
- CREI: The Bluejays are 5-1 ATS in their last six games
- Tennessee vs. Creighton picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Creighton can cover
Senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner is dominant in the paint. Kalkbrenner owns a soft touch around the rim and uses his long arms to swat away shots. He averages 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. In the win over Oregon, Kalkbrenner tallied 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.
Senior guard Steven Ashworth provides the Bluejays with a knockdown shooter on the outside. Ashworth owns a pure jumper and excels in catch-and-shoot situations. The Utah native puts up 11 points, 4.2 assists and makes 2.2 3-pointers per game. In his last contest, Ashworth had 21 points, four assists and made five threes. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Tennessee can cover
Junior guard Zakai Zeigler is a fearless ball-handler who plays with tremendous energy. Zeigler can be a crafty playmaker and is one of the quickest players on the court. He does a tremendous job helping set up Tennessee's top scorers -- Dalton Knecht (21.1 ppg) and Jonas Aidoo (12 ppg). Zeigler averages 11.7 points, six assists and 1.8 steals per game. On Mar. 21, Zeigler totaled 11 points and 10 assists.
Senior guard Josiah-Jordan James is another energetic playmaker who has a lot of experience in big game. James is constantly fighting on the boards and cutting to the basket for easy looks. The South Carolina native logs 8.2 rebounds and 6.5 rebounds per contest. In his last outing, James had nine points and nine boards. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Creighton vs. Tennessee picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 148 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Tennessee vs. Creighton, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 152-109 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
