March Madness is almost here, and college basketball fans across the country are gearing up for the action. Brackets will be released on Sunday, March 17, also known as Selection Sunday. But who will be the No. 1 seeds? Several teams are still in contention for the tournament’s top spots, including Purdue, UConn, Houston, Arizona, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Ranked as the No. 4 team in the country, the Tennessee Volunteers are riding a five-game win streak. The Vols have a massive game in Tuscaloosa against Alabama on Saturday, March 2, which could decide the SEC regular season championship. A win for Tennessee would also do wonders for their hopes of gaining a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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Tennessee Volunteers March Madness odds
Legal US sportsbooks offer plenty of ways to bet on March Madness, and you don’t even have to wait for the tournament to begin to start placing your wagers. Even though brackets have yet to be released, right now you can bet on futures such as national champion, teams to make the Final Four, and teams to earn a No. 1 seed.
With four No. 1 seeds up for grabs, three teams have odds of -10000 or longer to be a No. 1 seed. Those teams are Purdue, UConn, and Houston. At this point in time, a lot would have to go wrong for those teams to not be No. 1 seeds.
But, the race for the fourth top seed is much tighter. Tennessee, Arizona, and North Carolina are all in the mix.
Oddsmakers are giving the edge to Arizona right now, as they have odds of -110 to be a No. 1 seed on DraftKings. Then, Tennessee has odds of +125, while North Carolina has odds of +800. So, if you are confident in the Vols grabbing a No. 1 seed, the +125 odds could be worth grabbing.
Regardless of what seed they earn, the Volunteers are looking to go all the way. Tennessee has made 25 trips to the NCAA Tournament, making it to the Sweet 16 nine times and the Elite Eight once, in 2010.
Dalton Knecht continues to lead the way
The Volunteers are led by senior guard Dalton Knecht, who is putting up 20.8 points per game. He is coming off a sensational performance against Auburn in Tennessee’s last game, scoring 39 points. It was his sixth game scoring 30 or more points this season.
Knecht can score from anywhere on the floor, and he leads the Volunteers with a shooting percentage of 41.4 from three point range. He also contributes 4.9 rebounds per game. Needless to say, he does it all. If the Vols want to make a March Madness run, Knecht is going to need to continue playing at an elite level.
The Vols rely on Knecht a lot, as they only have two other scorers averaging double digit points. Jonas Aidoo contributes 12.1 points per game, and Zakai Zeigler is averaging 11.1 points per game.
While scoring depth may be a bit of a concern, the good news is that the Volunteer defense is among the best in the country. The Vols are holding their opponents to a shooting percentage of 38.3, which is the best in the SEC. That has translated to allowing just 67.2 points per game, good for second-best in the conference.
If Knecht is locked in and the defense remains stingy, look out for the Vols.
