Much has been made about Tennessee coach Rick Barnes’ struggles in the NCAA Tournament, but the Vols boss took a big step forward toward shaking off those struggles by leading his team to the Sweet 16. As a result, the Tennessee Volunteers odds in 2024 March Madness have improved, and it’s realistic to think Barnes could lead his team to the Final Four and even a national championship.
The No. 2 seed Vols are back in action in the Sweet 16 against No. 3 Creighton on Friday, March 29 in Detroit. Before you wager on the game, you can claim more than $4,000 in bonuses if you sign up with the best online sportsbooks.
Tennessee Volunteers March Madness Odds: Double your money with Vols Final Four bet
A futures wager on Tennessee to win the Midwest Region will payout at +210 odds, and this team certainly has a chance to cash that ticket. That would be significant because in nine previous trips to the Sweet 16, the Vols have won only once.
Perhaps the biggest difference between those UT teams that lost and this one is SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht. A transfer from Colorado State, Knect has been a revelation in Knoxville. A player like Knecht is capable of carrying a team and that is precisely what wins in March Madness.
There are plenty of strong players throughout the rest of the roster. Jonas Aidoo is a strong post presence, and point guard Zakai Zeigler is exactly the type of player a March Madness champion needs to lead the way.
Although Barnes has received criticism for only leading a team to the Final Four once, his Tennessee teams have actually done a solid job of winning in the tournament over the last handful of seasons.
This is the Vols’ second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16 and their third year in a row winning at least one NCAA Tournament game. Tennessee also made the Sweet 16 in 2019.
This season’s team could be Tennessee’s best chance to break through to its second Elite 8 and perhaps even the first Final Four in school history.
Tennessee Volunteers March Madness Odds: Vols favored over Creighton
The Vols certainly will have their hands full against Creighton in the Sweet 16. Despite the strong opponent, Tennessee is still a 2.5-point favorite. The Over/Under is 143.5 points.
This game features two strong tournament teams. As previously discussed, Tennessee has been winning postseason games lately, but Creighton has been winning even more.
The Bluejays are on a four-year streak of winning at least one NCAA Tournament game and are in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. They advanced to the Elite 8 last season for the second time in school history.
Creighton is one of the best offensive teams in the country with a scoring average of 80.6 points per game. A big part of that scoring output comes from three-point range, from which the Bluejays shoot 36.6%. Creighton shot better than that from deep in its second-round overtime win over Oregon.
Tennessee will need to have a strong post presence to combat the high skill of 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner.
On the other hand, Creighton will have to find an answer for Knecht, who is as capable of taking over a game as any other player still in the tournament.
