Set to take place on Friday night in Dallas, the final game of the Sweet 16 will pit the third-seeded Creighton Blue Jays against the second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers from the South Region.
Creighton, boasting a 25-9 record for the season, picked up an overtime victory against Oregon in their previous game, following an initial win over Akron in the tournament’s first round. Their performance in the Big East regular season finished in a solid third-place finish.
On the opposing side, the Tennessee Volunteers, with a season record of 26-8, sealed wins against Saint Peter’s and Texas after their setback against Kentucky in the SEC conference tournament, having previously claimed the regular-season title.
The odds favor the Tennessee Volunteers by a narrow margin of -2.5, with the total points for the game set at 143.5.
Creighton’s Sharpshooting Ballers
Known throughout College Basketball for their exceptional three-point shooting ability, the Creighton Blue Jays rank among the elite in college basketball, averaging nearly 11 nailed long-range shots per game.
Their outstanding shooting ability was obvious in their recent overtime win over Oregon, where they nailed an impressive 15 three-pointers, and in the earlier victory against Akron with 10 successful attempts.
Baylor Scheierman emerges as the leading scorer for the Blue Jays, averaging 18.3 points per game, followed closely by Trey Alexander, who has shown consistent scoring performances, tallying over 19 points in his last three games.
Despite taking a setback loss to Colorado State on Thanksgiving Day, Creighton started the season with an impressive five-game winning streak, later suffering a road defeat against UNLV. Their conference campaign began with back to back losses to Villanova and Marquette.
Tennessee’s Balanced Attack
Under the leadership of head coach Rick Barnes, the Tennessee Volunteers show off a balanced offensive strategy, averaging 79.1 points per game. Despite not having the highest scoring rate in the tournament, their defensive ability compensates effectively, allowing just 53.5 points per game in the ongoing tournament.
Dalton Knecht comes out as a pivotal figure for the Volunteers, averaging 21.1 points per game for the season and maintaining a consistent scoring form with 20.5 points per game in the tournament. His standout performance against Kentucky, where he scored 40 points, underscores his significance to the team’s success.
Tennessee started the season on a promising note, securing wins in their first four games, including a notable win over Wisconsin. However, setbacks against Purdue, Kansas, and North Carolina limited their campaign, but they also had significant victories against Illinois and North Carolina State.
Rocky Top
In what we think will be a tightly contested encounter between two formidable college basketball teams, both looking to secure a berth in the Final Four, the outcome will come down to late games.
Ultimately, we anticipate the Tennessee Volunteers to win in a closely contested battle, clinching the win by three points. Thus, our betting leans towards this game is on the Tennessee Volunteers to cover the -2.5 spread against the Creighton Blue Jays.
