The Tennessee Volunteers are fresh off of a massive win over the Kentucky Wildcats in the finals of the SEC Tournament and they’ll now look to take care of business in their first-round matchup with the Longwood Lancers in the NCAA Tournament.
Will the Volunteers exercise their March Madness demons and send a message by beating up on the Lancers? Continue reading our March Madness picks and predictions for Longwood vs. Tennessee or the best bets in this one.
Longwood vs Tennessee odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Volunteers opened at 16.5-point favorites in this first-round matchup with the Lancers and that line can be found anywhere between -16.5 and -17.5 right now. The total, meanwhile, opened at 133 and is bouncing around between 132 and 133.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
Longwood vs Tennessee predictions
Predictions made on 3/15/2022 at 1:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for March Madness, here are two of the best bonuses available:
USA: New users at FanDuel can bet $5 on any March Madness tournament game and win $150 in site credits (30/1 odds) — regardless of if your bet wins or loses! Sign Up Now
Canada: New users can join the bet365 bracket challenge, where $125,000 goes to the winner and you have a shot at winning $6 million! Sign Up Now
Longwood vs Tennessee game info
• Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Date: Thursday, March 17, 2022
• Tip-off: 2:45 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
Longwood vs Tennessee betting preview
Injuries
Longwood: No injuries to report.
Tennessee: Olivier Nkamhoua F (Out).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Tennessee is 0-5 against the spread in its last five NCAA Tournament games. Find more NCAA betting trends for Longwood vs. Tennessee.
Longwood vs Tennessee picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
Tennessee is third in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (all efficiency stats from KenPom), so Longwood’s 114th-ranked offense in adjusted offensive efficiency could be in for a long night.
The Volunteers smothered the Kentucky Wildcats in the finals of the SEC Tournament last week, holding the Wildcats to just 34.4% shooting from the floor at 10% form deep. If the Vols can do that to a team that is fourth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, it can certainly do it to Longwood.
The thing the Lancers have going for them is, however, is the 3-point shooting. Longwood is 15th in the nation in 3-point percentage this season at 38% and they aren’t going to be shy about firing away from deep. And if the team shoots it at a decent percentage in this game, it’s going to be hard for Longwood not to stay within this massive number.
In a game that is expected to be low-scoring, it may be asking too much of Tennessee to win by nearly 20 points. For as good as Tennessee’s backcourt is — the group is led by a potential first-round NBA Draft pick in Kennedy Chandler — the Longwood group isn’t too shabby.
Justin Hill, who averages 14.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, is a fearless player that will definitely have some moments in this game. Meanwhile, Isaiah Wilkins and DeShaun Wade both average double figures and shoot over 40% from three, so they will certainly be two players that Longwood bettors fall in love with.
Every year, there’s a higher seed that plays a game that’s a little closer than expected. Look no further than this one, where the Vols will likely flirt with a 10-point lead for most of the contest but might never fully pull away.
Prediction: Longwood +17.5 (-110)
Best Bonuses
Along with our March Madness best betting sites, check out the best bonuses available for the tournament.
Over/Under analysis
Not only is Tennessee third in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency but the Volunteers are also just 172nd in the nation in adjusted tempo. That combination of great defense and slow pace is an Under bettor’s dream, and it’s not like Longwood is some type of offensive juggernaut.
The Lancers shoot the 3-ball extremely well — and them hitting a decent amount is why we believe they can keep this game from getting completely out of hand — but there isn’t a whole lot of diversity in the team’s approach.
The Volunteers should be able to figure them out and contest a lot of shots, while Tennessee could also struggle to score itself — the team isn’t in the Top 25 in adjusted offensive efficiency this year.
The Volunteers also come into this game after back-to-back outings in which both teams failed to reach the 70s. The Volunteers will probably hit that number in this game, but the Lancers aren’t likely to reach the 60-point mark.
The Under is also 7-5 in Tennessee's neutral-court games over the last three seasons. It’s also 6-4 in the games the Vols have played in the NCAA Tournament in that span. Back it again here.
Prediction: Under 133 (-110)
Best bet
In what should be a low-scoring game, it’s just hard not to grab the underdog when they’re getting this many points.
It doesn’t hurt that you can find this line at +17.5, despite the fact that it’s down at +16.5 elsewhere — this is information you’ll want to be checking on the Covers odds page throughout the tournament. Tennessee also happens to be just 2-4 ATS in its last six games as a double-digit favorite.
The Volunteers have also had some well-documented struggles in the tournament under head coach Rick Barnes.
Tennessee is 0-5 ATS in its last five NCAA Tournament games, and that’s something that could creep into the minds of the upperclassmen on this team if this thing is closer than expected after the first 10 or so minutes.
Pick: Longwood +17.5 (-110)
Become a smarter March Madness bettor
Safe March Madness betting sites
