The Tennessee Volunteers (+1,600 to win the national tournament) fumbled their chance to win the SEC Tournament, but they are still considered a legitimate threat to win it all in the Big Dance. They can’t overlook their first-round opponents in the form of the Colgate Raiders (+200,000), though, who will do everything in Adonal Foyle’s name to brush aside the Volunteers.
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Betting Preview for the Colgate Raiders vs. Tennessee Volunteers College Basketball Game on March 22, 2019
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus
When: Friday, March 22, 2019, 2:45 PM ET
Line: Colgate Raiders (+17.5) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (-17.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Colgate Raiders (24-10 Overall / 13-5 Conference)
In their own conference, the Patriot League, the Raiders are from the joke they are viewed by fans who don’t really watch or follow college basketball in months outside of March. Colgate is a the Patriot League Tournament champion for a reason, and here’s one: it could score – a lot and efficiently. The Raiders finished the regular season with an average of 75.5 points per game. They had an effective field goal percentage of 55.9, 15th best in the nation. They can give any opponent a run for its own money with their outside sniping. In fact, Colgate was 13th nationally with a fantastic 39.1 percent shooting from deep prior to the postseason, while knocking down 9.1 triples per contest. That’s something that could definitely trouble Tennessee’s defense, especially after the Volunteers got bombarded by the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Finals 15 3-pointers.
Colgate is 8-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last 10 games, and is just 10-11-1 ATS after a win this season.
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers (29-5 Overall / 15-3 Conference)
As mentioned earlier, the Volunteers got ambushed in the SEC Tournament title game by Auburn, 84-64. The Vols simply didn’t have an answer to the Tigers’ incredibly hot hands. If anything, that loss gave Tennessee a helpful reminder not to let any opponent get its rhythm from downtown. Tennessee knows the Raiders can shoot the lights out, so one of Rick Barnes’ order for this team coming into the first round of March Madness is to not allow Colgate get comfortable on offense. Conversely, the Vols can steamroll past Colgate’s defense that is only ranked 202nd in the nation by KenPom. Tennessee’s offense is among the best in the nation, as the Volunteers put up 81.7 points per game in the regular season. The tandem of Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield is a wrecking ball ready to dismantle Colgate’s defense. Williams led the SEC with 19.0 points per game, while Schofield is fifth with 16.2.
The over is 4-0 in Tennessee’s last four games. After a loss this season, the Volunteers are 1-2-1 ATS.
Writer’s Prediction
Tennessee wins, 83-68.
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