The No. 14 Wright State Raiders (25-9), 12.5-point underdogs, clash with the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers (25-8) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 132.5 points and action starts at 12:40 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
Wright State Raiders vs. Tennessee Volunteers Betting Odds
In their last contest, the Volunteers lost to the Kentucky Wildcats, 77-72, while the Raiders beat the Cleveland State Vikings, 74-57.
Wright State played a flawless game. They had a great offensive rebounding percentage of 31.6 (above their season average of 29.0) and a turnover percentage of 7.9 (better than their season average of 16.6). For those same stats, Cleveland State was 12.5 and 17.6, respectively. Tennessee, meanwhile, had a better turnover percentage (12.4 vs. 14.2). Admiral Schofield fueled Tennessee with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Wright State was lifted by Grant Benzinger, who recorded 19 points and nine rebounds.
This battle figures to be low-scoring as two of the NCAA’s top defenses clash. Tennessee currently ranks 52nd in defensive efficiency (99.2) and Wright State is seventh (93.9).
Of the Raiders’ 32 games that accepted bets, 19 have finished under the total. Wright State heads into the contest with records of 25-9 straight up (SU) and 18-14 against the spread (ATS).
Volunteers games also tend to go under the O/U total (56.7 percent). Moreover, Tennessee is 25-8 SU and 18-13 ATS.
The Raiders’ Grant Benzinger has been playing at a high level over his last five games, averaging 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Admiral Schofield has averaged 20.2 points and 6.4 rebounds during that same time frame for the Volunteers.
Wright State Raiders vs. Tennessee Volunteers Odds Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Tennessee, ATS Winner – Wright State, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Tennessee ranks 38th in blocks per game (4.5) while Wright State ranks 224th (2.2).
- The Volunteers rank 40th in assists per game (15.8) while the Raiders rank 168th (13.3).
- Wright State ranks 108th in rebounds per game (36.3) while Tennessee ranks 134th in rebounds allowed per game (34.3).
Bettings Trends:
- The Volunteers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 8.6, up from 7.8 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Raiders have scored an average of 72.8 points per game (0.7 above their season average) and allowed an average of 65.8 points per game (0.1 above their season average).
