The time is now to head to the Mecca of basketball in New York City! After one weekend of March Madness Betting, we take the show to the city that never sleeps. With some headline grabbers such as Rick Pitino coaching St. John's, it makes sense to talk about one of the big games this week. At Online Sports Betting, we look at the FAU vs Tennessee Picks featuring the Tennessee Volunteers. They tangle with Florida Atlantic, a team that has shown some considerable resolve.
- WHAT: Florida Atlantic Owls (FAU) versus Tennessee Volunteers
- WHEN: Thursday, March 23rd, 2023, 7:00 pm ET on BTN or streamed on FUBO TV
- WHERE: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
- WHY: Sweet 16 Matchup - East Region
Wagerers tread carefully with these types of games. The East region has no 1 or 2 seed left. Yes, the FAU vs Tennessee Picks spotlight two teams who fought and scrapped their way to the city. Now, College Men's NCAA basketball future betting is difficult. After all, Tennessee was a +4000 long shot last week. Now, they are at +1200. Here is a quick table for this Sweet 16 matchup for Thursday night.
| March Madness Sweet 16 Numbers |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAU | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Tennessee (-5.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
FAU vs Tennessee Picks Think The Owls Are A Real Hoot
FAU vs Tennessee Picks think the Owls are a real hoot. So, how did Florida Atlantic advance over the first two rounds? That is a great question. Give the Owls a lot of credit. They showed a ton of resolve in squeaking past Memphis. Now, the Memphis Tigers arguably had that game won but the Owls made their shots at the end. FAU's second round opponent was Fairleigh Dickinson (who shocked Purdue). The Knights gave the Owls quite a battle.
Despite that, FAU won by nine points setting up this Thursday night game with Tennessee. The winner goes to the Elite Eight on Saturday. So, the Owls ramped up the controversy with a little dunk attempt in garbage time. In the end, that matters little. The question now is can Florida Atlantic find a way to solve Tennessee's defense? It will be a battle worth watching for an Owls team who has fought a lot of odds en route to a 33-3 record this season.
Let's examine Tennessee and then make a few picks along the way for this matchup very few pundits expected.
Tennessee Got Their Defensive Groove Back
The FAU vs Tennessee Picks show how Tennessee got their defensive groove back. After their first game against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, some were skeptical about how the Volunteers would handle Duke. Some teams rise up to the level of the challenge. Tennessee proved that early and often against a Duke team that looked bloody in not just a figurative sense. There are different ways to play intense defense.
Granted, the Volunteers possess some of the best metrics from the defensive side of the ball. They rank tops in the NCAA in defensive rating at 87.1. It is a Volunteers' team that yields 57.8 points per game. That ranks third in college basketball out of 363 schools. With that kind of dominance, Tennessee rates highly in Simple Rating Systems (fourth at 21.42). After all, Rick Barnes has a team that does not immense offensive talent just a more timely version.
Against certain teams, Tennessee loses its identity a bit. There was even about a ten minute stretch in their first-round game where the same thing occurred. That led to the Volunteers almost blowing an 18-point cushion before the defense stabilized. It is a team that can go long stretches with cold shooting, but every so often shows some weaknesses even defending. Part of that reason ironically comes from rebounding.
Naturally, rebounding and particularly offensive rebounding helps Tennessee keep scoring and pace down. Tennessee averages 12.8 offensive rebounds a contest. This ranks 17th in the nation and since January 1st, the Volunteers are in the top five in that category. So, that simply means more opportunities. It allows Tennessee to have more possessions while controlling the ball and the pace. Finally, the Volunteers clamp down on three point shooting holding opponents to 26.4%. FAU attempts over 26 a game.
FAU vs Tennessee Picks Laying 5.5 Points?
So, what about FAU vs Tennessee picks laying 5.5 points? The concern lies in the reality that Tennessee may not score a lot. Now, the Owls yield 65.1 points per game which ranks a respectable 44th. This causes some to pause whether Tennessee can truly pull away. However, if the Volunteers dispatched Duke the way they did, what can FAU do to stop a team that literally is capable of stopping everything in its tracks?
The FAU strength plays right to Tennessee's strengths. Now, that is the crux of the situation. Few matchups could have set up better (Alabama vs SDSU comes to mind). All the Volunteers have to do is execute their game plan. No one would be surprised if Tennessee covers the halftime spread as well which is only three points.
FAU believes it can keep the contest close late. On the other hand, Tennessee knows they can control the pace. It is why that with some made free throws should help Tennessee cover the 5.5 point spread on Thursday night.
So, The Over In This Economy?
Finally, FAU vs Tennessee picks considers the over in this economy? This gets said tongue-in-cheek, but Tennessee puts a vise grip on teams that can scoring down to almost nothing at times. Can the Volunteers even muster say 65-70 points? That is not guaranteed and may not be likely. Take the two teams scoring under 130 combined.
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