Texas vs. Tennessee March Madness Preview and Prediction

In a No. 7 vs. No. 2 matchup in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region, the Texas Longhorns face the Tennessee Volunteers in second-round action.

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How to Watch Texas vs. Tennessee

When: 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, March 23rd

Where: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina

Watch: CBS

Odds for Texas vs. Tennessee

(odds current at time of publish)

Spread: Tennessee -6

Total: 148

DraftKings Betting Splits | Live College Basketball Odds | Texas vs. Tennessee Matchup

Midwest Region No. 7 Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns are still a team that nobody wants to face in the tournament. Oral Roberts transfer Max Abmas is an electric perimeter scorer, capable of getting hot in a hurry. And Tyrese Hunter is a good backcourt mate for him, as he’s another guard that can create offense rather easily. The Longhorns also have a stud in forward Dylan Disu, who is a tremendous player on both ends of the floor. And there are several other players scattered throughout the rotation that can make things happen. Also, despite a mediocre record, the Longhorns are a top-20 team when it comes to offensive efficiency and they aren’t terrible defensively. So, they might not have figured things out during the year, but they have some upside. We saw it in a lopsided win over a good Colorado State squad.

Midwest Region No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee is always an elite defensive team and this year’s group is top five in adjusted defensive efficiency. Rick Barnes has always been able to count on his guys to be tough as nails on that end of the floor. The difference with this year’s team is that the group is very good offensively. Barnes added Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht in the transfer portal, and the senior is a threat to put up 20 every night. And his ability to shoot the 3-ball has completely opened things up for his teammates. The sky’s the limit now for a Tennessee team that made the Sweet 16 last year and returned a majority of those rotation players. Perhaps Barnes will finally exorcize his March demons.

Texas vs. Tennessee Preview & Prediction

If Rick Barnes is going to find a way to shed his “March Madness choker” label, he’s going to have to go through his former team. And it just so happens to be a Texas bunch that is 20th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency and 30th in adjusted defensive efficiency. So, this Longhorns team can play both ends of the floor at a pretty high level. That makes it hard to picture this being anything but a competitive game.

As always, this Volunteers team can defend with the best of them. In fact, they’re fourth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency this year. That means that the Longhorns will likely have a hard time scoring. But has Tennessee’s offense turned the corner enough? The Vols scored 83 points in an opening-round win over Saint Peter’s, and this group has a highly effective scorer in Dalton Knecht. His ability to hit perimeter shots — and score tough buckets — has made Tennessee a little more dangerous offensively. But we’re talking about a good offensive team, not a great one. And the Volunteers still tend to stall out a bit.

This just feels like a game that should be lower in scoring, with both teams struggling to put the ball in the hole. And while it’s nice Tennessee has Knecht as a late-clock option, Dillon Mitchell’s combination of size, athleticism and motor could give him trouble. And Texas happens to have a trustworthy isolation scorer in Oral Roberts transfer Max Abmas. He has already had plenty of moments in this tournament, but he’s looking to go out with a few more. And Dylan Disu could potentially be the best player on the floor in this game.

I like this Tennessee team better than some we’ve seen in the past, and Knecht did bring a much-needed outside presence to the group. But Texas had championship aspirations heading into the season, and talent is more important in March than it is the rest of the year. The Longhorns match the Vols in that department. So, I’m expecting an absolute rock fight here. And this game should go down to the wire.

Estimated Score: Tennessee 76.6 – Texas 70

For expert predictions, go to our college basketball best bets page.

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