NCAAB March Madness Elite Eight Tennessee vs. Michigan Betting Odds & Game Picks

The No. 3 ranked team in the nation prior to the March Madness tournament, the Michigan Wolverines have looked every bit the favorite they are. They came in as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and they have covered two big spreads in back-to-back games coming into the Elite Eight. The program will be looking for their ninth Final Four appearance and first since 2018, when they lost in the Final.

In their way are the Tennessee Volunteers, a plucky No. 6 seed in the Midwest. This program is eyeing their first ever Final Four appearance, but they’ll be in tough as the largest underdog in the Elite Eight field. However, they’ve been good when they’ve been doubted this season. So can they keep the magic up and pull off another upset? Read on for our March Madness betting picks and odds for the Sunday afternoon matchup!

March Madness - No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Michigan - Midwest Region Elite Eight - Sunday, March 29, 12:15 p.m.

All odds provided by Betway

Tennessee vs. Michigan Spread/Moneyline Prediction

We actually took Tennessee to lose to First Four darlings Miami (Ohio) way back in the first round. So what do we know? The Volunteers have looked great during the tournament, covering the spread in all three of their March Madness games. And they won straight up as an underdog in the Sweet Sixteen. They’ve only been underdogs for five games this year, and they’ve actually won four of those straight up.

It’ll be tough for them to do so here against a Wolverines team coming off back-to-back spread and straight up wins. Michigan is a high-scoring group (top five in the nation), but they’re also big, which could make it tough for a Tennessee team that relies a lot on post-ups and paint points.

This one will come down, in the end, to who can win on the boards. The Volunteers have been propelled by their offensive rebounding this tournament, with 16 against Iowa State in the Sweet 16 and 11 against Virginia in the game before that. Michigan allowed Alabama 11 offensive rebounds in the last round, so we think there is a chance for the Vols here.

The Wolverines have also been really poor against the spread this season, going 17-20 ATS overall. Since February 21, they are 3-8 ATS. We don’t think Tennessee will be able to dominate the paint enough to win straight up, but they’ll keep this one close with those frustrating second-chance points.

Best Bet: Tennessee Volunteers (+7.5) Point Spread (-110)

Tennessee vs. Michigan Over/Under Prediction

All three of Michigan’s opponents in this tournament have hit the 70-point mark, and we think if Tennessee manages at least that, we should be good to hit the over on this game’s 146.5-point total. Tennessee is good defensively, but they’re not going to be able to clamp the Wolverines like they did Iowa State and Miami (Ohio). They have also scored 75+ in all three of their tournament games, and we think if Howard can put up 80 on this Michigan team, the Vols should at least keep their streak alive.

Best Bet: Game Total Points Over 146.5 (-110)