Published Mar 26, 4:34am ET by
Demilade Adelekun - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 26, 4:34am ET
Updated Mar 26, 4:34am ET
Two defense juggernauts will clash in the Sweet 16 spot. Which team will arise on top and advance to the Elite Eight?
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| Tennessee Volunteers | +154 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | -185 |
Iowa State is 29-7 overall and the 2nd seed in the Midwest Region. It is their eighth Sweet 16 in program history, third under Otzelberger in five years.
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Tamin Lipsey is quietly having one of the great tournament runs in recent memory. With Jefferson out, he had to step up, and he has done just that. Against Kentucky, he dropped an efficient 26 points and ten assists. Can he continue this form and carry his team to the elite eight?
Tennessee is 24-11 overall and the 6th seed in the Midwest Region — making their eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance under Rick Barnes, who has reached the second weekend four straight years, including back-to-back Elite Eight runs.
The Vols are built around defense and the glass. They are the Nation's top offensive rebounding team at 44.8% of their misses. They win the games in the paint, but recently, their guard play has been the story. Ja'Kobi Gillespie leads the Volunteers at roughly 18 ppg and 5.5 apg and has been playing his best basketball as of recently.
VirginTennessee is dangerous, and Barnes has been here before, but Iowa State's pressure defense is perfectly constructed to exploit Tennessee's turnover issues. We have seen the Cyclones shut down one SEC team, and we expect them to do the same. Our pick is Iowa State (-185).
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Pick
Iowa State (-185)
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