Tennessee vs Longwood prediction, odds: 2022 NCAA Tournament picks, best March Madness bets from a proven model

The Tennessee Volunteers were at the center of controversy during selection on Sunday, with Rick Barnes’ side eventually winning the No. 3 seed in the South Region despite a profile that remains incredibly impressive. On Thursday, Tennessee kicks off its 2022 NCAA Tournament journey with a first-round game against the Longwood Lancers. Longwood is the No. 14 seed after winning the Big South title, and the Lancers are 26-6 overall and 19-1 in the last 20 games. Tennessee is the SEC champion with a 26-7 record and a 12-1 record in the last 13 games.

Tipoff is at 2:45 p.m. ET in Indianapolis. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Volunteers as 18-point favorites, while the total number of runs or the total number of runs Vegas thinks scored is 133 in the latest Longwood vs. Tennessee odds. Before making choices between Tennessee and Longwood, be sure to view college basketball predictions and betting tips from SportsLine’s proven computer model.

The SportsLine projection model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of nearly $1,500 for players at $100 on its better college basketball pick against the spread. Everyone who followed him saw huge returns.

Now the model has set its sights on Tennessee vs. Longwood and revealed his coveted picks and predictions for the 2022 NCAA Tournament. You can head to SportsLine to see all of the model’s college basketball picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Longwood vs. Tennessee:

  • Difference Tennessee vs. Longwood: Tennessee -18
  • Tennessee vs. Longwood over-under: 133 points
  • Silver line Tennessee vs. Longwood: Tennessee -4000, Longwood +1400
  • Longwood: Lancers are 6-3 ATS in non-conference games
  • Tennessee: Volunteers 8-4 ATS in non-conference games

Why Longwood can cover

Longwood has notable strengths at both ends of the floor. The Lancers are terrific from long range on offense, making 38.6% of 3-point attempts. Longwood is No. 6 in the nation in 3-point accuracy, and the Lancers are near the top of the nation in free throw creation rate and offensive rebound rate (34.1%). The Lancers led the Deep South in offensive efficiency this season, and Longwood also led their conference in live ball turnover rate at just 8.2 percent.

On defense, the Lancers are in the national top 50 with 31.0 percent 3-point accuracy allowed. Longwood also showed efficiency by leading the Big South in steal rate (11.5%), free throw rate allowed and defensive rebound rate (76.0%) during conference games. Tennessee has issues on offense, including the SEC’s worst 2-point shot (44.9%) and below-average metrics in live ball turnover rate and free throw creation rate for the whole season.

Why Tennessee Can Cover

Tennessee is very good in key areas on offense, including assist rate, offensive rebound rate and 3-point shooting. The Volunteers are however dominant in defense and also have the advantage in size, physique and athleticism against Longwood. Tennessee is No. 3 in the nation in defensive efficiency and the Volunteers create turnover on 22.9% of defensive possessions. It’s a top 15 brand in the nation, and Tennessee is No. 8 in the nation with a robbery rate of 13.4%.

Opponents are shooting just 31.2% from 3-pointers and 45.8% from inside the arc against Tennessee this season, and Longwood is outside the national top 250 shooting just 47.8% 2 point shots. Tennessee is also near the top of the sport in block rate (13.3%) and Longwood has had 11.9% of its shots blocked this season, ranking 338th in the nation. When the Vols force a miss, they can also count on the second-best defensive rebound rate in the SEC at 72.1%.

How to make choices between Longwood and Tennessee

SportsLine’s model looks at total points, projecting teams to combine for 140 points. The model also indicates that one side of the gap hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the model choice on SportsLine.

So who wins Tennessee against Longwood? And which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you should jump on, all from the model who crushed his college basketball picks.and find out.

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