Michigan vs Tennessee prediction: NCAA Tournament Second Round pick and college basketball game preview.
Michigan vs Tennessee Game Preview, NCAA Tournament Second Round How To Watch
Date: Saturday, March 19
Game Time: 5:15 pm
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
How To Watch: CBS
Records: Tennessee (3 seed, 22-7)
Michigan (11 seed, 27-7)
Region: South
– NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews
Why Michigan Will Win
Rebound, rebound, rebound.
Colorado State had the talent inside and out, and it arguably had the best player on the floor in David Roddy, but it couldn’t handle the Wolverines inside.
Michigan didn’t win the 75-63 first round game because it was +11 in rebounding margin, but combine that with the 54% shooting and this was the strong, confident team everyone was waiting to emerge.
Tennessee is solid on the boards, but it’s just okay from the field hitting 43% on the year. Yeah, it made 58% of its shots in the 88-56 win over Longwood, but …
Michigan isn’t Longwood. Tennessee’s over-reliance on the three will be an issue, but …
Why Tennessee Will Win
Michigan is just okay at guarding the three. It’s not awful, and it hasn’t been bombed on too often this year, but it’s just okay.
It’s 3-8 when it allows teams to make 36% or more of their shots from the outside and 0-6 when teams make 48% or more.
Again, Michigan isn’t Longwood, but Tennessee hit 58% from three in the first round and averages 36% per game.
The SEC Tournament champion has been rock-solid since the end of February going 13-1 with the lone loss to Arkansas coming when the O couldn’t make a thing.
Yes, Tennessee will want to keep firing from the outside, but Michigan was helped by Colorado State not taking it to the rim enough when the chances were there.
The Vols won’t make the same mistake.
Michigan vs Tennessee: What’s Going To Happen
So are we supposed to fall for Michigan now?
Just when it seems like the team is about to turn a corner and kick it all in, it really, really doesn’t.
The Wolverines are on a quirky run of following up a win with a loss over the last 11 games. It has one two-game winning streak since late January, and it’s not about to get one now against these Vols.
Tennessee will force the takeaways Michigan won’t, and it’ll play the tighter defense inside and out that Colorado State couldn’t in the second half.
And Tennessee will hit the three when it needs to.
Michigan vs Tennessee Prediction: NCAA Tournament Second Round, Lines
Prediction: Tennessee 71, Michigan 64
Line: Tennessee -6, o/u: 136.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Michigan vs Tennessee Must See Rating: 4
5: Winning one game in the NCAA Tournament
1: Winning a conference championship … if you don’t win one game in the NCAA Tournament
