NCAA Basketball
2026-03-29 - Tennessee Volunteers at Michigan Wolverines
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NCAA Basketball Tournament Elite Eight
Sunday 29th March 2026 - Scheduled 2:15pm
7:15pm (British Time)
Preview
Six of the teams making the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament have been Seeded 3 or higher and so credit has to be given to the Tennessee Volunteers for being one of two to make it through the Bracket being Seeded lower than that.
They have refused to let the Seed dictate how they feel about themselves and the Volunteers may have hoped to be higher than they were. This has given them motivation to prove they belong and the comprehensive upset of the Iowa State Cyclones in the Sweet 16 Round will have underlined the potential.
The Volunteers Defensive unit will always give them a chance, but the impressive win over the Cyclones will have just reminded people that they are more than capable on the Offensive side of the court. This is going to be put to the test again when facing the Michigan Wolverines, who are a Number 1 Seed, especially as the Big Ten team look to have a bit more than Tennessee on both sides of the court.
Michigan have tended to be asked to cover bigger spreads and they had been struggling against the marks set, even if they had continued to win games. That included failing to cover in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament as a 30 plus point favourite, but the Wolverines look to be peaking now.
In the last two Rounds, Michigan have covered twice and the crushing win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16 will have been appreciated by the fans.
The Wolverines have tended to be a team that focuses on the strength on the Defensive side of the court and that may allow games to get a little closer than they should be. It is a concern for them now they are into the Elite Eight with the Wolverines Offensive unit perhaps a little underrated, although one that will be tested by the top teams in the College Basketball scene.
As much as you have to respect what has been shown by the Volunteers, they will find it tough to score consistently against this Michigan team. Scoring 76 points against an elite Iowa State Defense will have given them a huge boost in confidence, but the Wolverines is another increased level to compete with and that may end up seeing the end of this strong Tennessee run.
Prediction
Lay the points with the Number 1 Seed in this superb Elite Eight contest.
The Pick :
Michigan Wolverines 68-60 Tennessee Volunteers
