The No. 3 seed Creighton Bluejays (25-9) will aim for their second straight trip to the Elite Eight when they face the No. 2 seed Tennessee Vols (26-8) in the Sweet 16 on Friday night. Creighton opened its 2024 NCAA Tournament run with a 77-60 win over No. 14 seed Akron before sneaking past No. 11 seed Oregon in double overtime in the second round. Tennessee crushed No. 15 seed Saint Peter's, but it needed late free throws to escape against No. 7 seed Texas. The Vols and Bluejays have a combined 51 NCAA Tournament appearances, but neither program has ever reached the Final Four.
Tipoff at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit is scheduled for 10:09 p.m. ET. The Vols are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Tennessee vs. Creighton odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is 146. Before making any Creighton vs. Tennessee picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a betting and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered college sports and the NFL for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former high level athlete -- he was a Division-I All-American and professional athlete -- gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college basketball landscape and has been cashing in big for SportsLine members for the last two years.
Kaylor enters the Sweet 16 round on a 22-10 run overall on his college basketball picks, with a 7-2 record on 2024 NCAA Tournament picks for SportsLine. He is up 11.05 units during his roll, returning a profit of $1,105 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed his picks this season is way up.
Now, the Kaylor has his sights on Creighton vs. Tennessee in the 2024 Sweet 16 and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Tennessee vs. Creighton:
- Tennessee vs. Creighton spread: Tennessee -3.5
- Tennessee vs. Creighton over/under: 146 points
- Tennessee vs. Creighton money line: Tennessee -177, Creighton +147
- TENN: The Vols are 17-15-2 against the spread this season.
- CRE: The Bluejays are 19-15 against the spread this season.
- Tennessee vs. Creighton picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Tennessee can cover
Tennessee has been one of the top defensive teams in the country for years, and that defense was on full display against Texas in the second round. The Longhorns shot just 36.4% from the floor and committed 17 turnovers, allowing the Vols to overcome a poor offensive night of their own. Tennessee has rarely struggled offensively in back-to-back games this season, in large part due to SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht taking over games.
He is averaging 21.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, going over the 30-point mark on seven occasions. Creighton relies heavily on its four best players, as its fifth-leading scorer is Mason Miller at just 5.7 points per game. The Vols have a much deeper roster, which gives them the ability to overcome foul trouble and sustain their elite defense throughout the evening. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Creighton can cover
Rick Barnes' teams have covered just four times in their last 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, whereas Creighton is now on a 5-1 ATS run in the NCAA Tournament dating back to last season. After a great regular season, Tennessee's offense has been shaky in the postseason. The Vols shot 30.6% from the field in their SEC Tournament loss to Mississippi State before bouncing back against an overmatched Saint Peter's team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. However, they then went cold again against Texas, hitting just 33.8% from the field and 12% from 3-point range.
Creighton's roster has a lot of NCAA Tournament experience and three dangerous scorers who can all take over a game. Guards Baylor Scheierman (18.3 ppg) and Trey Alexander (17.7 ppg) lead the way, while center Ryan Kalkbrenner is right behind at 17.4. He also averages 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, and that rim protrection should prevent too many easy buckets for the Vols, forcing them to have a significantly better 3-point shooting night to cover in this one. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Tennessee vs. Creighton picks
Kaylor has analyzed Creighton vs. Tennessee from every angle and he's leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Tennessee vs. Creighton in the 2024 Sweet 16, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert on a 22-10 roll on his college basketball best bets, and find out.
