The Tennessee Volunteers spent four weeks at No. 1 in the rankings this season, but four losses over their last 10 games dropped them to a 2-seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. They'll open up the tournament in Columbus, Ohio with a matchup against the 15-seed Colgate Raiders at 2:45 p.m. ET on Friday. The Vols are 17.5-point favorites in the latest Tennessee vs. Colgate odds, with the over-under set at 148. Tennessee is aiming for its first Final Four in school history, but Colgate hasn't lost a game since Feb. 2 and could present challenges for the Vols. Before locking in any Tennessee vs. Colgate picks of your own, check out the 2019 NCAA Tournament predictions from SportsLine's proven computer model.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has raked in the winnings for those following its picks. Over the past two years, the SportsLine Projection Model has returned over $4,000 to $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks. It also entered the postseason on a strong 11-5 run on all top-rated college basketball picks. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has zeroed in on Tennessee vs. Colgate. We can tell you it's leaning over, but it's also generated a strong against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. That pick is available only at SportsLine.
The model has taken into account that Tennessee has three NBA-caliber players who bring different skill sets to the table. Forward Grant Williams (19 ppg, 7.6 rpg) might be the most balanced of the trio. The SEC Player of the Year is strong in the post, but also capable of hitting mid-range jumpers. Admiral Schofield (16.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is physical enough to get to the bucket, but also hits 41.1 percent of his 3-point shots.
Point guard Jordan Bone, meanwhile, facilitates the offense and is one of the quickest guards in the entire 2019 NCAA bracket. That trio helped Tennessee roll to a 29-5 record with several defining wins along the way like two victories over Kentucky in the final month of the season and a win over Gonzaga in non-conference play.
But just because Rick Barnes' team has 29 wins doesn't mean it'll cover the Tennessee vs. Colgate spread on Friday.
Colgate went 24-10 overall and 13-5 in conference play, splitting the regular-season title with Bucknell before knocking the Bison off by 14 in the conference title game. The Raiders won their final 11 games of the season, with seven of those victories coming by double-digits.
And perhaps most frightening for Tennessee is the fact that Colgate can shoot lights-out. The Raiders have three starters who shoot over 41 percent from 3-point territory. And Auburn nailed 15 threes in a win over Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game.
So who wins Colgate vs. Tennessee? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Colgate vs. Tennessee spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed college hoops, and find out.
