The top two seeds in the Midwest Region will meet in the Elite Eight on Sunday afternoon when No. 1 seed Purdue faces No. 2 seed Tennessee. The Boilermakers (32-4) punched their ticket to the Elite Eight with an 80-68 win over No. 5 seed Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 on Friday. They have already picked up one win over Tennessee this season, which came in a 71-67 final in the Maui Invitational. The Volunteers (27-8) are seeking their first Final Four appearance in school history after beating No. 3 seed Creighton on Friday.
Tipoff is set for 2:20 p.m. ET from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Boilermakers are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Purdue vs. Tennessee odds, per SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before making any Tennessee vs. Purdue picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 152-109 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. It also has a strong 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated spread picks this season, and it called 13 Sweet 16 teams this year. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Purdue vs. Tennessee and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines and trends for Tennessee vs. Purdue:
- Purdue vs. Tennessee spread: Purdue -3.5
- Purdue vs. Tennessee over/under: 147.5 points
- Purdue vs. Tennessee money line: Purdue -167, Tennessee +140
- PUR: The Boilermakers are 9-1 in neutral-site games this season.
- TENN: The Vols are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games.
- Purdue vs. Tennessee picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Purdue can cover
Purdue has stepped up against the best teams that it has faced this season, beating Gonzaga (twice), Marquette, Alabama, Arizona, Illinois (twice) and Wisconsin (twice). The Boilermakers have made multiple statements in the NCAA Tournament after losing in the first round as a No. 1 seed last season. They beat No. 8 seed Utah State by 39 points in the second round before covering the spread as 4.5-point favorites in their 80-68 win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.
Reigning Wooden Award winner Zach Edey has recorded five straight double-doubles, including 27 points and 14 rebounds against the Bulldogs on Friday. He is a matchup nightmare for any opponent, and Tennessee's top two big men fouled out across a combined 25 minutes when these teams met in November. The Boilermakers have plenty of firepower behind Edey as well, with three other starters averaging double digits. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Tennessee can cover
Tennessee has improved since its narrow loss to Purdue in November, as point guard Zakai Zeigler was still working his way back from an ACL injury while transfer Dalton Knecht was trying to find his role on the team. Zeigler won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award, and Knecht was named the SEC Player of the Year after leading the Vols to the regular-season title. They both came up with clutch performances in the Sweet 16 on Friday, combining for 42 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the win over Creighton.
The Volunteers were able to get past the Bluejays without fifth-year senior starter Santiago Vescovi, who was out with the flu and could be available on Sunday. He is one of six players averaging at least 6.5 points per game for Tennessee, as the Vols are one of the deepest teams in the country. They have covered the spread in 10 of their last 15 games and they will be throwing everything they have at Edey in this rematch. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Tennessee vs. Purdue picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 147 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Purdue vs. Tennessee, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Tennessee vs. Purdue spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 152-109 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
