The second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers will make their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance on Thursday when they battle No. 15-seed Saint Peter’s Peacocks in a Midwest Region first-round matchup in Charlotte, N.C. The Volunteers (24-8), who will be out to snap a two-game losing streak, are making their 26th NCAA Tournament appearance overall. The Peacocks (19-13), the champions of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, made the Elite Eight as a 15-seed in 2022.
Tipoff is set for 9:20 p.m. ET. The Volunteers are 22-point favorites in the latest Saint Peter’s vs. Tennessee odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 130.5. Before making any Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s picks, you need to check out the college basketball analysis from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Saint Peter’s vs. Tennessee:
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s spread: Tennessee -22
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s over/under: 130.5 points
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s money line: Saint Peter’s +1450, Tennessee -3175
- SP: The Peacocks have covered the spread in 18 of their last 26 games (+9.25 units)
- TENN: The Volunteers have covered the first-half spread in 20 of their last 33 games (+6.15 units)
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Tennessee can cover
The Volunteers are led by fifth-year senior Dalton Knecht, who was selected as the SEC Player of the Year and is Tennessee’s fourth consensus first-team All-American. He has started all 32 games for the Volunteers in 2023-24, averaging 21.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Knecht is just 24 points from becoming the fourth Tennessee player with 700 in a season. He scored a career-high 40 points on March 9 against Kentucky.
Junior forward Jonas Aidoo, who was named to the All-SEC Defensive Team, earned second-team all-conference honors. He is averaging 11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He’s just three offensive rebounds away from being the fourth Vol with 100 in a year. He has started all 32 games for Tennessee and has 41 starts in 86 career games at the school. Aidoo had a career-high 15 rebounds at Georgia on Jan. 13, the most by a Volunteer over the past five years. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Saint Peter’s can cover
Sophomore forward Corey Washington had a breakout season for the Peacocks, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. In 25 games, including 22 starts, he is averaging 16.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 28.7 minutes. In the MAAC championship game win over Fairfield, he poured in 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Senior guard Latrell Reid has reached double-figure scoring 21 times and has registered a pair of double-doubles on the year. The first time was an 11-point and 11-assist effort in an 81-68 win at Manhattan on Jan. 14. He poured in 15 points and dished off 17 assists in an 89-57 win over Manhattan on March 3. In 32 games, all starts, he is averaging 11.1 points, 4.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 32.9 minutes. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Saint Peter’s vs. Tennessee picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 134 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s, and which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 148-106 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
