Tennessee is back in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year, edging out Virginia with a 79-72 win in the NCAA tournament's Midwest Region. This victory sets the stage for a tough matchup against No. 2 seed Iowa State, where the Vols find themselves as underdogs.
The sportsbooks have spoken, and Tennessee is opening as a 3.5- to 4.5-point underdog against the Cyclones for Friday's clash at Chicago's United Center. FanDuel and BetMGM have pegged the Cyclones as 3.5-point favorites, while Caesars gives Iowa State a four-point edge.
DraftKings is a bit more cautious, listing Tennessee as a 4.5-point underdog. The over/under for this showdown is set at 138.5.
KenPom's metrics aren't too kind to the Vols either, giving them a 35% shot at victory and predicting a 71-67 Iowa State win. The stakes are high, with the winner moving on to face either No. 1 seed Michigan or fourth-seeded Alabama in the Elite Eight, with a Final Four spot hanging in the balance.
Tipoff is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. Eastern on Friday, with TBS/truTV broadcasting the action.
Iowa State reached this stage by decisively beating Kentucky 82-63 and blowing out Tennessee State 108-74. Meanwhile, Tennessee's path included a hard-fought win over a Virginia team that had been on a roll, winning 16 of their last 18 games. Senior point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie led the charge with 21 points and six assists, while freshman forward Nate Ament chipped in 16 points.
Virginia pushed hard, erasing a nine-point deficit to tie the game late, but Tennessee held firm in the closing moments. Vols coach Rick Barnes praised his team’s resilience and effort against a formidable Virginia squad.
Historically, Tennessee leads the series against Iowa State 2-1. Their last encounter saw the Vols win big in the 2017-18 season during the Big 12/SEC Challenge. However, the Cyclones have tasted victory in Knoxville back in 1968, adding a layer of intrigue to this upcoming matchup.