Tennessee Volunteers vs Purdue Boilermakers Prediction, 3/31/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tennessee Volunteers vs Purdue Boilermakers

Date: Sunday, March 31, 2024

Location: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI

TV: CBS

Odds/Point Spread: Tennessee (+3)

Little Caesars Arena is the location where the Purdue Boilermakers (32-4) will go up against the Tennessee Volunteers (27-8) on Sunday in the Elite 8. Tennessee opens this game as 3-point underdogs. The over/under is 147.5.

The Tennessee Volunteers faced Creighton and notched a win by a score of 82-75 in their last game. Tennessee wrapped up the game with a 41.8% FG percentage (28 out of 67) and converted 11 out of their 24 shots from distance. From the free throw line, the Volunteers buried 15 of their 18 tries for a percentage of 83.3%. With regard to pulling down boards, they earned a total of 34 with 11 of them being of the offensive variety. They also recorded 16 assists in this matchup in addition to forcing the other team into 8 turnovers and earning 5 steals. With regard to defending, Tennessee allowed the other team to go 44.8% from the floor on 26 out of 58 shooting. Creighton totaled 13 assists and had 1 steal in this game. Additionally, Creighton collected 32 boards (5 offensive, 27 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Creighton went 92.3% from the charity stripe by knocking down 12 of 13 tries. They made 11 of 23 tries from beyond the perimeter. When it comes to personal fouls, the Volunteers ended up finishing with 14 while Creighton had 17 personal fouls.

Dalton Knecht is a guy who was a factor for the game. He finished the game at 38.1% from the floor and also earned 5 assists. He played for 38 minutes and also collected 6 rebounds. He racked up 26 points on 8 of 21 shooting.

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Tennessee enters this one with a win-loss mark of 27-8 on the year. They are averaging 79.1 points per outing (49th in the country) while connecting on 44.2% from the field. The Volunteers are shooting 34.2% on shots from 3-point land (304 of 889) and 75.2% from the free throw line. As a unit, Tennessee is collecting 39.1 rebounds per game and has accounted for 583 assists so far this year, which has them ranked 17th in the country in terms of passing. They lose possession by turning the ball over 10.3 times per game and as a basketball team are committing 17.3 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

Defensively, the Volunteers are forcing 13.1 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 18.3 fouls. They are currently ranked 69th in college hoops in allowing assists with 382 conceded on the year. The Volunteers defensively are allowing a FG percentage of 38.8% (790 of 2,038) and they surrender 34.8 boards per contest as a basketball team. They give up 31.4% on shots from downtown and they are ranked 52nd in D-1 in points per game allowed (67.3).

For their last game, the Purdue Boilermakers walked away with a victory by a final of 80-68 against Gonzaga. In the matter of attacking the glass, Purdue allowed Gonzaga to get 24 overall (9 on the offensive glass). They wrapped up this game 31.6% from three-point range by shooting 6 of 19 and finished the contest at 4 out of 7 at the free throw line (57.1%). The Boilermakers permitted Gonzaga to make 29 of 59 attempts from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 49.2% for this contest. When the final whistle blew, the Boilermakers finished 32 out of 56 from the field which had them sitting at 57.1%. Concerning three-point attempts, Purdue buried 9 of 20 attempts (45.0%). They were able to bury 7 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 70.0%. Gonzaga earned 15 personal fouls in this contest which got the Boilermakers to the charity stripe for 10 shots. They turned the ball over 8 times, while getting 3 steals for this contest. The Boilermakers corralled 21 defensive rebounds and 8 offensive rebounds totaling 29 in this game.

Zach Edey was important for the Boilermakers in the matchup. He buried 10 of 15 for this contest for a field goal rate of 66.7%, and tallied 14 rebounds. He tallied 27 points in his 38 minutes on the hardwood and had 1 assist for this contest.

Purdue has a record of 32-4 on the season. When it comes to executing on offense, the Boilermakers are hitting on 49.2% from the field, which has them ranked 9th in the nation. Purdue has accumulated 3,016 pts so far this season (83.8 per game) and they pull in 40.6 boards per game. They are getting an assist 19.0 times per game (2nd in D-1) and they turn it over 11.3 times per game. The Boilermakers have committed 13.9 personal fouls per game and they go 72.0% from the charity stripe.

The Purdue defense allows 31.4% on 3-point shots (259 of 826) and their opponents are converting on 72.2% of their free throw shots. They have allowed 14.2 assists and 29.2 rebounds every game, which is ranked 287th and 3rd in D-1. The Boilermakers on the defensive end are ranked 99th in Division 1 in PPG surrendered with 69.4. They are forcing 9.5 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 41.7% from the floor (54th in D-1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Tennessee (+3)

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