Navigate

Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks

by |

Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!

2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks: Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s

Tennessee 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

With preseason expectations high ranking in the top 10 in the AP Preseason Poll, Tennessee more than met expectations. After taking the sport by storm, Dalton Knecht earned SEC Player of the Year honors. Knecht averaged over 20 points a year, scoring 30-plus in six of his final 17 games, highlighted by a 39-point effort in a win against Auburn in late February. The Volunteers’ offense is solid, with a high pace while taking care of the ball and ranking in the top 20 in transition scoring. Beyond Knecht, Tennessee can go to Jonas Aidoo, a solid defender who averages double-digit points a game, or Zakai Zeigler, the SEC defensive player of the year and is a solid guard who can facilitate, score, and has significant tournament experience.

What needs to be highlighted, however, is Tennessee’s defense. Ranking in the top five in KenPom adjusted defense; this team can be stifling. Rick Barnes’s squad sends opponents deep into the shot clock and ranks in the top 10 in mid-range defensive shooting and near-proximity defensive shooting percentage. They don’t allow many second-chance looks and force turnovers. While they allow a fair amount of three-point looks, with the percentage of three-pointers by opponents ranking in the top 40 in the nation, shooting percentage from deep still ranks in the top 25.

Tennessee seems like a true title contender, right? The thing is, Tennessee’s Achilles heel is playoff play. Not only did they get trounced by Mississippi State in the SEC tournament, but in each of their last five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, Tennessee has been upset by a worse-seeded team, all under Rick Barnes’s tenure. The Volunteers dominate at Thompson Boling Arena but rank 330th in the away-from-home metric by Haslametrics. It seems like something is in the water whenever they play on a neutral court. Looking back to November, Tennessee lost three straight games to Purdue, Kansas, and North Carolina. Of course, those are all acceptable losses, but allowing 61 points in the first half to North Carolina is concerning for a team with tournament title aspirations.

Also, if you’re a trends person, 24 of the last 26 national champions have had a top-20 offense and a top-40 defense on Selection Sunday at KenPom. With Tennessee’s recent play, their offense has fallen outside that needed top-20 rank. So, the question is whether they can go against the grain and bring a title home. The team has all the talent; it’s just a matter of whether they can show up six straight games.

Saint Peter’s 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

The Peacocks are dancing again after clinching an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after a thrilling victory over Quinnipiac and a resilient win against Fairfield in Atlantic City. While it’s exciting to see a recognizable team back in the tournament, don’t have as high hopes this time around. St. Peter’s strength lies in their defense, ranked within the top 80 teams in efficiency. They excel in preventing opponents from scoring in the paint, ranking among the top 60 teams nationally in defensive near-proximity percentage, and limiting close-range shot opportunities.

However, their tendency to foul and send opponents to the free-throw line poses a notable weakness on defense. Offensively, St. Peter’s falls short, and that’s putting it kindly. Their primary offensive strength lies in their ability to secure second-chance opportunities off missed shots. But they rank 349th in effective field goal percentage, which is quite unpromising for a Cinderella run. Their slow pace can manufacture some luck with fewer possessions, and their solid defense and ability to get to the charity stripe and score second-chance points gives them some hope, but don’t go crazy picking Saint Peter’s again in your bracket.

2024 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s

Here we go again! The Saint Peter's Peacocks in the NCAA Tournament as a 15-seed against a 2-seed hailing from the SEC. Can the Peacocks pull off another colossal upset? Against Rick Barnes, it's certainly in the realm of possibilities. And while Saint Peter's often can't hit water if it fell out of a boat, the Peacocks once again bring a stifling defense to the dance. Saint Peter's ranks 22nd in effective field goal defense and turns teams over at a top-40 rate. Saint Peter's plays at a snail's pace, can pull down offensive boards and draws fouls at a high rate. I wouldn't be shocked if the Peacocks hang around through the first half. But I do think Tennessee's talent and suppressing defense will prevail. Given how well both teams defend, this game feels like an under.

2024 NCAA Tournament Picks: Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s

Pick: Under 128.5 (-110 on DraftKings)

Check out all of our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket & Betting Coverage >>

2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks

Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament

EAST REGION

MIDWEST REGION

SOUTH REGION

WEST REGION

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks

Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!

Try Premium for FREE in our mobile app

BettingPros App