Barry Recks
The Tennessee Volunteers and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns will be in for an interesting battle this Thursday between teams with great stylistic differences.
Read on for more about this Tennessee vs Louisiana matchup in the 2022-23 college basketball season, including the latest odds, pick, and prediction to win this showdown, as brought to you by JefeBet. Also, don’t forget to check out the other NCAAB game previews here to help you make the best betting decisions.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the Tennessee Volunteers vs Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns NCAA Basketball Championship Round 1 Game on March 16, 2023
- Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
- When: Thursday, March 16, 2023, 9:40 PM ET
- March Madness Betting Odds: View NCAAB Odds
[the_ad_placement id=“sports-ncaab”]
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers
- Regular Season Record: 23-10
Tennessee is coming off an upset 79-71 loss in the SEC tournament last Friday to the Missouri Tigers for another black eye on the Vols’ resume. But despite that loss, here are the Vols, preparing to play in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
They have had stumbles in the regular season, especially in the latter portion, but the Vols are still a very potent team. Tennessee has a suffocating defense that is allowing only 58.0 points per game this season. Teams find it hard to get comfortable on offense against the Vols, who are limiting opponents to only 42.4 eFG% and 36.9 FG%. Tennessee has a pesky backcourt that forces plenty of turnovers and bad shots, which Louisiana will have to deal with on Thursday.
Betting on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
- Regular Season Record: 26-7
By topping the Sun Belt tournament, the Ragin’ Cajuns have booked a spot in the Big Dance, and they have every intention of making it past the first round. While Tennessee has an excellent defense, Louisiana’s best asset is its offense.
It finished the regular season No. 1 in the Sun Belt with 112.4 points per 100 possessions adjusted and third with 78.0 points per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from behind the arc. It’s not the tallest team out there, but Louisiana has a tremendous offensive rebounding, ranking No. 31st in the nation with a 33.8 ORB%. Jordan Brown, a 6-11 junior center, poses a big threat to Tennessee, as he is averaging 19.4 points on 57 FG%, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
JefeBet Prediction
Louisiana’s offense is to be respected, but it’s not going to have the same success it had against Summit League teams in this game against Tennessee, whose defense has been tested by far superior offenses in the regular season.
Prediction: Tennessee wins, 78-62.
Bet the prediction above (or make your own) AND get an instant bonus to apply to your wager by clicking the banner below
[the_ad_placement id=“sports-ncaab”]
