Creighton vs Tennessee Prediction & Picks - NCAA Basketball

Prediction published on 3/28/24, 9:10 AM  by Bill Christy | Modified on 3/28/24 at 9:11 AM in NCAA Basketball Picks

It is the 2 vs 3 matchup of the Midwest Region that will feature the Tennessee Volunteers vs the Creighton Bluejays. The winner will advance to the Elite 8 to face the winner of the Purdue/Gonzaga matchup. Creighton has yet to face a single digit seed as they defeated #14 Akron in the opening round by 17 and then #11 Oregon 86-73 in the 2nd round. Ryan Kalkbrenner has been leading the way for the Jays and is averaging 21 points, 11 boards, and 4 blocks per game thus far. For the Vols, they faced some adversity in their 2nd matchup of the tournament. After coasting to an 83-49 victory over Saint Peter’s, they faced a pesky Texas team. After leading by as many as 12, the Longhorns saw their lead cut to 1 with just seconds remaining, but Dalton Knecht was able to knock down free throws down the stretch to secure the victory. Knecht, who averaged 21.4ppg and 4.5rpg during the season has maintained his scoring numbers while increasing his rebounding to 8.5 per game. This matchup will be an interesting clash of offensive styles. The Vols play at the 24th quickest pace in the country while Creighton likes to slow things down and is 182nd in pace. Whoever can impose their will on the tempo of the game could determine the winner here.