The NCAA Basketball Tournament South Region top-seed Ohio State (32-3) will try to get past the five-seed Tennessee Volunteers (24-10) in the regional semifinals at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas tonight, tipoff at 9:55 p.m. ET. Oddsmakers like the Buckeyes chances having them installed as -5.0 favorites (144.5 total) to beat the Volunteers. The winner will take on either Memphis or Texas A&M in the regional finals on Saturday for the chance to go to the tournaments final four in Atlanta.
The Buckeyes, as a -8.0 point favorite , had to battle for their lives against in-state challenger Xavier on March 17th in Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky, winning 78-71 in overtime. While the OVER cashed in totals betting, the Buckeyes fell short of covering ATS for backers on the spread. Ohio State has been a good bet for backers covering ATS in five straight games prior to their game with the Musketeers.
Tennessee made it to the sweet-16 by defeating Long Beach State as a -8.0-point favorite in a score-fest 121-86 in the first round and by toppling Virginia 77-74 as a -3.0-point favorite on March 18th in the second round.
Ohio State and Tennessee met earlier this season in Columbus in the first of a two-game series. The Buckeyes were – 9.5-point favorites but narrowly slipped by 68-66. The win started a streak of 19-consecutive victories for Ohio State. The two teams will square off again next season in Knoxville. Ohio State is 3-0 all-time vs. the Volunteers. In that game with Tennessee back in January, Buckeyes freshman sensation post man Greg Oden was still adjusting to the college game and had a brace on his surgically repaired right wrist that hampered his ability.
Those things were supposed to be holding him down. Instead, he had his first monster game: 24 points, 15 rebounds, perfect from the foul line (6-for-6), four assists, three blocks and a steal in 36 minutes.
Yet the Buckeyes, playing at home, still needed what was then a career-high in points from freshman point guard Mike Conley and a 3-pointer from Ron Lewis with 11.2 seconds left to beat the Volunteers.
Point-Spreads.com pick: Vols +9.0
