The 5th-seeded Duke Blue Devils (27-8) and 4th-seeded Tennessee Volunteers (24-10) meet Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip from Amway Center in Orlando is scheduled for approximately 2:40 p.m. ET (CBS). Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Duke vs. Tennessee odds as we make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Duke routed Oral Roberts 74-51 in the opening game of the tourney, easily covering as a 5.5-point favorite as the Under (147) cashed.
The Blue Devils clamped down on the Golden Eagles, limiting ORU to just 30% (19 of 63) from the field and posting a plus-14 rebounding margin. Duke shot 48% (31 of 64) and turned it over just 8 times. G Jeremy Roach, the most experienced Duke player in terms of NCAA Tournament games, racked up a game-high 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting.
Tennessee had a close shave in a 58-55 victory over Louisiana, although it came nowhere near covering as an 11.5-point favorite while the Under (135.5) comfortably came through. Tennessee led by 18 points with 11 minutes to go, but Louisiana had a furious comeback.