The 7th-seeded Texas Longhorns (21-12) take on the 2nd-seeded Tennessee Volunteers (25-8) Saturday in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off from Spectrum Center in Charlotte is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (CBS). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Texas vs. Tennessee odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Both schools made easy work of their 1st-round opponents in the Midwest Region Thursday, as Texas got past Colorado State 56-44, while Tennessee blasted Saint Peter’s 83-49. The Volunteers outlasted the Longhorns 82-71 in their last meeting Jan. 28, 2023, cashing as 5.5-point home favorites. G Zakai Zeigler, who led the SEC this season with 6 assists per game this season, had a double-double in the win last year with 22 points (3-of-6 from 3) and 10 assists.
Zeigler had 11 points and once again dished out 10 assists in the win over the Peacocks Thursday, becoming the 1st Volunteer to record a points-assists double-double in the NCAA Tournament. G Dalton Knecht, the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year, led Tennessee with 23 points.
Despite going 1 of 14 from 3-point range as a team, Texas was still able to outlast Colorado State in the 1st round in big part due to a 17-0 points off turnovers advantage. F Brock Cunningham, the winningest player in Texas basketball history, led the way with 3 steals off the bench.