2008 Tennessee NCAA Basketball Tournament Odds

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The Tennessee Volunteers looked to be a team which could contend for an SEC title at the beginning of the season, but now the number one ranked Vols are clearly a squad capable of more. Find out just how far Jimmy thinks the Vols can go when he takes a look at the 2008 Tennessee Volunteers odds to win the NCAA tournament.

Tennessee improved to 25-2 on the season with a big win at number one ranked Memphis. Now the Vols have inherited the coveted number one spot. Tennessee is 11-1 in SEC play, sitting two games ahead of Kentucky in the SEC West in first place. Tennessee still has games left at Vandy, against Kentucky, and at Florida. Kentucky is the biggest threat to catch the Vols and is responsible for handing them one of their two defeats. Tennessee will be looking for pay back on its home floor and I think they’ll get it as the Vols are a perfect 14-0 at home this season. The Vols are an impressive 8-2 ATS in those home lined games this season and a profitable 14-9 in all lined games this season. No team in the SEC has covered the number as well as Tennessee in 2007-08.

The Vols are one of the most explosive offensive teams in college basketball scoring 83.3 ppg, which is good for sixth in the nation. Chris Lofton has continued to be one of the premier three-point shooters in the country, but he has also expanded his game to be more of an all-around scorer. He leads the Vols with 15.1 ppg. The addition of transfer Tyler Smith is really what has taken this team to a new level. He is the best player on the Vols, in my opinion, and a guy who can really do it all. He leads the team in rebounds and assists, and at 6’7’’, he can play both inside and out.

I don’t see anyone catching the Vols in the SEC with so few games left despite Tennessee having a difficult three-game stretch to end the season. A big win over Memphis late in the year and on the road tells us that the Vols are the real deal. If this team has a weakness, it is its defense. But the Volunteers guard the three-point line as well as any team in the country, limiting opponents to only 29.1 percent which is good for fifth in the nation. With the three-point weapon being vital to lower seeded teams knocking off the higher seeds in the Bg Dance, I don’t see the Vols going down before the Sweet 16.

The Vols also have the benefit of playing under a great motivator in Bruce Pearl. These types of coaches provide that extra lift in big games.

If you think the Vols have what it takes to cut down the nets this April, you can bet them at 7/1 odds at Bodoglife to win the NCAA tournament.

Make sure you check out the rest of Jimmy’s NCAA tournament articles to give yourself an edge over the books come tourney time.

Take a look at our betting articles on other NCAA basketball teams:

• Maryland Terrapins

• Drake Bulldogs

• Duke Blue Devils

• UCLA Bruins

• North Carolina Tar Heels

• Kansas Jayhawks

• Michigan State Spartans

• Butler Bulldogs

• Stanford Cardinal

February 5th, 2007