Tennessee's Odds to Win March Madness Entering Sweet 16 (Are the Volunteers a National Championship Dark Horse?)

The Tennessee Volunteers have been an NCAA Tournament staple over the past decade, but they've yet to make a Final Four in that stretch. They've made it to the tournament in seven straight seasons, but have yet to make it past the Elite Eight.

They find themselves back in the Sweet 16 for the fourth-straight year. Is it time for the Vols to get over the hump? Let's take a look.

Tennessee's Odds to Win March Madness Entering Sweet 16

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

+6000 (13th best odds)

The bad news is Tennessee's odds are set at +6000, which is 13th of the 16 teams remaining. The good news is that they are a significant step above the bottom tier of teams. Iowa (+12000), Alabama (+13000), and Texas (+30000) all have significantly longer odds.

The Volunteers are two wins away from making it to the Final Four for the first time in school history.

As has been the case in the Rick Barnes era, Tennessee is one of the best defensive teams in the country, but they struggle offensively at times. The Vols rank 35th in defensive efficiency but 151st in effective field goal percentage. They overcome their poor shooting by not turning the ball over and consistently winning the rebounding battle, which has led to them ranking fourth in the country in effective possession ratio.

Continuing to play strong fundamental basketball is going to be their key to going on a deep run in this tournament.

Tennessee went 11-7 in SEC play this season, but the Volunteers had some impressive wins this season, including victories against Houston, Louisville, Alabama, and Vanderbilt. They started their tournament by dismantling Miami Ohio in the Round of 64 and then getting past No. 3 seed Virginia by a score of 79-72 in the Round of 32.

Tennessee is a 4.5-point underdog against Iowa State in the Sweet 16. If they win, they'll go on to face the winner of Michigan vs. Alabama in the Elite Eight.

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