Tennessee vs. Iowa State Opening Odds, Preview for March Madness Sweet 16

The Iowa State Cyclones were without one of their best players, Joshua Jefferson, but that didn't slow them down against the Kentucky Wildcats, beating them by a final score of 82-63. Now, they'll face another SEC team in the Sweet 16, the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Volunteers cruised past Miami Ohio in the Round of 64 and then got by Virginia in the Round of 32 to return to the Sweet 16.

Let's take a look at the opening odds for this SEC vs. Big 12 showdown on Friday night.

Tennessee vs. Iowa State Opening Odds for Sweet 16

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Tennessee +4.5 (-118)
Iowa State -4.5 (-104)

Moneyline

Tennessee +155
Iowa State -188

Total

OVER 138.5 (-110)
UNDER 138.5 (-110)

Iowa State is the -188 favorite in this game, making them the fourth-longest favorite in the Sweet 16. Iowa vs. Nebraska, Illinois vs. Houston, and Michigan State vs. UConn are the three games with tighter odds.

Tennessee vs. Iowa State Preview

The storyline to watch leading into the Sweet 16 is whether or not Iowa State will get Joshua Jefferson back in the lineup. He suffered an ankle injury in the Cyclones' Round of 64 game against Tennessee State. He's averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season, and there's a chance he's able to play on Friday night.

In terms of the game itself, keep an eye on the turnovers by Tennessee. As good as the Volunteers are defensively, they turn the ball over on 16.8% of their possessions, which ranks 219th in the country. That's bad news against an Iowa State team that ranks fourth in opponent turnovers per possession, forcing a turnover on 22% of their opponents' possessions.

That, paired with the Vols ranking just 151st in effective field goal percentage, is going to make for a tough night for them against a Cyclones team with very few, if any, weaknesses.

Iowa State is seventh on the odds list to win the National Championship at +1700. Tennessee is 12th on the odds list at +5500.

The winner of the game will advance to the Elite Eight to face the winner of Michigan vs. Alabama.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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