After a thrilling weekend of action that saw upsets, dynamite interviews, and millions of busted brackets, the original field of 68 in the NCAA Tournament has been cut down to just 16 teams left competing for the championship trophy. Rick Barnes’ Tennessee Volunteers are one of the final 16 teams standing after thrashing Miami (OH) in the first round and upsetting 3-seed Virginia in the second round last weekend in Philadelphia.
Despite the wins, though, Tennessee still isn’t widely looked upon as a championship contender. The Vols were ranked as the third-worst team left in the tournament by ESPN on Monday.
Tennessee will square off against 2-seed Iowa State in the Sweet 16 on Friday. Other intriguing Sweet 16 games include Duke-St. John’s, Michigan State-UConn, Illinois-Houston, Arizona-Arkansas, and Michigan-Alabama. If Tennessee can get past the Cyclones on Friday, it’ll have a date with either 1-seed Michigan or 4-seed Alabama with a trip to the Final Four on the line Sunday.
Here’s a look at the NCAA championship odds for the final 16 teams left in the tournament, according to Fanduel Sportsbook on Wednesday afternoon:
- Michigan +290
- Arizona +390
- Duke +420
- Houston +650
- Purdue +1300
- Illinois +1600
- Iowa State +1700
- UConn +2200
- Michigan State +3000
- St. John’s +3300
- Arkansas +4500
- Tennessee +6500
- Nebraska +6500
- Alabama +8000
- Iowa +8000
- Texas +15000
*Odds are subject to change
More From RTI: College Basketball Analytics Offer Probability Tennessee Will Advance to Elite Eight, Final Four, Beyond
While fans have every right to look ahead in the tournament, Tennessee is squarely focused on its next opponent. The 6-seed Vols will take on the 2-seed Iowa State Cyclones on Friday night at 10:10 p.m. ET.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s betting odds for its Sweet 16 game against Iowa State:
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider throughout the tournament for more Tennessee Basketball news, notes, and coverage.
