After a year away, the Peacocks of St. Peter’s are back to ruin more brackets, entering 2024 March Madness as a No. 15 seed – the same number that was attached to them in 2022 when they made their historic run to the Elite Eight.
But standing immediately in St. Peter’s way is Midwest Region No. 2 seed Tennessee, a true national title contender that top-rated sportsbooks have installed as a -point favorite ahead of Thursday’s first-round matchup. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 9:20 p.m. ET on TNT.
Of course, Kentucky was also heavily favored two years ago, and we remember how that went. And it’s certainly in the back of our mind as we evaluate St. Peter’s vs. Tennessee odds and betting trends, before ultimately coming to prediction.
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St. Peter’s vs. Tennessee odds
Here are the latest college basketball betting odds for St. Peter’s vs. Tennessee:
This is the first-ever meeting between these two programs. St. Peter’s (19-13) is 20-11 against the spread this season, which is 16th best in the country, and 10-6 ATS as an underdog. The OVER is 15-16 in Peacocks games.
Tennessee (24-8) is 16-15-1 ATS and 14-12-1 as a favorite. The OVER and UNDER are even in Vols games, with each hitting 16 times.
More on the Tourney: March Madness longshots | How Vegas oddsmakers create NCAA Tournament betting lines
Three betting trends to watch
- St. Peter’s is 9-2 ATS in its past 11 games, and 5-1 ATS as an underdog in that stretch, with four outright wins.
- Tennessee has struggled in games coming off four or more days rest, as they are 2-6 ATS in such situations. Thursday’s game will tip off six days after Tennessee last took the court in an SEC Tournament quarterfinal loss against Mississippi State. On the other hand, Tennessee is 5-2 ATS after a loss.
- Seven of Tennessee’s final eight games finished UNDER the total.
Make your picks: Who will win 2024 March Madness? | 2024 March Madness odds | Printable bracket | ATS picks
St. Peter’s key players
The 2021-22 team that became the first 15 seed to ever make the Elite Eight is almost entirely gone. The one player remaining is Latrell Reid, who is one of two players to average double figures in scoring for the Peacocks this season. He’s at 11.1 points per game, while adding 4.6 assists. He also leads the team in minutes played at 32.9.
It’s sophomore forward Corey Washington that leads the way for the Peacocks, however, averaging 16.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. After a slow start to the MAAC Tournament, he had a monster game in the final against Fairfield, putting up 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
Tennessee key players
Not surprisingly, Tennessee is much deeper than St. Peter’s, but it’s scoring output is just as lopsided, if not more. Senior guard Dalton Knecht has been the unquestioned leader on the floor for the Vols, averaging 21.1 points per game while shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point land. The Northern Colorado transfer was named SEC Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American by the Associated Press.
Forward Jonas Aidoo and guard Zakai Zeigler each average 11.9 points per game for the Volunteers, while leading the team in other categories: Aidoo in rebounding (7.7 per game) and Zeigler in assists (5.8).
Best individual matchup: Armoni Zeigler vs. Zakai Zeigler
These two probably won’t see much of each other Thursday, as Armoni is a reserve, but to answer your question, yes, they are brothers. Big brother is one of the best players in the SEC, and he’s going to be a handful for little brother’s teammate, Reid, on both ends of the floor. Who knows, maybe that will force St. Peter’s to lean on Armoni a little to try and slow down Zakai.
As you’re about to learn, we don’t see this being particularly close, so some brotherly 1-on-1 might be the most entertaining portion of the game.
More first-round NCAA Tournament matchups: Clemson vs. New Mexico | Duke vs. Vermont | NC State vs. Texas Tech | Oregon vs. South Carolina | Michigan State vs. Mississippi State | Auburn vs. Yale | Kansas vs. Samford | Nebraska vs. Texas A&M |
Gonzaga vs. McNeese State | UConn vs. Stetson
St. Peter’s vs. Tennessee stat to know
Tennessee features one of the top 10 2-point defenses in the country, allowing teams to shoot just 44.3 percent from the field. St. Peter’s isn’t far behind, actually, at 46.4 percent against, good for 31st nationally. But where this game gets put to bed is likely St. Peter’s inability to make 2s, which is going to cause quite a struggle against a ridiculous and tested Volunteer defense.
The Peacocks make just 42.4 percent of their 2-point field goals, which is 359th in the country.
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St. Peter’s vs. Tennessee prediction
As much as we love a Cinderella story, and seeing St. Peter’s pop up on the 15 line certainly brought back warm and fuzzy feelings (for people not in Kentucky), this is very different. The 2022 St. Peter’s team was over-talented for a team of its seed, and the fact nearly all of its players transferred to bigger schools and found roles confirmed that.
Yes, it’s a Rick Barnes-coached team in March, but Tennessee looks to have all the makings of a Final Four squad with a real possibility of winning the whole thing.
Prediction: Tennessee 85, St. Peter’s 58. Tennessee (-21.5) covers the spread with the game going OVER the total (129).
HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED: 16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5
Best NC betting promos to bet on St. Peter’s vs. Tennessee odds
For the first time, you can bet on March Madness in North Carolina this year, as legal online sports betting launched on March 11. Check out our favorite NC online sports betting sites below and click “Claim Promo” on any to receive the best North Carolina sportsbook promos and bonuses.
Related: How to bet on UNC March Madness odds at NC Sportsbooks | How to bet on Duke March Madness odds at NC sportsbooks
