Tennessee vs Ohio State 2010 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Odds, Predictions & Picks: A pass to the 2010 NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight will be on the line tonight when the (6) Tennessee Volunteers [+4½] try their luck against the second seeded, sports betting odds favorite Ohio State Buckeyes [-4½]. All the action in this 2010 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup is expected to get underway at 7:07 PM ET (6:07 PM CT) live from Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO.
The last time these teams faced each other in the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes had a NBA Draft filled roster that included Greg Oden and Mike Conley (Jr.). But even though this Ohio State team isn’t filled with anywhere near the same size and talent, Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl is having some sleepless nights figuring out strategy and matchups.
“They’re a more difficult team to game plan for. What they did (in 2007) is what they did. They weren’t as multiple,” Pearl said. “Ohio State presents you with the biggest mismatch of any team in the tournament. Who guards Turner? Who guards Lighty? If you put two guys on him, who has Diebler? It’s pretty easy to say your center might guard (Dallas) Lauderdale, but where you go from there is really the great challenge.”
With Big Ten player of the year and sports betting odds favorite for national honors, Evan Turner is without question a superstar at the collegiate level and the leader of this team. With his 20 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists per game, the comparison between Turner and what Conley once brought to that 2007 team are similar but different at the same time.
“They’re the antithesis to each other,” OSU coach Thad Matta said of Turner and Conley. “They’re both point guards, but they do completely different things.”
