ESPN Analytics predicts outcome of Tennessee vs. Michigan Elite 8 matchup
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The Tennessee Volunteers pulled off a massive upset in the Sweet 16 against Iowa State on Friday night, and they will now be dancing into the Elite 8 for the fourth straight year, where a matchup against the No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines awaits.
This will be the first time the Vols and Wolverines have crossed paths on the hardwood since the 2022 NCAA Tournament, when Michigan pulled off a shocking second-round upset to send the No. 3-seeded Tennessee home early.
The roles have been flipped this time around, with Michigan holding the higher seed, and the stakes are also much higher with a spot in the Final Four on the line. ESPN Analytics recently released its prediction for how this Big 10 vs. SEC clash will play out, and its model isn’t too high on the Volunteers.
According to ESPN, the Wolverines have a 68.3% chance of pulling out the win as of this writing, while Tennessee has a 31.7% chance of putting together another massive upset and advancing to its first Final Four in program history.
There’s no question that Michigan has been the better team so far this season, but crazy things tend to happen the deeper teams get into March. If Tennessee can carry over the momentum from its upset against Iowa State, it could send the Wolverines packing as well.
