Following a victory on Wednesday in a play-in game against SMU, the Miami (OH) RedHawks (32-1) are taking on the No. 6 seed Tennessee Volunteers (22-11) on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed.
The Volunteers are a 10.5-point favorite for a matchup that will tip off at 4:25 p.m. ET on TBS. Can Tennessee hand Miami (OH) their second loss of the season in Friday’s showdown in the Midwest region of the bracket?
Below, we’ll break down our Miami (OH) vs. Tennessee spread prediction and picks for Friday’s NCAA Tournament clash. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and total!
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Miami (OH) vs. Tennessee Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
No team in the tourney has fewer losses than the RedHawks, though they weren’t tested much during the regular season.
The lone defeat for Miami (OH) came against UMass in the MAC Tournament, but the RedHawks secured an 89-79 win over SMU on Wednesday to earn the chance to face the Volunteers.
Led by senior G Ja’Kobi Gillespie (18.0 PPG, 5.5 APG), Tennessee is a battle-tested SEC program that's secured impressive wins over Vanderbilt, Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Texas, Louisville, and Houston.
While the Volunteers haven’t been worse than the No. 5 seed since 2014, they’ve advanced beyond the first round in every appearance in the last four NCAA Tournaments.
Miami (OH) vs. Tennessee Spread, Over/Under
Tennessee is favored by 10.5 points, returning a 1.16x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if it wins outright.
Miami (OH) is an underdog with a 5.26x payout for a victory on PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Tennessee -10.5 (1.78x payout)
- Over/Under: 149.5 (1.92x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Miami (OH) 5.26x | Tennessee 1.16x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
🔥 Get College Basketball Predictions and Picks from the experts for the NCAA Tournament
Miami (OH) vs. Tennessee Prediction on Spread – 3/20/26
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Miami (OH) vs. Tennessee prediction on the spread for the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 20, on PrizePicks.
- This is the RedHawks’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007, when they were eliminated in the first round as a No. 14 seed.
- Although Miami (OH) didn’t face a ranked opponent during the regular season, they're a perfect 5-0 against the spread (ATS) as an underdog.
- The RedHawks are also 4-2 ATS with a rest disadvantage, which is worth noting after they played on Wednesday.
- The Volunteers last played on March 13 and are 4-5 ATS when taking the court with a rest advantage.
- Miami (OH) may keep this game competitive with its offensive efficiency, ranking fifth in effective field-goal percentage (59.1%) and second in 2-point clip (61.4%), via Bart Torvik.
- The RedHawks can get hot from deep, posting the 21st-best 3-point percentage (37.6%) and sitting 59th in 3-point rate (45.3%).
- Meanwhile, the Volunteers are 327th in 3-point rate allowed (44.4%), so Miami (OH) could have plenty of opportunities to get deep shots up.
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Make Miami (OH) vs. Tennessee Picks on PrizePicks
Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of competitive matchups between a No. 6 and a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which has made it a trendy upset selection when making brackets. Can Miami (OH) keep this game close or potentially pull off a victory?
You can make your Miami (OH) vs. Tennessee picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. Over on Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news throughout the NCAA Tournament.
