How to watch Tennessee vs. South Florida: Odds, storylines for women’s NCAA Tournament matchup

The fifth-seeded Tennessee Lady Vols are a made-for-TV team with a fast offense and a knack for draining 3-pointers. No. 12 South Florida faces a massive uphill battle that may get a small boost from Tennessee’s weaknesses on defense. Tennessee is favored by nearly 20 points.

We’ve got a breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the matchup, plus odds, projections and expert picks. Team profiles written by The Athletic’s Michael Waterloo.

How to watch Tennessee vs. South Florida

• What: Birmingham 3 Regional, first round
• Venue: Schottenstein Center — Columbus, Ohio
• Time: 8 p.m. ET, Friday, March 21
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
• Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub

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No. 5 Tennessee Lady Vols

Strengths: The Lady Vols push, push, push on offense, as they play a quick style. They rank second nationally in scoring, thanks in part to Arkansas transfer Samara Spencer and South Carolina transfer Talaysia Cooper. Opponents facing Tennessee must be ready for a barrage of 3-pointers. The Lady Vols rank third nationally in made 3-pointers and finished second in 3-point attempts.

Weaknesses: Their offense is stellar, and it’s a good thing because their defense struggles, as we saw in their SEC tournament loss to Vanderbilt. They rank in the 19th percentile in points allowed per game. So when the 3s that Tennessee relies on aren’t falling, it can make for a long day at the office if the Lady Vols aren’t getting defensive stops. Adding to the defensive issues are the number of fouls by Tennessee. Tournament games can be decided at the free-throw line. Tennessee averaged north of 20 fouls per game, which just isn’t a recipe for success in March.

Outlook: This Tennessee team is fun. The fast-paced, high-scoring nature of this squad is made for TV and the tournament. It’ll all come down to how they play defensively. Tennessee, despite the number of 3-pointers hoisted, ranks in the 97th percentile in offensive rebound rate, so if the Lady Vols can keep possessions alive for second-chance points and limit transition buckets, their offense can overcome their defense like it has all season.

No. 12 South Florida Bulls

Strengths: The Bulls do enough well without doing anything especially great. Sixth-year senior Sammie Puisis leads the scoring pace for the Bulls, averaging 14.8 points per game and shooting 39.5 percent from 3.

Weaknesses: Puisis can shoot from a distance, but the Bulls focus on shot attempts from inside the arc. If defenses are isolating Puisis, can someone like Vittoria Blasigh take on the scoring assignment?

Outlook: South Florida has advanced to the Round of 32 in two of the last three seasons, so it isn’t impossible. But advancing past the first weekend? I’d be surprised.

This matchup can also be streamed on ESPN+.

Tennessee vs. USF odds

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(Photo of Talaysia Cooper, Ruby Whitehorn, and Kaniya Boyd: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)