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The NCAA Tournament is the single greatest betting event perennially. With the thrills, chills and heavy favorite spills, the Madness always delivers. Here are quick thoughts and the lean on Oregon vs. Arizona in the second round of the East Region.
No. 5 Oregon (25-9) vs. No. 4 Arizona (23-12)
Date: Sunday, March 23
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
TV: TBS
The pick — Oregon +3.5 (-110, BetMGM)
Slamming High Noons with your boys while randomly betting on the over/under team dunks prop — they actually exist on BetMGM — at a random sportsbook on the Vegas Strip is pure nirvana.
Ordering one last first-weekend round from the waitress, this bettor has the liquid courage to fire off an additional ticket in a battle packing all kinds of Pac-12 buzz.
Leave your original Nintendo gun deep in the closet. These Ducks won’t be hunted.
Dana Altman doesn’t have the most spectacular squad. However, unchallenged in its dismantling of Liberty in Round 1, Oregon enters Sunday’s clash of former conference adversaries with brimming confidence.
Over their last seven games, the Ducks are a modest No. 99 in effective field goal percentage offense, converting 54.6% on 2-pointers and 33.3% on 3s. That’s far from earth shattering, but in ranking No. 17 in effective field goal percentage defense, they’ve excelled in possession denials. By shackling the perimeter, they’ve given up only 27.8% shooting beyond the arc over the last 30 days.
As for Tommy Lloyd’s desert crew, Arizona often lives and dies with Caleb Love’s unpredictable production.
Over their last nine games, the Wildcats’ perimeter pulse has raced, nailing 38.5% from 3. Love is a major reason why, but fellow backcourt gunner Anthony Dell’Orso and Carter Bryant have occasionally cooked. Their efforts from distance and Tobe Awaka’s fruitful ambitions inside explain why U of A has tallied a downright silly 1.323 points per possession since February 23.
In this Left Coast battle, Nate Bittle’s performance will likely determine who advances. Oregon’s versatile 7-footer is a pivotal piece on both ends. If Jackson Shelstad and Keeshawn Barthelemy complement Bittle effectively with outside strikes, the Ducks will quack.
Other key difference makers are Oregon guard TJ Bamba’s elite defense and Arizona’s questionable efforts to get stops. The ‘Cats rank No. 223 in eFG% D and No. 321 in 3-point D in their last nine games.
Fly high, Puddles.
Season record: 31-26, +4.12 units