March Madness Betting Odds and Capsules: March 21
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The First Four is now over as James Madison, North Carolina A&T, St. Mary's and La Salle advanced to round of 64. Unfortunately for North Carolina A&T and St. Mary's, they have just one day to prepare as they play Thursday. We'll highlight the today's top games below in a hoops betting primer. Get out your March Madness Bracket and check all the sports betting resources. If you are looking for assistance, ATS Sportsline has all your March Madness needs.
The second round of action starts today with another big day of NCAA hoops on Friday!
#11 St. Mary's Gaels (28-6 SU, 16-14-1 ATS) vs. #6 Memphis Tigers (30-4 SU, 15-16 ATS)
Intangibles:
St. Mary's guard Jorden Page is doubtful with a knee injury.
Memphis is 24-1 last 25 games.
St. Mary's has only three loses since Christmas, all to Gonzaga.
Keys to Success:
The Gaels will likely have to play without Page, who was injured late in the season and was averaging around 6 points per game. He's an Australian along with star guard Matthew Dellvedova, who is the all-time leading scorer for the Gaels. Memphis will have to control his from beyond the arc. Joe Jackson leads the Tigers with 13.6 points and 4.8 assists per game.
St. Mary's is coming off a 67-54 win over Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday from Dayton in the First Four, as a 2.5-point favorite. Memphis beat Southern Miss on March 16 to win the Conference USA tournament, 91-79 in overtime as a 4.5-point favorite. St. Mary's is 7-2 ATS last 9 Thursday games. College Basketball Lines: Memphis is a 1-point betting odds favorite. Total: 139.
#12 California Golden Bears (20-11 SU, 12-16-1 ATS) vs. #5 UNLV Runnin' Rebels (25-9 SU, 13-20 ATS)
Intangibles:
UNLV won the first game 76-75 at Berkeley
California is playing just 50 miles away from home
UNLV offers one of the best players in the nation in forward Anthony Bennett.
Keys to Success:
UNLV might be playing a road game here but they beat California on the road in December, so they should be used to it. California was crushed on the boards in that game and they have to rebound better to have a chance. They also have a control freshman Anthony Bennett, who scored 57 points in the Mountain West tournament and had 25 points and 13 rebounds in the first matchup. California is led by 6-foot-7 star guard Allen Crabbe, who averages 18.7 points per game.
Last game: (12/9/12) UNLV (+1.5) over California, 76-75. California had won six straight before losing to Stanford at home and then Utah in overtime by 10 in the Pac-12 tournament. UNLV is coming off a 63-56 loss to New Mexico from Las Vegas in the Mountain West tournament. UNLV is 4-9 ATS last 13 Thursday games. College Basketball Odds: UNLV is a 3-point betting odds favorite. Total: 132.
#11 Belmont Bruins (26-6 SU, 14-15 ATS) vs. #6 Arizona Wildcats (25-7 SU, 14-16 ATS)
Intangibles:
Arizona has won just five of their last 10 games.
Belmont has been in six NCAA Tournaments in the last eight years.
Arizona has a major size advantage against the pesky Bruins.
Keys to Success:
Belmont has never met Arizona and they are just 1-4 straight up lifetime against Pac-12 teams. Belmont averages 77.2 points per game and have an outstanding three-point shooting team (37.6 percent). That's a major factor in this game because Arizona doesn't defend the three-pointer that well (36.0 percent). Arizona does have the size advantage and Solomon Hill (6-7, 220), who averages 13.4 points per game, could have his way inside. Belmont senior Trevor Noack (6-7, 240), who averages 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, will have to play big today.
Belmont won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament , beating Murray State, 70-68 in overtime on the road. They have won six straight games coming into this tournament. Arizona won two of three but lost to UCLA in the Pac-12 tournament, 66-64 as a 4-point favorite. Belmont is 1-4 ATS last 5 NCAA Tournament games. College Hoops Odds: Arizona is a 4.5-point betting odds favorite. Total: 141.