Rhode Island vs. Oregon Pick
Will No. 11 Rhode Island be able to pull off another upset tonight when the Rams take on No. 3 Oregon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 7:10PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Oregon is a slight favorite, as the Ducks are getting odds of -5.5 points against Rhode Island. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 140 points. This game will take part in the Midwest Region and air on TBS from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
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Rhode Island isn’t lacking in confidence coming into today’s game. The Rams are coming off an 84-72 win over Creighton on Friday for their ninth consecutive win. They now sit at 25-9 on the season while putting up a record of 19-14 against the spread. Rhode Island now averages 73.7 points per game on offense while the defense gives up just 65.1 points per game. In Friday’s win, all five starters scored in double figures and they combined to go 28-29 from the line. Jeff Dowtin posted 23 points to lead Rhode Island while E.C. Matthews had 16 points and seven rebounds.
Despite being without Chris Boucher for the tournament due to a knee injury, Oregon still went out and handled its business against Iona on Friday. The Ducks picked up a 93-77 win to improve to 30-5 on the season and 20-14 against the spread. Oregon is now averaging 79.1 points per game on offense while giving up 65.7 on defense. In Friday’s win, Oregon shot 35 of 63 from the field and pulled down 41 rebounds as a team. Tyler Dorsey led the team with 24 points while Jordan Bell had a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The spread isn’t too great here, which makes me nervous about going with Rhode Island, but there is something about the Rams I like. Their defensive effort is great and will cause some problems for Oregon, who is down one double-digit scorer in Boucher. Rhode Island is also great from the line, which is important in these tight games. As long as the Rams keep their defensive intensity, they can pull of the upset.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: RHODE ISLAND +5.5