Butler vs. Arkansas Prediction
The 10-seeded Butler Bulldogs are a small favorite today against 7-seeded Arkansas. Will the Bulldogs advance past the Razorbacks in the opening round of the March Madness tournament?
Butler vs. Arkansas Game Snapshot
(871) Butler vs. (872) Arkansas
Friday, March 16, 2018
TV: TRUTV, 3:10 p.m. ET
CURRENT ODDS
According to oddsmakers from online sports book YouWager, the Bulldogs are 1.5-point favorites to knock off the Razorbacks, while the over/under currently sits at 151 at the majority of online sportsbooks.
LINE MOVEMENT
Butler opened as a 1-point favorite but the line has climbed to 1.5 at most online sportsbooks. As for the total, it opened at 153.5 but has been bet down to 151 online.
Bet Tonight’s College Hoops Action
PUBLIC BETTING INFORMATION
As of Friday morning, 62% of betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Bulldogs to cover the point spread this afternoon. Meanwhile, 62% of the betting tickets are on the over.
KEY INJURIES
The Bulldogs enter play today relatively healthy and do not have a player listed on their injury report ahead of tip-off. On the other side, the Razorbacks will not have Dustin Thomas (dismissed) or Khalil Garland (medical).
BETTING STRATEGIES
There’s a reason why a 10 is favored over a 7: Butler was seeded too low and oddsmakers know it. The Bulldogs defense allows 7.4 second-chance points per game according to ESPN Stats & Info. That’s the second-fewest among major conference teams behind only Virginia (6.9), which owns the best defense in the nation. Senior forward Kelan Martin is one of two Big East players averaging 20 points and five rebounds per game and he’s one to watch today.
The Razorbacks, meanwhile, average 81.1 points per game, which is the second-most in the SEC. They shoot 47.7 percent from the field, which is the highest in the SEC but I like the Bulldogs’ chances of shutting down Arkansas’ transition game today. Plus, for as good as the Razorbacks are offensively, I don’t trust their defense.
MARCH MADNESS COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREDICTION: BUTLER BULLDOGS -1.5