There's nothing like rooting for a Cinderella team during the NCAA Tournament, and the No. 13 seed Ohio Bobcats will have plenty of new fans by the time they face the No. 5 seed Creighton Bluejays in the Round of 32 on Monday.
The Bobcats are coming off a huge upset win over Virginia and will play underdog once again as college basketball betting lines opened with the Bluejays as 6-point favorites.
Here are our best free March Madness picks and predictions for Ohio vs. Creighton on Monday, March 22.
Ohio vs Creighton odds
Sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonCreighton opened a 5.5-point favorite late Saturday night at FanDuel and stuck there, save for about an hour late Sunday morning at -6. As of 3 p.m. ET Monday, ticket count and money are both running 3/1 on underdog Ohio. The total opened at 149.5, dipped to 148.5 at lunch hour today and is now back at the opener, with tickets 3/1 and money 2/1 on the Under.
Check out the full line movement for this gameOhio Bobcats vs Creighton Bluejays betting preview
Injuries
Ohio: None.
Creighton: Modestas Kancleris F (Out), Rati Andronikashvili G (Out).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Bluejays are 2-12-2 ATS in their last 16 NCAA Tournament games. Find more NCAA betting trends for Ohio vs. Creighton.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
They might be a national title miracle with March Madness odds of +30,000 but if you haven't heard much about the MAC champion Ohio Bobcats, you're about to. The Bobcats are led by do-everything guard Jason Preston who averages 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. However, they're more than a one-man team, with every starter averaging double-digits and the entire squad shooting a sizzling 48.4 percent shooting from the floor.
They also showed that they could win a slower-paced defensive battle in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, defeating defending National Champion Virginia by a score of 62-58. The Bobcats shot just 42 percent in that contest but held the Cavaliers to 37 percent shooting from the field, including 26 percent from long range.
Creighton can consider itself fortunate that it didn't join Virginia as a school that lost outright as a big favorite on Saturday. The Bluejays eked out a 63-62 win over the No. 12 seed UC Santa Barbara Gauchos despite entering the game as 7.5-point faves. The Bluejays looked shaky that contest, going 7 of 25 from beyond the arc and rarely attacking the rim. They settled for just seven free throw attempts, with two coming at the end on a deliberate foul.
The Bluejays were one of the top offensive schools in the nation for the first few months of the season, but have struggled to put up points lately. They have now been held to 69 or fewer points in five of their last seven games.
With Creighton's offense going cold and the Bobcats team red-hot, going 10-1 SU and ATS in their last 11 games, we're leaning towards Ohio. And if you think the Bobcats' performance against UVA was a fluke, keep in mind that they took the No. 2 ranked team in the country, Illinois, right down to the wire when they clashed earlier this season.
PREDICTION: Ohio +6 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The Bobcats average a whopping 80.2 points per game while the Bluejays average 78.4 ppg, so expect a high-scoring game right? Maybe not.
We already mentioned Creighton's recent scoring struggles, but the Bluejays are pretty solid on the defensive end of the floor, where they hold foes to a shooting percentage of just 40.9. They've been even better lately, allowing just 61.8 ppg over their last four contests.
The Bobcats are also playing better defense in recent contests. Not only did they hold Virginia's typically efficient offense in check but they also shut down a pair of high-scoring Buffalo and Kent State teams en route to their MAC title. Both teams also play at a fairly average pace, with Ohio ranking 128th in adjusted tempo according to KenPom and Creighton 146th.
Under trends abound for both sides as well, with the Under 6-2-1 in the Bluejays last nine games as a favorite while the Bobcats are 4-1 to the Under in their previous five contests overall. Back the Under again.
PREDICTION: Under 150.5 (-110)
Team total pick
The Bluejays are coming off a disastrous second half against the Gauchos where they scored just 29 points, and they've been inconsistent when it comes to putting up points for a few months now.
The Bluejays team total for this game opened at 78.5, a number they have gone Over in only five of their last 17 contests going back to mid-January. Take their team total Under.
PREDICTION: Team Total Creighton Under 78.5 (-110)
Ohio vs Creighton betting card
- Ohio +6 (-110)
- Under 150.5 (-110)
- Team Total Creighton Under 78.5 (-110)
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Where can I bet on March Madness odds?
March Madness is one of the most popular times of the year for sports bettors, which of course makes it one of the busiest times of the year for online sportsbooks. Every betting site will offer March Madness odds but the top sites are safe and secure, offer a wide range of banking options, and give you a ton of markets for each game. Check out the best March Madness betting sites in your region.
