The last game on the college basketball betting board for Saturday is a matchup between the VCU Rams and Oregon Ducks.
Oregon enters the first round as the No. 7 seed in the West Region and is a 5.5-point favorite against No. 10 seed Virginia Commonwealth.
We bring you our best free March Madness picks and predictions for VCU vs. Oregon on Saturday, March 20, with tipoff at 9:57 p.m. ET.
Update:
News on March Madness brackets: Oregon-VCU game in NCAA tournament has been ruled a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols. Oregon has advanced to the next round in the tournament.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2021
VCU vs Oregon odds
Sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonCirca Sports director Matt Metcalf noted this matchup as one of several seeing intriguing early action. "This has the potential to be a big need for the books come Saturday night," Metcalf said Monday evening. "We anticipate a lot of Oregon money coming in and have already seen a lot of Ducks support at -5." Oregon has already visited -6 at Circa and is at -5.5 Monday night, while the total is stable at 136.5.
Check out the full line movement for this gameVCU Rams vs Oregon Ducks betting preview
Injuries
VCU: KeShawn Curry G (Out).
Oregon: N'Faly Dante C (Out).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Ducks are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games. Find more NCAA betting trends for VCU vs. Oregon.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
Oregon enters the NCAA Tournament fresh off a 75-64 loss to Oregon State in the Pac-12 semifinals. While that was a tough defeat (especially just five days after the Ducks beat the Beavers by 13 points on the road), sometimes upset losses happen in rivalry games. Before that loss, the Ducks had gone 11-1 SU in their previous 12 games, including 5-0 ATS in their last five, and enter with March Madness odds of +8,000 to win a national title.
After a 74-65 loss to St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic 10 championship game, the Rams are now 3-3 SU and ATS in their last 6 games. VCU is an impressive 12th in the nation in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, but it struggles on the other end of the floor, ranking 117th in offensive efficiency.
VCU guard Nah'Shon Hyland has been terrific, leading the team with 19.5 points per game on 45/37/86 shooting, but after him the cupboard is bare. Forward Vince Williams chips in with 10.6 ppg but nobody else on the roster averages over 7.5 ppg.
The Ducks are far more talented offensively, ranking 16th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency and 31st in effective field goal percentage against Division 1 foes. And they're loaded with scoring options, with all five starters averaging double-digits. They're led by Eugene Omoruyi and Chris Duarte, as the Canadians are tied for the team lead in points at 16.7 per game.
While the Ducks might not be quite as tough as the Rams on defense, they're still solid in that area and hold opponents to 66.9 ppg on 43.3 percent shooting. The Rams won't be able to keep pace with Oregon's offense in this one, so lay the points with the Ducks.
PREDICTION: Oregon -5.5 (-110)
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Over/Under Pick
With tough defenders like Hason Ward (2.3 blocks per game) and Adrian Baldwin Jr. (2.1 steals per game), VCU has been a solid Under bet this season.
That said, the Rams have a recent history of playing higher-scoring games during March Madness, going 6-0 O/U in their last six NCAA tournament games.
The Ducks, meanwhile, don't play at a fast pace but their highly efficient offense means they still average an impressive 74.4 ppg against Division 1 opponents. They've been an excellent Over bet for the last couple of years, going 20-8 to the Over in their previous 28 contests as a favorite. Back the Over again.
PREDICTION: Over 137 (-110)
Team Total Pick
Oregon's shooters may have gone cold in the Pac-12 semis but don't expect that to happen again. The Ducks went just 6-25 (24 percent) from long range in that contest but prior to that were 13th in the country with a sizzling three-point percentage of 38.5.
The Ducks had also scored at least 71 points in each of their previous six games, averaging 79.7 ppg over that span. With Oregon's team total set at 70.5 for Saturday night, take the Over.
PREDICTION: Team Total Oregon Over 70.5 (-110)
VCU vs Oregon betting card
- Oregon -5.5 (-110)
- Over 137 (-110)
- Team Total Oregon Over 70.5 (-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.
