The madness marches on as the 11-seed Oregon Ducks battle it out with 3-seed Creighton Blue Jays in the second round! Let's check out our college basketball odds series, where our Oregon-Creighton prediction and pick will be unveiled.
One of the hottest teams in the tournament, Oregon is hitting their stride at the perfect time. Winners of five dating back to the regular season, there is nobody that is remaining in March Madness who wants to play this team. Could this Oregon team be one that is destined to make history when it's all said and done?
Meanwhile, Creighton is looking to avenge their Elite Eight loss from a year ago and give their energetic fan base back in Omaha something to cheer about. After blasting the Akron Zips by a score of 77-60, the elite nature of playmakers that exist on this roster is undeniable. Since his arrival back in 2010, head coach Greg McDermott has been an integral part in sending this program and university to brand new heights. Can the Blue Jays prove that they should be taken seriously as NCAA Tournament contenders?
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Oregon-Creighton Odds
Oregon: +5.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +180
Creighton: -5.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -215
Over: 145.5 (-115)
Under: 145.5 (-105)
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Time: 9:40 ET/6:40 PT
TV: TBS/TruTV
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Why Oregon Will Cover The Spread/Win
With the heroic victory over six-seeded South Carolina in the opening round, the Ducks were led by former South Carolina Gamecock Jermaine Couisnard who absolutely torched his former team. By the time his afternoon had concluded, it was the dynamic scorer who dropped a whopping 40 points on a red-hot 63% shooting from the field. In fact, no Ducks player in history has scored more points in an Oregon uniform than Couisnard just did in the NCAA Tournament. By elevating his game, it is crystal clear that the senior from East Chicago, Indiana is a threat whenever he gets his paws on the rock.
Not to mention, but very few teams that remain in this tournament have a player like N'Faly Dante on their hands. Despite dealing with injuries all season long, the Ducks dominating center rarely misses shots. No joke, Dante has only come up empty with his shot seven times in his last three games played. Over that span, Dante has gone a combined 32-39 and is an absolute force down low in the block.
In addition to Oregon's pair of superstars on the hardwood, keep your eyes peeled on the Ducks to flex their muscles in the form of being battle-tested. With the 51st ranking in terms of strength of schedule on the year, there isn't a foe that intimidates the Ducks whatsoever.
Why Creighton Will Cover The Spread/Win
Although Creighton will be squaring off with an absolute buzzsaw in Oregon, many basketball fanatics around the country feel like this Blue Jays group also has the pieces to embark on a special run in this tournament.
All in all, it all starts with the veteran leadership of seniors Baylor Scheierman and Ryan Kalkbrenner. With the former serving as the team's leading scorer, it's the latter that is the heart and soul of the squad within the paint. Towering at 7'1″, Kalkbrenner tallied 23 points on 64% shooting against the Zips. Of course, the matchup to watch for is Kalkbrenner versus Dante down low. Entertainingly enough, this Tournament may be flipped upside down on its head with the sheer physicality that this matchup presents. If Kalkbrenner can win this battle and dominate the glass over his superbly talented counterpart in Dante, then Creighton should suck the life out of Oregon.
Most importantly, not only is Creighton considered one of the more efficient offenses in the country with a whopping 80.4 points per game, the Blue Jays are also an excellent free-throw shooting team. With a 77.5% shooting clip from the charity stripe, Creighton can certainly be trusted if this contest comes down to the wire and free throws need to be made to put the game on ice.
Final Oregon-Creighton Prediction & Pick
Simply put, Oregon head coach Dana Altman deserves his flowers for taking this Oregon team as far as they have. With the surplus of injuries that have tormented this year's squad, the Ducks sit only one win away from reaching the Sweet 16 with only eight scholarship players. Despite being the hottest team in the nation, Creighton is a different kind of beast, and with their invaluable experience in big moments, side with the Blue Jays to do just enough in crunch time to come out on top.
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Final Oregon-Creighton Prediction & Pick: Creighton -5.5 (-105)
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