Vermont vs. Arkansas Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
There were two No. 13 seeds to upset a No. 4 in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Could it happen again on Thursday night in West Region action from Buffalo when No. 13 Vermont takes on No. 4 Arkansas? The Razorbacks are 4-point favourites on the college basketball odds.
Vermont Catamounts vs. Arkansas Razorbacks NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
While No. 13 seeds don’t upset No. 4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament nearly as often as a No. 12 knocks off a No. 5, it definitely happens. Last year, No. 13 North Texas knocked off Purdue and No. 13 Ohio upset defending national champion Virginia (defending champion because there was no 2020 tournament). Overall, No. 13 seeds have 31 wins in 144 total games vs. a No. 4. Throwing out 2020, it has happened at least once in three straight NCAA Tournaments. Multiple 13 seeds have upset 4 seeds in five years: 1987, 2001, 2008, 2018 and 2021.
The winner of Vermont-Arkansas faces either No. 12 New Mexico State or No. 5 Connecticut in the Round of 32 from Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. The Razorbacks are +1194 to win the West Region and the Catamounts +6470.
Vermont has never faced Arkansas in men’s basketball. The Catamounts faced just one power conference team this season and it was very early on, an 11-point loss at Maryland.
Vermont Catamounts (13)
Vermont (28-5) is the marquee program in the America East Conference as it won the regular-season title with a 17-1 mark and then had little trouble winning the conference tournament to reach the Big Dance for eighth time. In fact, the team’s 39-point victory over UMBC in that America East title game was the largest in a Division I conference championship game since 1989. Vermont is 2-7 in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the first round as a No. 13 the previous two trips (2019 & ’17).
The team’s best player is senior forward Ryan Davis (17.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) who repeated as America East Player of the Year. That’s six straight Player of the Year Awards for a Vermont player in the conference, the longest such run in the nation. Senior guard Ben Shungu (16.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) joined Davis on the first-team all-conference, and junior guard Aaron Deloney (7.7 ppg) was chosen as the league’s Sixth Man of the Year. Vermont enters with one loss since Dec. 7 and that was by a point in overtime. It is 1-4 ATS in its past five games as an underdog.
Arkansas Razorbacks (4)
Arkansas (25-8) was fourth in the SEC regular-season standings and then lost in the conference tournament semifinal vs. Texas A&M. Senior guard JD Notae was named first-team All-SEC and third-team All-American. He averaged 18.4 points per game (second in the SEC) while leading the conference (and ranking 21st in the NCAA) in steals at 2.2 per game. Jaylin Williams (10.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg) was named second-team All-SEC.
It’s the 35th all-time NCAA Tournament bid for the Hogs and second in a row. They were a No. 3 seed last year and reached the Elite Eight, losing 81-72 to eventual national champion Baylor. Arkansas is 45-33 all-time in NCAA action and 17-8 in first-round games. This is the first time since 1944 that the team will play a game in Buffalo. The Razorbacks are 14-3-1 ATS in their past 18 games.
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