Oregon vs. Iowa Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
Oregon became the first team in NCAA Tournament history to move on because of a no contest, after the VCU Rams had to drop out of the tournament due to COVID issues. The Ducks will face an Iowa Hawkeyes team that is fresh off an 86-74 win over Grand Canyon in the first round. Will the missed game help Oregon stay rested and better prepared, or will rust be a factor for the Ducks?
Oregon Ducks vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
After Iowa opened as 4-point favourites over Oregon, betting action on the Hawkeyes moved the line to -5.5. The same thing happened with the Over, as it opened at 145.5 and has climbed to 148. Heading into this tournament, Oregon has been pouring points in. The Ducks have hit the Over in seven straight games and are 5-1 against the spread in their last six. Iowa’s coming into this game on the other end of the spectrum. The Hawkeyes have been an Under team in nine of their last 12 games and are 5-4-1 ATS since early February.
(7) Oregon Ducks
Scheduled to play the VCU Rams on Saturday, Oregon moved on after VCU pulled out of the tournament because of COVID issues. On the plus side, they’ll be rested, but on the negative side, they’ll be rusty. The Ducks are a very good team from 3-point land. They’re shooting 37.9 per cent from beyond the arc (24th in the country) and went 14-1 in games they hit 38 per cent of their threes. Oregon averages 74.1 points per game and limits opponents to 66.9 points. Five players are averaging double-digit points, but no one has been better than Eugene Omoruyi and Chris Duarte. Both players are averaging 16.7 points per game and Duarte leads the team in assists (2.3), steals (1.9) and blocks (0.8). This is a dangerous team that attacks the ball defensively and can go on huge runs. If they can find a way to shut down Luka Garza, they could be the first team to make the Sweet 16 with a single win in the tournament.
(2) Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa looked like a No. 2 seed in their first round game against Grand Canyon, dominating the Antelopes 86-74. Iowa now has eight wins in their last 10 games and doesn’t look to be slowing down. Leading scorer Garza, along with Joe Wieskamp and Jordan Bohannon came up big on Saturday. Garza, who is averaging 23.7 points per game, finished with 24 points and six rebounds against Grand Canyon. Wieskamp put up 16 points against the Antelopes, while Bohannon dropped 13 points and finished 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. This is a balanced offensive team. Even if opponents somehow find a way to shutdown Garza, which rarely happens, Iowa has the firepower from the rest of the starting five and the bench to put other teams away. If this turns into a shootout, Iowa has the edge.
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IOWA