Arizona vs Ohio State March Madness Betting!
The Buckeyes escaped their third round game against Iowa State with a victory. In my opinion they were outplayed but a win is a win.
NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16 – West Bracket
– #2 Ohio State Buckeyes (28-7) vs #6 Arizona Wildcats (27-7)
Thursday March 28
Staples Center
7:47PM
Moneyline: Ohio State -175, Arizona +155 at BetOnline
Spread: Ohio State -3.5
O/U: 134.5
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
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Ohio State
I have to admit they played it smart down the stretch and even though point guard Aaron Craft is an unlikely candidate to hit a game winning three, he was savvy enough to play it out in a way that they would not lose the game in regulation.
For me there is still more not to like than like about this Buckeyes team as they continue to advance and play better teams.
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The one encouraging sign from their win against the Cyclones was the scoring of reserve wing LaQuinton Ross. He still makes some head scratcher plays and turns the ball over but he chipped in 17 big points, taking some of the burden off forward DeShaun Thomas. The pace of this one is likely to mean that OSU will again need some secondary scoring.
He is as good an option as any to provide it. If he can again in this game it should be close, if he can’t it may not be.
Down on OSU I think all the value is on Arizona for this one. If you are high on the Buckeyes then this is pretty good value though. I think the number will probably come down as more bets will likely come in on Arizona as gametime approaches. [ad-6571516]
Wait to get it at -3 or under for maximum value or play the underdog, which I recommend.
Arizona
The Wildcats have had a very easy draw so far. It was thought that Belmont might provide a challenge but they were dispatched easily and then Arizona got Harvard, who really didn’t put up much of a fight either. Ohio State certainly will be more of a challenge than they have faced so far.
Don’t forget that this Arizona team was ranked in the Top Ten for a chunk of the season and is probably underseeded based on talent.
It should be a fun matchup to watch Arizona guard Mark Lyons try and outsmart OSU pest Aaron Craft. You have to think that Craft is going to take him off his game, at least a little, which means someone else is going to have to step up. My money is on senior forward Solomon Hill.
The first two games haven’t been close so they haven’t needed much from him, but this exactly the kind of game where having that senior presence could make a big difference.
I really like Arizona at this number and I suggest betting it soon as I think it will drop. Arizona has a fantastic mix of size and experience and I think it will bother OSU. Neither team is great at three point shooting and this one coulld come down to which team gets hot from behind the arc.
Despite the seeding this is a great matchup for Arizona.
Spread Pick: Arizona +3.5
O/U Pick: Under
Score Prediction: Arizona 67 – Ohio State 62
