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Ducks vs. Billikens Betting & NCAA Tourney Preview | Free Pick

Ducks vs. Billikens NCAA Tourney Spread/Handicapping

The No. 12 Oregon Ducks pulled a classic 12-5 upset in round 2, but now they’ll have to face a team that a lot of people have pegged to make a deep run far into the tournament. The St. Louis Billikens are ranked No. 4 in the Midwest Region, and their 20-point win over the New Mexico State Aggies was one of the more convincing wins Thursday.

NCAA Tourney – Midwest Bracket
No. 12 Oregon Ducks (27-8, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. No. 4 St. Louis Billikens (28-6, 13-3 A 10)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
7:10 PM ET
San Jose, CA
Spread: St. Louis -3.5 at WagerWeb
ML: Oregon (155), St. Louis (-175) 
OU: 123.5

Matchup | Preview

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Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks entered the NCAA Tournament with something to prove. They believed—along with most of the general media—that they deserved to be a higher seed than the 12-spot they were given. They went into round 2 with a chip on their shoulder, and they emerged victorious against No. 5 Oklahoma State.

One of the reasons this team is ranked a 12 seed and not higher is that they lost a bit of momentum during the season when guard Dominic Artis went down with an injury.

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The team didn’t look the same without him, and while he was back on the court in time of the tournament, people questioned how good his conditioning and mechanics would be.

If Oregon proved anything against Oklahoma State, it’s that Artis is fine. The guard pushed the tempo all game long, and that’s something he’ll look to do again on Saturday.

Along with pushing the tempo, Oregon has the size and toughness to force turnovers on defense. They have a great tandem inside in Arsalan Kazemi and Tony Woods, and the two of them will create extra opportunities, leading to fast-break situations.

St. Louis Billikens

The St. Louis Billikens have size, but their bigs are more equipped to play on the perimeter than they are in the post. This is a dangerous way to live life in the tournament, but it’s also a great way to avoid the low-post presence of the Ducks. [ad-6571516]

One of the benefits of playing the bigs outside is that it opens up lanes for cutters and isolation sets. This team can get into the paint with its guards for that reason, and against an Oregon team that plays a lot of man-to-man, keeping Kazemi and Woods away from the basket will be the plan of attack.

Despite staying away from the paint on offense, St. Louis’ bigs won’t be afraid to use their size defensively. This group knows how to attack the ball, and when it comes down to it, their big guys will make Oregon’s offense—one that struggles from the outside—uncomfortable.

The Ducks were able to rattle the backcourt of Oklahoma State, but they’ll have trouble doing the same thing against the Billikens. St. Louis is projected to go deep into the tournament for a reason, and that reason is their precision and patience on offense.

If Oregon has trouble interrupting the flow of the Billikens’ ball movement, St. Louis should be moving on.

Prediction: St. Louis 69 – Oregon 60

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