The winner of the 8/9 matchup in the South Region will likely have to match wits with the region’s top seed North Carolina Tar Heels in the Round of 32, but before that occurs, there’s a game to be played on Friday. The Arkansas Razorbacks just fell in the SEC title game to Kentucky, while the Seton Hall Pirates gave defending champion Villanova a major run for its money in the semis of the Big East tourney. Each enters playing some solid ball, so this matchup should be competitive till the bitter end.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena at 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 17, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every NCAA tournament game on Friday’s college basketball schedule.
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seton Hall +1
Arkansas -1
Over/Under 146.5
The Razorbacks opened as slim 1.5 point favorites over the Pirates with the game total lined at 145.5. Early betting action has seen the pointspread fall to -1, and the total raise a point to 146.5. Over 63 percent of the tickets written are currently riding Seton Hall, while a hefty 88 percent of the action is expecting a high scorer to play out.
The Pirates partook in five games with a betting line in the +1 to +2 range this season, and went 3-2 straight up and against the spread in those contests with the over cashing three times. The Hogs only played in two games to date with a betting line in the -1 to +2 range, and split those contests falling at home to Florida 81-72 and beating Auburn on the road 79-68. The O/U split in both games.
Key Stat
6.4 – The Pirates hold an extreme edge on the glass in this matchup with the Razorbacks. One of the main reasons why is because of the unheralded play of Angel Delgado. Caleb Swanigan got most of the pub as being the best big man in the country, but Seton Hall’s big man didn’t play too far off his production. Along with averaging 15.3 points per game, he also ripped down an average of 13.1 rebounds per game; a stat that sits ahead of “Biggie” Swanigan for the most in the country. Should Dusty Hannahs and company be off in this one, you can bet your bottom dollar the loose caroms will get swiped up by Delgado.
Player to Watch
Khadeem Carrington – There’s no doubting the Hall’s premiere scorer’s ability. However, Carrington is way too inconsistent for my likes. He’ll go out and drop 40 on an opponent one night as the offense’s No. 1 option, but then follow it up with less than double digits in the team’s very next game. This inconsistency was highly evident in the Big East tournament when he went for a team-high 19 points in the win against Marquette, but followed it up with a dud against Villanova with 11 points on 4 of 12 shooting. If the Hall is to win this game, it’s going to need its superstar to rise to the occasion and lead the way. If not, the Hogs will cruise into the second round.
Free College Basketball ATS Pick
The Razorbacks are back in the NCAA tournament after a year hiatus. Mike Anderson has done a tremendous job remolding this once proud basketball program, and I think the team has what it takes to make a Round of 32 matchup with the top seed Tar Heels a reality. Though Seton Hall holds a huge advantage on the glass, the Hogs will march out the better balanced team at both ends of the floor. Arkansas owns the country’s No. 26 ranked offensive efficiency per KenPon.com, and the barrage it throws at the Pirates both from long range and in close will be too much for Seton Hall to contend with.
College Basketball Odds: Arkansas 81, Seton Hall 74
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
