Many weren’t sure if the Oklahoma Sooners would make the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but they made it in rather easily, securing a No. 10 seed. Oklahoma is hoping to show it deserved this bid by pulling off an upset in the first round against the No. 7 seed Rhode Island Rams.
Oklahoma played really poorly down the stretch but had a good enough overall body of work to impress the selection committee. Rhode Island was the class of the Atlantic-10 but hasn’t faced the same level of competition, so this will be an interesting matchup.
The Rams will be favored to take care of business and move on to the second round and a likely matchup against Duke. The Sooners are hoping the postseason brings and end to their woes in March Madness basketball betting lines.
Don't miss the hardwood action from PPG Paints Arena at 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on CBS.
We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NCAA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Rhode Island is 25-7 straight up and has covered in half of its 30 games on the season. The Rams have played in five neutral court games on the season and have covered in two of them. Rhode Island is 14-11 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Oklahoma is 18-13 straight up but just 11-20 against the spread on the year. The Sooners have failed to cover in four of their five games on a neutral court this season. Oklahoma is 2-5 against the spread as the underdog.
Player To Watch
Trae Young —The Sooners may go the way of their star point guard. The sweet-shooting freshman is 27.4 points per game on the season while adding 8.8 assists and 1.7 steals per contest. Young burst onto the scene early in the year, and while he wasn’t as good in conference play, he still had one of the best season among any player in the country.
Young is shooting 42.0 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three-point range. If he hits consistently from the field, the Sooners will have a shot at winning this game. If he struggles, it will be really tough because Oklahoma relies heavily on Young to lead the way.
Key Stat
68.2. That’s the number of points per game Rhode Island allows this season, which is in the top-75 nationally. The Rams have done a nice job of locking down teams this year and it’s their ability on that end of the court that makes them the favorites in this one.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, is one of the highest scoring teams in the country. The Sooners average 85.2 points per game, fourth in the nation. Oklahoma would love to speed up the tempo and run at every opportunity.
Rhode Island, meanwhile, would rather the teams settle into a halfcourt game. It will be interesting to see which team can dictate the style of play in this one. The oddsmakers may have an inkling of how this one will go when the scoring total comes out. Check out that NCAA basketball betting lines when it is available.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Oklahoma was one of the better teams in the country early in the season, but has really fallen on hard times. Many were questioning whether the Sooners should even make it into March Madness. However, the Sooners will show that the selection committee made the right call by pulling the upset of Rhode Island in this one,
The Rams have a good team but have not been challenged too often, and that lack of experience will come back to bite them. Oklahoma is an easy choice to cover the NCAA basketball betting spread and it is the pick on the moneyline, which should result in a nice payout.
NCAA Odds: Oklahoma 82, Rhode Island 80
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!
