The 15th-seeded Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (17-10) produced the biggest upset on Friday against the second-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes, and now they will try for an encore performance as solid underdogs vs the seventh-seeded Florida Gators (15-9) on Sunday in the South Region. The Golden Eagles needed overtime to beat the Buckeyes 75-72 as 15-point underdogs while the Gators also went to an extra session and rallied for a 75-70 win over the 10th-seeded Virginia Tech Hokies to advance.
- Date/Time: March 21, 7:45 p.m. ET
- Arena: Indiana Farmers Coliseum
- TV Coverage: truTV
- Sportsbook Odds: Florida -7.5 | O/U 148.5 (Line History)
- Oral Roberts vs Florida Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Bettors made Oral Roberts their Cinderella team in the first round, taking the underdog from +17 down to +15 vs Ohio State. That move paid off handsomely, especially for those who went a step further and took the Golden Eagles on the moneyline.
However, they are not seeing the same kind of support early on for their second-round matchup. Florida has moved to -8 here after defeating Virginia Tech as a 1.5-point underdog, and the total is up slightly to 149 after they went OVER the total in their first-round game.
Oral Roberts News & Notes
Oral Roberts is trying to duplicate its magical run of 1974 when the team went all the way to the Elite Eight. If the Golden Eagles can get the same kind of production from their dynamic duo of Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor, that could definitely be a possibility. Handicappers wondered what would happen if Ohio State focused on shutting down Abmas, who led the country with 24.2 points per game.
The Buckeyes could not find a way to do that, as he finished with 29 points, including going 5-for-10 on his three-point attempts. But they also could not handle Obanor, who finished with a game-high 30 points and 11 rebounds. If the Gators cannot contain them either, they too could get knocked out.
Florida News & Notes
Florida trailed Virginia Tech 33-27 at halftime and had a chance to win in regulation. The Gators led 61-57 with 1:06 remaining, and it took a three-pointer by the Hokies with three seconds left to force overtime.
Fortunately for Florida, Virginia Tech went cold after that and was outscored 11-6 the rest of the way. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, the Gators lost three of their last four games and failed to cover the spread in all of them.
So have they successfully turned things around from that late-season swoon, or did they just play one good half against the Hokies and get fortunate that their opponent went cold at the right time? A better start might be needed in this spot to help Florida move on to the Sweet 16.
Betting Pick: Golden Eagles +8
Just about every year, there is a team like Oral Roberts that defies the odds and makes it to the Sweet 16. So why not the Golden Eagles? While +295 on the moneyline is juicy, taking the points is the much safer wager if you want to back them.
Of Oral Roberts’ 10 losses this year, six have been decided by seven points or less, including five games by five or fewer. This team battles and will have another great shot to pull off another upset.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The Gators are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.
- The Golden Eagles are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games.
- The UNDER is 7-2-1 in Florida’s last 10 games.
