The 2022 NCAA Tournament is finally here, and on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday March 17th the Vermont Catamounts will look to have their green be lucky as they take on the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The game tips at 9:20 PM EST and will be broadcast on TNT. Below we take a look at the matchup.
No. 4 Arkansas: 25-8 (13-5): At-Large
KenPom rating: 20 Overall, 40 Offense, 17 Defense
NET ranking: 20, (7-6 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: JD Notae 18.4 PPG
Key stat: 3-1 versus ranked opponents this season.
Arkansas is a very solid team and head coach Eric Musselman has done a great job since arriving in Fayetteville, and this is his second straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Razorbacks were solid defensively this season while playing in an extremely tough SEC.
Watch for Jaylin Williams against Ryan Davis in the paint. That should be a good battle all game.
No. 13 Vermont: 28-5 (17-1): Auto Bid
KenPom rating: 58 Overall, 44 Offense, 74 Defense
NET ranking: 52 (0-1 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Ryan Davis 17.2 PPG
Key stat: The Catamounts lost just one conference game.
Coach John Becker has built a juggernaut in the American East at Vermont. Every year he has a star player who could make noise at a P5 school, and this year it’s Ryan Davis who has been fantastic all season long. The Catamounts have a legit shot at pulling off the big upset.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Point spread: Arkansas -5
Point total: 140
Moneyline: Arkansas -220, Vermont +280
The Pick
Against The Spread Pick: Vermont +5
Point total pick: Under 140
Pick to Win: Arkansas -220
I expect this to be a big defensive game and come down to the final play. I think Arkansas is the better team, but this is a game on upset watch. I’m leaning Arkansas moneyline, but the most confident pick on here for me is Vermont +5.
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