Free College Basketball Pick
#5 Butler Bulldogs (29-4, 18-0 Horizon) vs #13 Murray State Racers (31-4, 18-1 Ohio Valley) HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA, 3/20, 3:20 PM
One team was supposed to be upset, the other team created an upset. Typical of one of the crazier first-rounds of the NCAA tournament in recent memory.
The Bulldogs were somehow the underdog coming into this game. But Butler now has 21 straight victories, and had little problem advancing to the round of 32. Before the game, many experts had Butler losing UTEP in the first round. It seems that most every year a 12 seed beats a 5 seed, and many people felt it was the Bulldogs that would go down. But there were no upsets in San Jose, in this game at least. The game was tied with about 15 minutes to go, but then Butler pulled away, winning easily, 77-59. Sheldon Mack led the way for the Bulldogs with 25 points, including 18 in the second half. Butler converted on 13 three-point attempts, UTEP had just four. Butler also made 11 more free throws than UTEP.
Murray State came in with nothing to lose. As a 13 seed, a win in the first-round is much more than anyone would expect. While it isn’t a shock that the Racers were able to pull off the upset (President Obama called it in his bracket), it certainly wasn’t a given. Their game against Vanderbilt was close from start to finish. Isacc Miles led the way with 17 points and six rebounds and the Racers slowed down A.J. Ogilvy, holding him to 12 points and six rebounds. But the star of the game was Danero Thomas. The senior averaged just over ten points per game this year and apparently wasn’t ready for his college career to be over. He knocked down a buzzer beater to win the game 66-65.
Murray State is an extremely athletic team that gave Vanderbilt fits. The Bulldogs were able to go blow for blow with anything UTEP threw at them. Murray State will vie for upset number two of the tournament, but Butler is sure to have more believers now that it has made it out of the first round. Something Sweet goes to the victor.
Butler is favored by 5 points. The total is listed at 131.
Butler Betting Trends:
Butler is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games |
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Butler's last 6 games |
Murray State Betting Trends:
Murray State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games |
Murray State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games |
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Murray State's last 7 games |
Pick: Take Murray State -5
Betting Trends by Bodog.com |
