One of the more challenging games to gauge this first day of March Madness may just be from the South Region! Thursday night brings us a treat with two teams who won their conference tournaments. It is another matchup featuring a high octane offense against a team that can muscle and score their own way. Next, we head to Florida. At Online Sports Betting, we examine Oral Roberts vs Duke Picks featuring the Duke Blue Devils. They tangle with Oral Roberts from the Summit Conference.
- WHAT: 12 - Oral Roberts Golden Eagles versus 5 - Duke Blue Devils
- WHEN: Thursday, March 16th, 2023, 7:10 pm ET on CBS or streamed on Paramount+
- WHERE: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
- WHY: March Madness Round 1 Matchup South Region
These games entice the eyes of many bettors. Consider the high-visibility school going up against a college that went wire-to-wire in its conference. The Oral Roberts vs Duke Picks like this type of matchup for its complexity. Now, NCAA College Men's basketball betting futures is something else this time of year. For those wondering, Duke is beginning to rise here at +3300. Our table for this Thursday night matchup is underneath this space.
| March Madness Round 1 Numbers |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Roberts | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Duke (-6.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Oral Roberts vs Duke Picks A Thursday Night Gem
Oral Roberts vs Duke Picks could be a Thursday night gem. So, what happened with Duke in the past few weeks? Honestly, the Blue Devils found a way to surprise even the best of us. Coach Jon Scheyer got these athletes to believe in themselves at the right time. Since an ugly loss to Virginia back in February, Duke has reeled off nine straight wins. That culminated in yet another ACC Tournament Championship (59-49 win over Virginia).
Despite that, in comes the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. There is nothing like injecting a little extra March Madness Betting Online into the equation. This Golden Eagles team went undefeated in the Summit Conference. With an 18-0 mark, Oral Roberts finished 30-4 overall. Some might even argue they are a squad who should be ranked in the Top 25.
Now, Duke entered into the Top 25 again a few weeks back. With their tournament run, they wound up as high as 12th. Somehow, the committee made them a fifth seed. As a result, the Blue Devils draw a foe with some punch.
Let's go head long into this game. Also, we look into why Duke can play most any type of pace under their first-year coach.
Oral Roberts Can Turn Some Heads
Oral Roberts vs Duke Picks take a look at the Golden Eagles, who can turn some heads. The Golden Eagles possess one of the more high octane offenses in the nation. They are one of the few teams who have a top-five points per game and offensive rating in all of basketball (college or professional). Granted, the competition of the Summit Conference is not the ACC, however, it remains an impressive feat.
The other thing is Oral Roberts ranks respectably when it comes to SRS metrics. Most are astonished that they hit 9.57 on the meter (almost 10), despite some real clunkers on the schedule. Their last loss came back on January 9th against New Mexico. Max Abmas and Connor Vanover form quite an inside-outside pairing. Abmas averages more than 22 points per game while the 7-foot-3 Vanover comes in at almost 250 pounds. That provides some considerable muscle.
Paul Mills assembled quite a team here with the Golden Eagles. Their forwards have large reaches and are mostly flexible. Maybe, the only concern with Oral Roberts is playing a team that can adapt well. Now, this Golden Eagles team will allow some opportunities (70.1 points per game).
Then, There Is Duke
At first, the transition from "Coach K" to Jon Scheyer went about as expected. That early season version would not have fared well in the Oral Roberts vs Duke picks. In January, Duke was a mere 7-6 in conference. Then, the Blue Devils found a spark. As Scheyer remarked, "this team took awhile to find their identity." Once Duke started executing, the team realized adaptation was key for them. Whether the pace was fast or slow, Duke was good to go.
They showcased that in the ACC Tournament especially. Duke grinded Virginia into yielding 17 first-half points. The 59-49 win sent some waves through college basketball. Duke was back! Now, they face another test.
Oral Roberts vs Duke Picks Laying 6.5 Points?
Okay, what about laying 6.5 points in the Oral Roberts vs Duke picks? Neutral-site games add a few points for a team like Duke because they know more of what to expect. Though the pressure is on them, the last two months have seen them thrive. Duke can cause some headaches in their region and other teams have taken notice.
No one is saying this game will be a cakewalk. That hardly is the case. However, Duke possesses three of the top four players in the RSCI Top 100. Kyle Filipowski keeps growing into his frame and Duke's strength is truly their depth. The contention is that the Blue Devils can wear the Golden Eagles down in the second half.
Duke giving up 6.5 points is not so bad. Take the cover and run here as the Blue Devils make their foul shots to make the difference.
What About The Team Over For Thursday Night?
Finally, our Oral Roberts vs Duke Picks considers the team over for tonight. This game prop itself called for 144.5 points combined and that over is fine to choose. However, Duke's team over is interesting at 75.5. It was getting even money basically and that may be even better. For those wanting to climb up, the over at 149.5 is +128. Let's stick with that Duke team over for now on Thursday.
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