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Sweet 16 2021: Updated Bracket, Schedule and Odds for 2021 NCAA Tournament
March 24, 2021
The Arkansas Razorbacks have an advantage compared to the first two teams that faced the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The No. 3 seed in the South Region defeated Oral Roberts in nonconference play, so it has an idea of how dangerous Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor can be as a scoring duo.
Abmas and Obanor tortured the Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida Gators in the first two rounds to make Oral Roberts the second No. 15 in history to reach the Sweet 16.
USC Trojans head coach Andy Enfield guided the first No. 15 seed to the second weekend in 2013 when he was with the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.
Enfield's Trojans carry a similarity to Oral Roberts since they also faced their Sweet 16 opponent in the regular season.
USC torched the Oregon Ducks in their lone Pac-12 meeting, but Sunday's game could be much closer if Dana Altman's side gets off to a faster start.
Sweet 16 Schedule and Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Saturday, March 27
No. 8 Loyola-Chicago (-6.5) vs. No. 12 Oregon State (Over/Under: 125) (2:40 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 1 Baylor (-7) vs. No. 5 Villanova (O/U: 140.5) (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 3 Arkansas (-11.5) vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts (O/U: 159) (7:25 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 2 Houston (-6) vs. No. 11 Syracuse (O/U: 140.5) (9:55 p.m. ET, TBS)
Sunday, March 28
No. 1 Gonzaga (-13.5) vs. No. 5 Creighton (O/U: 158) (2:10 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 1 Michigan (-2.5) vs. No. 4 Florida State (O/U: 143.5) (5 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 2 Alabama (-6.5) vs. No. 11 UCLA (O/U: 145.5) (7:15 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 6 USC (-2.5) vs. No. 7 Oregon (O/U: 139) (9:45 p.m. ET, TBS)
Arkansas (-11.5) vs. Oral Roberts
The December 20 meeting between Arkansas and Oral Roberts could indicate what will happen on Saturday night.
Arkansas won 87-76 and held Abmas, the nation's leading scorer, to 11 points. Obanor led Oral Roberts with 21 points in the loss.
Although the Razorbacks conceded 76 points, they held Oral Roberts under 40 percent from the field and under 30 percent from three-point range. The Golden Eagles stayed in the game by hitting 18 of their 24 free throws.
Arkansas was efficient enough from the field at 41.6 percent, but it could have played an even better game since it went 4-for-24 from three-point range and committed 15 turnovers.
If Eric Musselman's team can beat Oral Roberts on an off night, it could wreak havoc on the No. 15 seed if it plays a more complete game.
Arkansas displayed its potential in spurts over the first two rounds. It used a surge in the final four minutes of the first half to earn an edge over the Colgate Raiders, and its defense pulled out a victory against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Justin Smith, who scored 22 versus Oral Roberts, turned in back-to-back 20-point performances in Indianapolis, and if he receives more scoring support, the Razorbacks have the potential to produce a blowout win.
Arkansas shot below its 33.9 three-point percentage versus Colgate and Texas Tech, so there is room for offensive improvement.
If Moses Moody, JD Notae and Jalen Tate all shoot better, Arkansas can pull away since it has experience in how to approach Abmas and Obanor.
USC vs. Oregon (+2.5)
The explosive Oregon offense that lit up the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday was nonexistent in its first meeting with USC.
The Trojans scored the game's first 15 points and surged out to a 19-3 lead in the 72-58 victory on February 22.
Oregon finished at 40.4 percent from the field and with seven made three-point shots, but those numbers paled in comparison to USC's totals.
Based off what we saw on Monday, it seems unlikely Oregon will get off to another dreadful start as it seeks revenge on the Trojans.
Since that defeat, Oregon is 8-1 and has five double-digit victories, including the second-round triumph over Iowa.
Oregon's peak form makes it a live underdog on the spread and moneyline, especially if it figures out a way to contain Evan Mobley.
Mobley exploited two favorable matchups with the Drake Bulldogs and Kansas Jayhawks to record back-to-back double-doubles.
The likely top-five pick in the NBA draft should face a more difficult test from a frontcourt that held him to 11 points on February 22.
If Eugene Omoruyi and Eric Williams test Mobley on most possessions, it could lead to a frustrating night for the freshman.
If that occurs, USC will have to rely on its guard play to win. With the way Chris Duarte and LJ Figueroa are playing for Oregon, that may be hard for Tahj Eaddy and Drew Peterson to achieve.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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