Sweet 16: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. UConn Huskies Betting Preview
Razorbacks Covered 6 of Last 7 on Neutral Courts
Arkansas Dismisses Defending Champ Kansas
The Razorbacks are fresh off a 72-71 win against the Kansas Jayhawks, but that always comes with a price in the mind of bettors. Ricky Council IV made five free throws down the stretch, allowing Arkansas to squeeze by Kansas despite leading for just 1:43 of the game, but now the question is, can Head Coach Eric Musselman get his team to stay focused after a win that clearly was one of the biggest for the program.
Musselman was so happy he jumped on the scorer’s table while channeling his inner ‘Hulk’ Hogan after ripping off his polo shirt and waving it over his head. Arkansas covered as a 3 ½ point dog, their third cover in four games, but what was the public’s immediate reaction to the opening number? The consensus send-out number was UConn -4 but most books put up 3 ½, a number that hasn’t budged despite 78% of the early money coming in on the Huskies.
A small trend under is starting to form after their win against Kansas went under by the hook (143.5). Many wondered how the razorbacks would respond after three straight losses to end the regular season. Still, confidence is growing for Arkansas bettors after two straight covers to start the tournament. That confidence is fueled by many feeling that Arkansas can play better than they did against Kansas after shooting just 41.4%.
They’re the 33rd-best team in the country with 47.5%, but like most of their win, they relied on one of the nation’s best defenses, allowing opponents to shoot just 41.7% this season, to get the win. As we continue our Arkansas vs. UConn betting preview, let’s turn our attention to Connecticut.
Arkansas Razorbacks vs UConn Huskies
Date & Time:
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Region: West
Huskies Unchallenged to Start Tournament
After a 15-point win against the Saint Mary’s Gaels in the second round of the tournament, Head Coach Dan Hurley might be wondering if his team is getting stronger by the day. The old saying is good teams win, but great teams cover. Connecticut easily covered a 3 ½ spread to give them their ninth ticket cash in their last 11 games. With the total sitting at 126, because both UConn and Saint Mary’s terrific defensive teams, the Huskies still slid under the total for the fifth time in their last six games.
Junior forward Adama Sanogo poured in 24 points on 69% shooting, adding 8 rebounds. The 40 minutes wasn’t easy for UConn, leading by just one at the half. The Gaels kept it close until 13:34 (43-40) of the second half until Alex Karaban drilled a three-pointer to open a six-point lead.
The dagger came 90 seconds later after a Jordan Hawkins three extended the lead to 11 points. Let’s break down another College Basketball spreads that features a number that we think is begging the public to get on UConn.
Handicapping the Game
The key to Arkansas’ success is to make the Huskies play catch-up. This will also be a battle of who wins in the paint. Arkansas would rather run their offense down the middle of the court, but that would be met with what is the strength of the Connecticut defense.
Whoever wins that standoff will make their way into the ‘Elite’ 8. Let’s conclude our Arkansas vs. UConn preview by looking at each team’s historical betting numbers. The Razorbacks were 15-17 ATS this past regular season, but have covered their first two games of the tourney. Over their last three trips to the ‘Big Dance’ Arkansas is now even at 7-7 ATS including their SEC Tournament numbers, UConn is 4-4 ATS, no real advantage there but when they’re the favorites, that’s where we have some clue of who the numbers might tell us to bet.
Since 20-21, the Huskies are 4-2 ATS as a postseason favorite, adding to a 15-7 ATS mark since 2008-2009. As a dog, Arkansas was just 4-6 and 6-6 as a postseason dog since 2013-2014. However, past results don’t also ways recommend current success. We think 3 ½ is too many points, so we suggest betting on the Razorbacks and the under and perhaps look at the future March Madness odds with Arkansas as a potential sleeper. (Odds change frequently, be sure to check for the most up to date changes.)
| Last Updated: 20/03/2023 | Teams |
|---|---|
| Spread: | Huskies -3.5 |
| Total: | 139.5 |
| Moneyline: | Huskies -180, Razorbacks +145 |
