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March Madness 2021: Best bets for Friday’s Round of 64 action

By Matt Melton

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Zion Williamson #1, Cam Reddish #2, Tre Jones #3, RJ Barrett #5 and Javin DeLaurier #12 of the Duke Blue Devils take the court prior to the game against the North Dakota State Bison during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Zion Williamson #1, Cam Reddish #2, Tre Jones #3, RJ Barrett #5 and Javin DeLaurier #12 of the Duke Blue Devils take the court prior to the game against the North Dakota State Bison during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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March Madness Colgate Raiders (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
March Madness Colgate Raiders (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Colgate to Cover +8.5

In a game that should be very high scoring, 3-seed Arkansas vs 14-seed Colgate is a popular Round of 64 upset pick and will be one of the more intriguing games to watch in the First Round.

With the O/U set at 161.5, it honestly wouldn’t shock me if somehow these two teams went over that total, but the one I like the most is Colgate to cover +8.5. I believe Arkansas will end up winning, but this game will be closer than most think.

This game features two of the top offensive teams in the country. Colgate has the #2 offense in the country averaging 86.3 PPG, while Arkansas has the #7 offense in the country averaging 82.4 PPG.

Looking at Colgate in particular, the Raiders have four players averaging in double-figures led by senior guard Jordan Burns. Burns is averaging 17 PPG on 40+% shooting from two and three-point range and is an 89.6% free-throw shooter. The Raiders’ second-leading scorer Jack Ferguson also has the ability to take over as he averages 12.6 PPG and shoots 50+% from two and three-point range, as well as a 90% free-throw shooter.

The Raiders shoot 49.8% from two and 40% from three as a team, both of which rank Top 10 in the country. While I do believe Arkansas will win, Colgate’s offensive production will allow them to make this game closer than most think and cover the 8.5 point spread.

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