With Selection Sunday now complete, it's time to analyze the brackets and find the betting advantages in this year’s NCAA Tournament. 

 

Here is a preview of the Orlando pod of the East Region featuring No. 5 Duke vs. No. 12 Oral Roberts and No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Louisiana. 

(All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.)

Check out our breakdowns of every region for the NCAA Tournament.

East Region Betting Guide

Location:  Orlando

No. 5 Duke vs. No. 12 Oral Roberts

Spread: Duke -6.5
Over/Under: 146
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV: CBS

The Duke Blue Devils come into the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country and a very trendy pick to make the Final Four. First-year head coach Jon Scheyer has this Blue Devils team playing its best ball of the year, winning the ACC Tournament. Duke is led by outstanding freshman center Kyle Filipowski, who leads the team in scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg).  Junior guard Jeremy Roach is the emotional leader of the team, and a very tough player. Roach does a little bit of everything for the Blue Devils. The real difference has been the emergence of five-star recruit Dereck Lively II. Lively has been an absolute monster on the boards. He can change games defensively with his raw athleticism and ability to protect the rim. Lively blossomed into one of the top players in the entire country during the second half of the year.

Oral Roberts had an amazing season, winning 30 games and the Summit Conference Tournament Title over North Dakota St by 34 points. They are led by senior guard Max Abmas, who guided Oral Roberts to the 2021 Sweet 16 by defeating No. 2 seed Ohio State and No.7 seed Florida. Abmas leads the Golden Eagles with over 22 ppg, ranking 7th nationally. Big man Connor Vanover stands 7-foot-5 and leads the team in rebounding with 7.2 rpg , while contributing 3.3 bpg  (second nationally). The combination of the Abmas' elite scoring and Vanover's  impressive rim protection allowed Oral Roberts to dominate the Summit Conference and lose only one game to a non-tournament team.

Duke’s Hot Streak

Duke is a much different team than the beginning of the season. During their current nine-game win streak, the play off Filipowski, Roach, and Lively II has been outstanding. Filipowski has been a steady force inside and outside, while Roach has lead the team in points in five of the last nine games. Roach’s production has freed up other players (i.e. Filipowski) from double teams. 

The emerging defensive confidence of Lively has also been an absolute game-changer for the Blue Devils. For example, in his first UNC-Duke rivalry game, Lively II posted an insane stat line of 14 rebounds and 8 blocks, while helping Duke hold UNC to only 57 points in the win.

Oral Roberts Stardom

Oral Roberts goes as Abmas goes, which is great since he is an absolute scoring machine . Abmas has already proven he has the ability to lead this team to a massive NCAA Tournament upset . In support of Abmas, the massive presence of Vanover should be able to contend with the Duke bigs. The key for Vanover will be staying out of foul trouble. Oral Roberts is no stranger to playing big teams, and has already battled Saint Mary’s, Houston, and Utah State this season. 

The Pick

Duke is a trendy pick to make the Final Four and deservingly so after their ACC Tournament Title. Oral Roberts has the experience of having dethroned March Madness giants. This is definitely one of the best games of the first round this year. I am going with Oral Roberts to cover the 6.5 points, and possibly win outright.

The Pick: Oral Roberts +6.5

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No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Louisiana  

Spread: Tennessee -10.5
Over/Under: 136.5
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
TV: CBS

The Tennessee Volunteers will take on the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns in the No. 4 vs. No. 13  matchup in the East Region. Tennessee boasts one of the top defenses in the entire country, only allowing 58 ppg. They are led by guard Santiago Vescovi (12.9 ppg), who does most of his damage from deep. Unfortunately for the Volunteers, they will be without their point guard and leader Zakai Zeigler, due to a torn ACL. Without Zeigler, the Volunteers are just 1-2, and have struggled offensively. With Zegler out, Tennessee will be extremely reliant on their defense and balanced scoring to get them past Louisiana. 

On the other side of the court, the Ragin Cajuns are led by their big man, Jordan Brown. Brown averages 19.4 ppg and 8.4 rpg on 57% shooting from the field. He transferred from Arizona two years ago,  and will not be intimidated by Tennessee’s elite athletes and defense. Brown is complimented by guards Themus Fulks and Greg Williams Jr. This trio of players have propelled the Ragin Cajuns to the top offense in the 40th highest scoring offense in the country, at a respectable 78 ppg.

Tennessee’s Tenacious Defense

Tennessee’s defense is impressive. They have the ability to absolutely smother opponents resulting in only giving up 57.5 ppg, ranking third in the country. They are incredible at forcing teams into tough shots both inside and outside the arc. And after that shot goes up? Tennessee ranks as the 18th-best rebounding team in the country.  Without Zeigler, Tennessee has allowed 79 points in their two losses, well-above their season average.

Louisiana’s Supporting Cast

As stated above, Jordan Brown has been the key to Louisiana’s offense all year. However, the Ragin Cajuns also have a very capable supporting cast. Sophomore guard Themus Fulks dominated the Sun Belt Title game with 23 points. Senior guard Greg Williams Jr. is also a 40% shooter from beyond the arc this season. The Ragin Cajuns also boast forward Terence Lewis II, who is a very steady force offensively and on the glass. Louisiana has a balanced scoring attack but also goes directly to Brown when they need a score. 

The Pick

I will take the 10.5 points with the Ragin Cajuns. In what should be a low scoring game, Louisiana has enough talent to keep within double-digits. Tennessee is struggling to find its identity after losing Zeigler for the year, which should keep them from covering this high number. 

The Pick: Louisiana +10.5