Meanwhile, the 12th-seeded Beavers (19-12) are looking to pull off a third upset. This is the first matchup of the day with a national audience on CBS and a 2:40 pm ET tip from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
These teams have met exactly once in their history, with the Ramblers winning a 29-19 contest in the 1927-28 season.
Beavers Playing Their Best Ball
Oregon State is an impressive 20-9-1 ATS this season, and the over is 18-12 in its 30 games. The Beavers are 5-0 in neutral-site games, winning the Pac-12 title earlier this month before winning two games in this tournament.
The Beavers rank 213th in the nation in scoring at 70 points per game and 239th at 31.3 rebounds per game. They shoot 43.2 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from deep. Oregon State has allowed 68.1 points per game, and it is plus-0.5 on the glass.
Oregon State’s defense has been stellar the last two games, holding Tennessee and Oklahoma State to a combined 30.5 percent shooting. Their opponents have made just 25.2 percent from three-point range during the five-game winning streak.
Ethan Thompson has been the go-to player in the NCAA Tournament at 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Roman Silva (11.5) and Maurice Calloo (10.5) are both in double-digits scoring-wise in the tournament after averaging 5.3 points each in the regular season.
Warith Alatishe has averaged 10.4 points and 10.1 rebounds over the last five games.
Ramblers Style is Suffocating
Loyola Chicago’s style hasn’t changed all season, and as a result, it is 18-9-1 ATS this season and 13-4 in games away from home. The Ramblers rank second in the nation in defensive efficiency and first in scoring defense at 55.7 points per game. They are plus-four on the glass and rank fourth in the country in allowing just 26 rebounds per game.
The Ramblers dominated Illinois on Sunday with a 13-point win that ranks as the largest margin of defeat in the second round for a top seed since 1986. They shot 51 percent from the field, held the Illini to under 45 percent shooting, forced 17 turnovers and won the rebound battle.
Senior center Cameron Krutwig scored 19 points on 9-of-18 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds in the win. Guards Marquise Kennedy and Lucas Williamson both scored 14 points. Williamson led the Ramblers with 21 points in the first-round win over Georgia Tech.
Betting Analysis
The Beavers have won outright in seven of the last eight games in which they have been underdogs, while the Ramblers have covered in five straight games. Loyola Chicago’s pace is 343rd in the nation as it plays deliberate, and it will do everything in its power to control the tempo. The Beavers have topped 70 points in five straight games but haven’t faced a defense like the Ramblers.
Free Pick: Take the under
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