NCAA Tournament: UConn vs Arkansas Lines, Prediction, & Start Time

Arkansas prepares to face UConn in one of the West region’s Sweet Sixteen matchups. Both teams are playing high level basketball right now, with each team having covered the spread in each of their first two games. 

UConn came into the tournament as just a four seed, but many people saw them as legit contenders, and so far they are proving the public right. The sportsbooks agree, as the Huskies have the third best odds to win the national championship at +800.

They have the third best offense and the fourteenth best defense, according to Kenpom.com, as they score 78.5 points per game, and only allow 64.7 ppg. Junior forward Adam Sanogo has been a monster for far in the tournament, averaging 26 points on 72.7% shooting from the field. 

Arkansas already has one of the biggest wins of the tournament under their resume, beating number one Kansas 72-71 in the round of 32. This is the third year in a row the Razorbacks have faced a one seed, beating Gonzaga last year and losing to eventual national champion Baylor in 2021, so they have a lot of experience playing up to their opponent as the underdog.

Arkansas is an extremely balanced team that doesn’t rely on one player. They have five players averaging more than 11 points per game, and another five that average over one steal per game. Although just an eight seed, Arkansas has and could continue to be among this year’s top bracket busters.

These are two elite teams that are under-seeded. The winner of this game could realistically make a push at a championship, but UConn is still too strong of a team when it comes down to it. The Huskies will win but Arkansas will cover the 3.5 point spread

Score Prediction: 66-63, UConn