UConn vs Arkansas Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 23 NCAA Tournament Game (Huskies Can't Be Slowed Down)

UConn vs Arkansas Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 23 NCAA Tournament Game (Huskies Can't Be Slowed Down)

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UConn vs Arkansas Game Info

  • 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
  • No. 10 UConn (27-8) vs. Arkansas (22-13)
  • Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023
  • Time: 7:15 PM ET
  • Venue: T-Mobile Arena -- Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Coverage: CBS

The 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 kicks off on Thursday, March 23. One West Region tilt that college basketball enthusiasts have their eye on is a battle between the No. 4 UConn Huskies and No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks at 7:15 p.m. ET.

UConn displayed some phenomenal defense in its 70-55 victory over No. 5 Saint Mary's on Sunday. Meanwhile, Arkansas sent the defending champions packing with a 72-71 win against No. 1 Kansas.

Which team is destined to extend its March Madness run to the Elite 8?

UConn vs Arkansas Odds & Spread

UConn enters this contest as a slight favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:15 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 139.5 points with both sides available at -110 odds.

UConn vs Arkansas Betting Trends

  • Against the spread, UConn is 23-12-0 this season.
  • The Huskies' ATS record as 3.5-point favorites or more is 20-11.
  • This year, 19 of UConn's 35 games have gone over the point total.
  • Arkansas' record against the spread is 18-17-0.
  • The Razorbacks have an ATS record of 4-2 as 3.5-point underdogs or more.
  • Arkansas has played 35 games this season, and 14 of them have gone over the total.
UConn Rank UConn AVG Arkansas AVG Arkansas Rank
31st 78.5 Points Scored 74.3 115th
38th 64.7 Points Allowed 67.4 98th
12th 36 Rebounds 32.6 117th
6th 11.6 Off. Rebounds 8.8 154th
30th 9.1 3pt Made 5 350th
5th 17.4 Assists 13 179th
216th 12.2 Turnovers 12.4 234th

UConn vs Arkansas Prediction & Pick

Although Arkansas beating Kansas was impressive, it wasn't a flawless win for the former. The Razorbacks were trailing by eight points after the first half and also finished the game with abysmal .414/.200/.808 shooting splits. Had the Jayhawks not taken 23 fouls and allowed the Razorbacks to hit 21 free throws, things would look a lot different.

Arkansas now draws a UConn team that makes opponents pay for poor shooting. The Huskies allow just 64.7 points (No. 33) while tallying 24.4 defensive rebounds (No. 71) per game. They've also only taken an average of 15 fouls over their last three games, meaning the Razorbacks will likely see less time at the charity strip than in their previous outing.

Furthermore, UConn is offensively talented as well, operating on a 78.5 PPG clip (No. 20). While Arkansas' defense is legit (67.4 PPG, No. 84), the Huskies' elite ball movement (17.4 assists per game, No. 4) will open the floor enough to help them succeed.

Final Score Prediction: UConn: 79 | Arkansas: 72

UConn vs Arkansas Best Bet

UConn covers the spread more consistently than its opening, going 23-12 ATS thus far, whereas Arkansas is 17-16-2 ATS. On top of covering the spread in seven of their last eight games, the Huskies are 4-1 ATS against their last five SEC foes. Meanwhile, the Razorbacks have failed to cover in four of their last six outings.

UConn's edge on both offense and defense will help separate itself from Arkansas. The Razorbacks' heart will give them hope at times, but the Huskies have the tools to close things out and move on.

Bet: UConn -3.5 (-115)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.