Butler vs Old Dominion | Prediction & Pick

Butler and Old Dominion grapple in mid-major tussle

Two teams that embody the very essence of what being a mid-major in the NCAA Tournament is all about meet at the Verizon Center in Washington on Thursday as the Butler Bulldogs tangle with the Monarchs of Old Dominion in second round Southeast Region action.

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#8 Butler (23-9, 13-5 Horizon) vs. #9 Old Dominion (27-6, 14-4 CAA)

Date/Time: Thursday, March 17, 12:40 PM ET
Venue: Verizon Center in Washington, DC.
Broadcast: TruTV

Money Line: Butler +110, Old Dominion -130
Spread: Old Dominion -1½
Over/Under: 124

The darlings of last season’s tournament are back, but the Bulldogs aren’t just content to live off the 2010 trip to the championship game. They want to accomplish the full-blown Hoosiers effect of completing that last step in the journey and achieving immortality. But in analyzing this matchup, many think that the Monarchs have the potential to be this year’s Butler.

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The Monarchs point to a solid schedule out-of-conference, which featured wins over fellow tournament teams Clemson, Xavier, and Richmond, as well as a three-point loss to Georgetown. They also split with George Mason and VCU, fellow Colonial Athletic Association club in the big dance as well.

The Bulldogs also played an adventurous non-league schedule that included quality losses to Duke and Louisville, and victories against Xavier and Florida State. Butler shared the Horizon League regular season crown with Cleveland State and UW-Milwaukee, then secured the lone Horizon bid in March Madness by winning the conference championship.

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Butler and Old Dominion have both reeled off nine consecutive victories each entering Thursday’s tilt. These teams have met once before on the big stage, with Butler defeating ODU 57-46 in the first round of the 2007 tournament. Both schools are making an 11th appearance in the tournament all-time.

The Monarchs are paced by Frank Hassell, who averaged 15.0 PPG and 9.6 rebounds per contest, and Kent Bazemore at 12.5 PPG and five rebounds per outing. In fact, ODU loves to pound opponents on the glass. The Monarchs averaged 40.2 rebounds per game, seventh best in the nation. The Bulldogs will look to veteran leadership from senior Matt Howard (16.7 PPG) and junior Shelvin Mack (15.2 PPG) to counter the ODU attack.

The odds makers have the Old Dominion Monarchs as a -1.5 point favorite with an over/under of 124.

Prediction: This game will be about which team can impose their will on the other. ODU ranked fourth in the nation in team defense, and their solid play in that area, along with the boards work, should give them the slight edge in this game.

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Butler Bulldogs Betting Trends:

• Butler is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Butler’s last 6 games