Oral Roberts’ Final Four Odds Went From +9000 to +3000 – How Far Can the Golden Eagles Fly?
- Oral Roberts has vaulted to a +3000 bet to reach the Final Four in the wake of back-to-back opening-weekend upsets
- The Golden Eagles are riding their longest win streak in a decade, but must improve further to advance out of the South Region
- We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends as ORU Golden Eagles continue their Cinderella run at March Madness
After spending the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament smashing brackets with a pair of upset victories, the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles have rocketed to a +3000 bet to come out of the South Region and make their first ever appearance in the Final Four.
Listed at a distant +9000 in the Final Four odds entering March Madness, the 15th-seeded Golden Eagles pulled off the biggest upset of the first round, knocking off No. 2 Ohio State with a narrow 75-72 victory. ORU’s odds continued their steady ascent in the wake of their second-round matchup, an 81-78 comeback victory over No. 7 Florida on Sunday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles still face a massive challenge to advance any further in a regional bracket that features two of the top-six favorites in the national championship odds. Here’s a look at what has gotten ORU this far, and what to expect as they prepare to battle No. 3 Arkansas on Saturday night at 6:45 pm ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Odds to Win 2021 South Region
| Team (Seed) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Baylor Bears (1) | -140 |
| Arkansas Razorbacks (2) | +390 |
| Villanova Wildcats (5) | +500 |
| Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (15) | +500 |
Odds as of March 22, 2021, at FanDuel.
Golden Eagles Enjoying Longest Roll in a Decade
Fourth-place finishers in the Summit League conference standings during the regular season, the Golden Eagles rode a five-game win streak to an impressive Summit League Tournament title, and their first March Madness berth since 2008.
Now set to win eight in a row for the first time in nine years, ORU has blazed its trail to the Sweet Sixteen with steady offensive production.
Ohio State was THIS close to forcing double OT.
Instead the Buckeyes are upset by Oral Roberts, and become the ninth 2-seed to lose to a 15-seed
How is your 🏀 bracket looking now? #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/nFgLiDwkNW
— For Future Considerations (@PodcastFFC) March 19, 2021
Ranked 12th in the nation in points per game, and a respectable 65th in adjusted offensive efficiency at Kenpom, the Golden Eagles have topped 80 points in eight of their past 11 outings, fueling a steady 8-3 run for the OVER in totals betting.
Abmas, Obanor Powering Attack
The duo of Kevin Obanor and Max Abmas has played an enormous role in the team’s strong scoring. Obanor has enjoyed a memorable start to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 29 points and 11 rebounds through the first weekend of this year’s tourney, and has now scored over 20 points and produced double-doubles in four of his past four outings.
Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor are the 3rd pair of teammates in NCAA Tournament history to each score 25 points in consecutive games.
They join Bryant Stith and Richard Morgan in 1989 for Virginia and Gail Goodrich and Keith Erickson in 1965 for UCLA. pic.twitter.com/10e3zIJ0rL
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 22, 2021
The team’s leading scorer during the regular season, Abmas has maintained a torrid scoring pace through the first two rounds of March Madness, averaging 27.5 points per game. But despite enjoying those impressive scoring performances, the Golden Eagles needed to work harder to record points in each of last weekend’s upset wins. That is particularly true in their win over the Buckeyes, who limited them to just 35.7% from the floor, forcing them to cash in from downtown, going 11-for-35 on three-pointer attempts.
Can ORU Overcome Top Defenses in Bid for Final Four Berth?
That is a concern the team must address ahead if they are to have any chance of advancing out of the South Region bracket. ORU’s next opponent, the Razorbacks, leveraged a stingy defense on their way to SU wins in 14 of their past 16 outings. Arkansas has limited opponents to fewer than 70 points in seven of those contests, and racks second in adjusted defensive efficiency at Kenpom.
Arkansas turns back clock on defense to fend off Colgate's upset bid https://t.co/IGxmweJSIo pic.twitter.com/LoWMyKaIgx
— New York Post (@nypost) March 20, 2021
In addition, the top-seeded Bears held their opponents to an average of 59 points in their two opening weekend wins. And of course, the potential of an Elite Eight matchup with the fifth-seeded Wildcats holds little appeal. National champions in two of the past four editions of the NCAA Tournament, Villanova is a battle tested opponent that skeptical sports bettors have already underestimated at great cost so far in this tournament.
Unlikely Regional Bracket Winners Remain a Good Value Bet
Losers in each of their past five dates with both Arkansas and Baylor, and a SU loser in their lone previous meeting with Villanova, ORU has a mountain to climb in its bid to reach the Final Four for the first time.
But after consistently proving oddsmakers wrong during their unlikely return to March Madness, the Golden Eagles are likely to offer plenty of value in the game-line odds for as long as their Cinderella run lasts.
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
