The final game on the NCAA Tournament first-round schedule is Liberty vs Oregon in a 12-vs-5 matchup in the East Region. Liberty has had an excellent season in Conference USA but they will be tested against an opponent heading into its first NCAA Tournament as a Big Ten team. Oregon is a favorite going into this contest, but Liberty will look to pull off the upset to kickstart a run in this year’s tourney.
Going into this game, DraftKings Sportsbook has listed Oregon as a 6.5-point favorite. They have set the total for this matchup at 140.5 points. Below, you can find our thoughts on Liberty vs Oregon and get our best bet for what should be an interesting game from Seattle.
Liberty Flames Hope to Roast Ducks
Liberty has had an impressive season, going 28-6 and winning the Conference USA championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The Flames had some impressive non-conference wins over Southland Conference champions McNeese State and Kansas State out of the Big 12. Here, they will look for another impressive win as they open their March Madness campaign.
The defensive end of the floor is where Liberty is at its best. The Flames are just outside of the top-10 in the country in points per game allowed, giving up just 62.9 points per game for the year. That defense will be tested here, but the Flames have shown that they are more than capable of putting the clamps on quality offensive opponents during the 2024-25 season and could do so again here.
Oregon Looks to Quack the Armor Of Liberty
Oregon’s first season as a Big Ten program saw them reach the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. There, they lost to Michigan State, the top seed in the tourney. But Oregon claimed an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament nonetheless, as they hope to use their balanced scoring attack to advance past the first round of the tourney once again.
Oregon enters the tournament with four players averaging double-figures in scoring. That includes guard Jackson Shelstad and center Nate Bittle. That duo will be especially important for the Ducks, who are looking to make it further than they did in last year’s NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the second round to Creighton in double-overtime.
Liberty vs Oregon Prediction
Under 140.5 (-110)
220K Gold Coins & 10 FREE Sweeps Coins
Claim Bonus - Liberty is excellent on defense, allowing 62.9 points per game.
- Liberty’s offense is not all that impressive, ranking 80th in offensive efficiency at Kenpom.
