The total has gone OVER in eight of Ohio State’s last nine tournament games and in four of Dayton’s last five games overall, potentially setting the stage for an offensive battle between the two teams.
South Region betting odds: Ohio State vs. Dayton, Syracuse vs Western Michigan matchup stats, predictions
Ohio State vs. Dayton and Syracuse vs. Western Michigan highlight early South Region betting on Thursday.
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No. 6-seed Ohio State is a 6-point favorite over 11-seed Dayton in Thursday’s early Southern region game in Buffalo while 3-seed Syracuse is a 13-point favorite over No. 14 Western Michigan.
At-large Ohio State finished the regular season on a 3-3 SU and 0-6 ATS skid after going 6-1 SU and ATS over its previous seven games. The Buckeyes were a strong defensive team all season, ranking 10th in the nation in scoring against allowing just 59.8 points per game.
LaQuinton Ross leads the team in scoring (15.4 points per game) and rebounding (6.1 per game).
The Dayton Flyers finished the season on a 10-2 SU and 8-4 ATS run, but one of those losses came against Saint Joseph’s in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Dayton’s hot finish and 23-10 SU and 17-12 ATS record overall earned the Flyers an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State vs. Dayton is the first game of the day starting at 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA March Madness betting continues with Syracuse vs. Western Michigan at 2:45 p.m.
The Syracuse Orange finished the season in a 2-5 SU and 1-5-1 ATS slump including a loss as a 9-point favorite to NC State in the ACC Tournament. Once looking like a lock for a 1-seed at 25-0 SU, Syracuse’s finish saw the team slip down to an at-large 3-seed.
Syracuse ranked seventh in the nation in defense this season allowing 59.5 points per game.
By winning the MAC Tournament, the Western Michigan Broncos earned their first trip to the dance since 2004. The Broncos played great basketball down the stretch with a 14-2 SU record over their last 16 games and a 9-2-1 ATS record over their last 12.
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