Oral Roberts erased a late 10-point deficit in a win over Western Illinois on Feb. 27, the first game of a back-to-back against the Leathernecks and second-to-last regular-season game for the Golden Eagles. That was the last time Oral Roberts didn't cover a spread.
The four-point win in Tulsa, in which they were a 9.5-point favorite, was the first of seven straight wins, their longest winning streak in nine seasons. And they've covered the spread in six straight games, the longest active streak in college basketball. They're an 11.5-point underdog against Arkansas in Saturday's Sweet 16 games as they seek to become the first 15-seed to reach the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament history.
As of Saturday morning, 74 percent of the spread tickets are on Oral Roberts, though that accounts for only 66 percent of the spread handle, the second-lowest share of the four games on Saturday. The line hasn't moved since it was posted shortly after their upset of Florida on Sunday night.
Here are the ticket and handle numbers for all four Sweet 16 games on Saturday:
(8) Loyola Chicago vs. (12) Oregon State
| Bet | Tickets | Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | 59% on Oregon State | 54% on Oregon State |
| Total | 75% on Over | 68% on Over |
(1) Baylor vs. (5) Villanova
| Bet | Tickets | Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | 73% on Baylor | 73% on Baylor |
| Total | 82% on Over | 80% on Over |
(3) Arkansas vs. (15) Oral Roberts
| Bet | Tickets | Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | 74% on Oral Roberts | 66% on Oral Roberts |
| Total | 69% on Over | 52% on Under |
(2) Houston vs. (11) Syracuse
| Bet | Tickets | Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | 60% on Syracuse | 69% on Syracuse |
| Total | 63% on Under | 55% on Under |
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Andrew Doughty is a writer for BetMGM and host of High Motor by BetMGM, an NFL and college football podcast available on Apple Podcasts and everywhere else. He has written for Sports Illustrated, HERO Sports, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter: @DoughtyBetMGM
