- Dayton pulled off a 17-point second-half comeback to beat Nevada on Thursday
- Arizona easily handled Long Beach State to move on to the round of 32
- See the opening Dayton vs Arizona odds, spread, and game total
Down but not out, the #7 Dayton Flyers pulled off a massive 17-point second-half comeback against the #10 Nevada Wolfpack to punch their ticket to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. But the degree of difficulty goes up with the #2 Arizona Wildcats waiting in Salt Lake City.
Unsurprisingly, the Wildcats have opened as sizable favorites in the Dayton vs Arizona odds. Tip-off time on Saturday, March 23, is still to be determined.
Dayton vs Arizona Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| #7 Dayton Flyers | +8.5 (-110) | +300 | O 148.5 (-114) |
| #2 Arizona Wildcats | -8.5 (-110) | -385 | U 148.5 (-106) |
Arizona is listed at -8.5 against the spread and -385 on the moneyline. The Flyers are +300 underdogs to win straight up in the latest college basketball odds.
Da’Ron Holmes Sparks Dayton Comeback
Flyers leading scorer Da’Ron Holmes had a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds in Dayton’s unlikely comeback win over Nevada, though coach Anthony Grant would certainly like to see him take more than eight shots from the floor next time out.
The Flyers were down 56-39 to Nevada with just 7:36 to play before a 24-4 run in the closing minutes.
Dayton fell to eventual A10-champion Duquesne in the quarters of the conference tournament on March 14 but received an at-large bid to the dance thanks to a 24-7 record that included a win over Cincinnati (82-68 away), St John’s (88-81 neutral), and LSU (70-67 neutral).
With Holmes the focal point, Dayton’s offense sits 19th in the nation in efficiency. Its defense, however, is just 85th.
Arizona Puts Dan Monson’s Long Beach Tenure to Bed
Dan Monson and #15 Long Beach State put up a good fight in the first half as 20.5-point underdogs against the Wildcats (41-35 Arizona at halftime) but Arizona’s size and skill overwhelmed the Beach in the second half.
UNC transfer Caleb Love finished with a game-high 18 points with 11 rebounds and five assists but it was Arizona’s perimeter defense that was the real difference. Long Beach went just 3-of-17 from beyond the arc while Arizona was 13-of-35 from three.
Arizona is the #5 team at KenPom, ninth on offense and tenth on defense. Thursday’s win exorcises some demons from last season when Zona was upset by #15 Princeton (59-55).
How Will the Dayton vs Arizona Point Spread Move?
The KenPom prediction for this game is Arizona by six (79-73). While Dayton’s first-round performance was concerning, they managed to advance on a day when they didn’t have their best stuff, so to speak. With the game in Salt Lake City, there shouldn’t be any discernible geographical advantage for either team, and I expect the Dayton/Arizona point spread to move towards the Flyers.
The second round of March Madness is set to kick off with an exciting matchup between the Dayton Flyers and the Arizona Wildcats. Both teams are coming off impressive wins in the first round and will be looking to advance to the Sweet 16 with a victory in this game.
Opening odds for this matchup have the Arizona Wildcats as the favorites, with a spread of -6.5 points. This means that Arizona is expected to win by at least 7 points in order to cover the spread. The over/under for total points scored in the game is set at 145.5.
The Dayton Flyers come into this game as the underdogs, but they have shown that they are a team to be reckoned with after their dominant performance in the first round. Led by star player Jalen Crutcher, who scored 27 points in their opening game, the Flyers will be looking to pull off the upset and advance to the next round.
On the other hand, the Arizona Wildcats are a strong team with a balanced offense and a tough defense. They are led by freshman sensation Josh Green, who is averaging 12.1 points per game this season. The Wildcats will be looking to continue their winning ways and advance to the Sweet 16 with a victory in this game.
Overall, this matchup promises to be an exciting one with both teams hungry for a win. The opening odds and spread favor Arizona, but anything can happen in March Madness. Fans can expect a competitive and thrilling game as these two teams battle it out for a spot in the Sweet 16.
