The NCAA Tournament is down to the Final Four now with No. 11 VCU (28-11) and No. 8 Butler (27-9) squaring off first on Saturday. Both teams had remarkable runs to get here and Butler is the favorite after last year’s run to the NCAA National Championship game.
VCU is an underdog for its sixth straight NCAA Tournament game. The Rams finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association but made it into March Madness on a whim of a play-in game. They have proved their worth with double-digit wins over USC, Georgetown, Purdue and Kansas. They don’t fill up the stat sheet but VCU plays high-pressured defense. Expect the Rams to press Butler’s Shelvin Mack in the backcourt to try to force some turnovers and transition points. They lack in opponent’s field goal percentage and need to keep Butler off the boards, which is easier said than done. Jamie Skeen is their leading scorer in the tournament.
Butler has won 12 straight games and is 8-1 in its last nine NCAA Tournament games. Mack can handle the ball but Matt Howard gives them an inside and outside threat. The senior forward is 49% from the field and 42% from beyond the arc. Ronald Nored is a two-time Horizon League All-Defensive Team selection and their best on-the-ball defender. If he can shut down VCU floor leader Joey Rodriguez, the offense for the Rams will struggle.
VCU vs. Butler (odds provided by Titan Bet)
VCU: 6/5
Butler: 13/20
Point Spread: Butler -2.5
Over/Under: 133.5