Arkansas vs Hawaii: High-Scoring Showdown

0:00On March 18th, the fourth-seated Arkansas Razorbacks take on the 13th-seated Hawaii Rambo warriors in the first round of the NCAA, Tournament West Region. This matchup tips off Thursday, March 19th, at 4.25pm, eastern time from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, airing on TBS. Arkansas enters as heavy favorites, listed at 15.5 points spreads with a money line around minus 1600. Arkansas boasts one of the nation's top offenses, averaging nearly 90 points per game with elite efficiency and a fast pace. They rank 8th in 3 points shooting at 38.9% and turn the ball over less than anyone. Hawaii, meanwhile, wins 22 and 8 to win the big West, but never beat a top tier opponent. Experts see a clear talent gap, predicting Arkansas rolls easily thanks to coach John Calipari squad depth. Hawaii's solid defense holds possessions long at 16.5 seconds, but Arkansas pushes the tempo right back at them. Star Freshman, Darius Ackov Jr. dishes 6.5

1:04assists per game, fueling the attack. Key players like forward Travon Brazil, who squirt 16 or more and four of his last five, and guard DJ Wagner, heating up lately, should shine. Bigman Malik Ewin grabs rebounds consistently, especially against Hawaii's size up front. Betting trends show Arkansas exceeding their team total in 18 of 25 recent games. Expect a high scoring affair with the over at 160 tempting, as Arkansas unleashes its firepower early and often.