Murray State vs. Butler (-5) Point Spread Picks

Murray State (31-4, 12-14 ATS) was one of the big surprises of the first round. The Ohio Valley conference champions knocked off No. 4 Vanderbilt 66-65 on Thursday. It was the team's fifth straight win, part of an incredible 22-1 run. The Racers covered as 2.5-point underdogs and picked up their fourth win in five games on NCAA basketball odds.

The Racers knocked off Vandy in fantastic fashion; Danero Thomas, who was the third option on the play, nailed a 15-footer at the buzzer to advance his team to the second round. Thomas had a workmanlike day for Murray State with 11 points and six rebounds. He was also active at the other end of the floor, posting an impressive three steals and three blocks. Isaac Miles was The Man offensively, scoring a game-high 17 points while chipping in six grabs off the glass. B.J. Jenkins also had a strong game, racking up 14 points and five assists.

Butler (29-4, 16-14-1 ATS) cruised to a 77-59 win over the UTEP Miners. The Bulldogs extended the longest active winning streak in the country, a ridiculous 21 games. That victory streak hasn't necessarily translated to success on college basketball odds; although Butler has covered two consecutive games, the team is just 5-5 ATS in its past 10 outings.

The Bulldogs actually trailed UTEP 33-27 at the half but, thanks to a three-point explosion, they ran away with it in the second. Butler hit 13 shots from downtown, including seven from guard Shelvin Mack. Mack was a beast for Butler; he scored a game-high 25 points-18 in the second half-and added four rebounds and four steals for good measure. Gordon Hayward struggled to find his shot, shooting 2-8, but got to the free throw line often and finished with 13 points.

Murray State went under its total in the opening-round game, while Butler went the other direction and finished over. Bodog has the point total set at 129 for this match up.

Game Prediction

Take Kansas State