The Oregon Ducks will look to pull off one of those infamous 12-5 upsets in their NCAA Tournament Round of 64 showdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys this Thursday afternoon. Tip off from San Jose for this Midwest Region matchup is set for 4:40 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on TNT.

Oregon comes into this game riding a head of steam after claiming the Pac-12 Tournament title on a three-game run that ended with a 78-69 victory over UCLA as a 1.5-point favorite. The Ducks have now gone 7-3 straight up in their last 10 games but just 4-5-1 against the spread. The total has gone “over” in three of their last four games.

The Cowboys’ run in the Big 12 Tournament was cut short with a 68-57 loss to Kansas State as 1.5-point underdogs. They are also 7-3 SU and 4-5-1 ATS in their last 10 games with the total going over in four of their last five games.

Oregon vs. Oklahoma State Betting Storylines

Many of the bracketology experts like Oregon’s chances in this matchup, and for good reason. This team is solid all around with an offense that is averaging 71.7 points a game and shooting a respectable 44.7 percent from the field. This complements a defensive effort that has held opposing teams to 63.6 points a game.

EJ Singler leads the team in scoring with 11.6 points a game, but Carlos Emery is a close second with an 11-point average. The scoring actually runs pretty deep in this lineup with another four players averaging over eight points a game. Arsalan Kazemi is the Ducks biggest force underneath the boards with an average of 9.5 rebounds a game.

The Cowboys are another team with the ability to light up a scoreboard with an average of 72.4 points while also shooting 44 percent from the floor. They also match up well with Oregon on the defensive side of the ball with an average of 62.8 points allowed a game.

Oklahoma has a couple of big-time scoring threats in Marcus Smart and Markel Brown. Each is averaging over 15 points while pulling down a combined 10.2 rebounds a game. Le’Bryan Nash is chipping in another 14.1 points a game, and Phil Forte is also crossing the double-figure mark on a regular basis. Forte is by far the team’s best free-throw shooter in converting on 91.3 percent of his attempts.

Oregon vs. Oklahoma State NCAA Tournament Betting Odds and Trends

Oklahoma State has been opened by BetOnline as a three-point favorite over the Ducks with the “over/under” line set at 134.5.

The Ducks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against the Big 12 but just 2-6 ATS in their last eight NCAA Tournament games. The total has stayed under in five of their last seven neutral-site games.

The Cowboys are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a winning record but 4-0 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss. The total has stayed under in four of their last five games played at a neutral site.

Oregon vs. Oklahoma State Picks and NCAA Tournament Betting Predictions

This is a very close matchup for a 5-12 pairing, and a legitimate upset special in the making. While I would not recommend that you run out and automatically pencil the Ducks into the next round on your tournament bracket, I would suggest you make a small play on them to cover with the three points.

Doc’s Sports is offering $60 worth of free member’s March Madness picks absolutely free – no obligation, no sales people – you don’t even have to enter credit card information. You can use this $60 credit any way you please on any of our top college basketball handicappers. Click here for more details and to take advantage of this free $60 picks credit today.

Read more articles by Dave Schwab