(13) Portland State vs. (4) Xavier - Don't Count out the Vikings

BetUS NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: XAVIER -10.5, Total 135

Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* PST has covered three of its last nine games

* PST has won its last six games SU

* PST has played 13 of its last 18 games OVER the total

* XAV is 4-6-2 ATS in its last 12 games

* XAV has won 16 of its last 21 games SU

* XAV has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

(Download your FREE printable March Madness Bracket Here)

Xavier and coach Sean Miller had a difficult task replacing the great duo of Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell in the backcourt, not to mention other key players that took the team to the NCAA tourney last year. However, the Musketeers were able to retool well enough to make it back to the Big Dance for the fourth time in Miller's five-year tenure on the bench.

This team was strong early, winning non-conference games against Missouri, Auburn, Memphis and LSU, though things trailed off a bit. Xavier went 5-5 in its final ten contests, yet still got a #4 seed from the NCAA committee. In that respect, and considering they lost in the Atlantic 10 tournament to Temple, they probably caught a break. Xavier plays tight defense but coughs the ball up 15 times a game, and has not really managed to replace Lavender in the lineup. No one had as many as three assists per game.

Portland State does some things that are alarming, like forcing turnovers (7.5 steals a game) and hitting the three-pointer with some accuracy (9.7 per game). They get some all-around dynamics from Jeremiah Dominguez, who scored 12.9 points a game, shot almost 44% from beyond the arc and has a chance to riddle the Musketeers with his quickness. There are four other players averaging between 11 and 13 points, and all of them, including sixth man Dominic Waters, are very active from beyond the three-point line. Of course, these guys are also active off the court as well; Dominguez and now-departed center Scott Morrison were arrested in Mexico last year for brutally beating a tour guide and sending him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Hey - this is not like the hayseed who steps out of the subway and is awed by all the tall buildings in the big city. Portland State, which is perhaps better known for the football exploits of Mouse Davis and Neil Lomax, has played some round ball against two of the nation's best, and hung in with Washington the whole way before losing by a point, while beating Gonzaga in Spokane. Don't expect intimidation, but instead, maybe some consternation... for Xavier, that is.

We're going with the Vikings, the 10.5-point underdog in the BetUS NCAA Tournament sports betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: PORTLAND STATE +10 **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)