Irvine has had a great run with 17 straight wins using a few players with NBA bloodlines, but I like Oregon's story and streak a little better. The Ducks' defense has been the root of the success while winning and covering the spread in their last nine games. The Ducks should be -6.5. Oregon is the play.

These are two hot teams. UC Irvine pulled off the upset over Kansas State Friday, and the Anteaters haven't lost a game since January 16. The Ducks have won nine straight themselves, and they've done so thanks to a defense that has really found a groove. In the end, I just don't know that Irvine will be able to handle Oregon's size for 40 minutes.

Two of the hotter teams in college basketball. But my projections see a big thud for the Anteaters in the second round. Oregon's guards outplay UCI's guards, and the Ducks 82 percent of the time, and covering in a whopping 71 percent of my simulations. Jump on Oregon.

Oregon's good, those guards are really good. They handled Wisconsin. Those Pac-12 teams aren't as bad as some people think. I have Oregon going far and ending Irvine's win streak.

Oregon's late-season run is impressive, but the Ducks were coming from a bad place, which distorts their ATS streak. More relevant is UC Irvine's 17 consecutive outright wins, enhanced by the fact that only three were non-covers. An ultra-low scoring game is projected by the total (122), so the 5.5 is magnified.