The No. 4 seed Arkansas Razorbacks will take on the No. 13 seed Vermont Catamounts in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The West Region matchup features teams who rank top 50 in the nation in offensive efficiency rating but Arkansas will have a decided advantage at the defensive end, ranking 16th in defensive efficiency while Vermont ranks 73rd. However, the Catamounts have only lost once in the last three-plus months and could be a threat to steal a game or two in March Madness 2022.

Tipoff is set for 9:20 p.m. ET at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. The Razorbacks are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Arkansas vs. Vermont odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the Over-Under is set at 139. (Head over to our college basketball odds page for up-to-date odds on every game). 

Before making any Vermont vs. Arkansas picks, you NEED to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.

The model knows that this is an experienced Vermont squad with the top five players in the rotation playing in at least their fourth season of college basketball. Ryan Davis and Ben Shungu give the Catamounts an inside-outside scoring duo capable of giving high-major programs trouble. Shungu averages 16.2 points per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor as a perimeter player while Davis averages 17.2 points and shoots 59.0 percent from the field. 

The model also knows that pressure from the Razorbacks could cause issues for Vermont. Arkansas forces an average of 15.0 turnovers per game and guard JD Notae really leads the way with his on-ball pressure. Notae averages 2.2 steals per game (tied for first in the SEC) and also ranked second in the SEC in scoring this season (18.4 ppg). Arkansas also has three other players who average double-figures per game and the top six players in the rotation average at least eight points per game, so scoring versatility could be key.

Now, the model has broken down the Arkansas vs. Vermont matchup from every angle and revealed its results. We can tell you the model is leaning Over the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Arkansas vs. Vermont in their 2022 NCAA Tournament opener? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Vermont vs. Arkansas spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the model on a roll on college basketball picks!