NCAA Men’s Tournament- Sweet 16 Betting Preview
The 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is down to the Sweet 16 after 36 games of action over a six-day period that had its share of nail-biting finishes, dramatic upsets, and a couple of ugly blowouts along the way.
The following is a brief look at all eight of Thursday and Friday’s games along with the current odds as provided by Sportsbook.com.
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Thursday, March 24
West Region
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No.2 San Diego State Aztecs vs. No.3 Connecticut Huskies (-1) Over/Under 129.5
San Diego State needed some late-game heroics to get by No.7 Temple in a 71-64 double overtime win as a 5 ½-point favorite in the third round. Connecticut’s rolled to a 69-58 win over No.6 Cincinnati as a 3 ½-point favorite behind a 33-point effort by Kemba Walker to advance to this game. The Huskies have been on a roll since the start of the Big East Tournament and there is no reason to believe it will end at the hands of the Aztecs.
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No.5 Arizona Wildcats vs. No.1 Duke Blue Devils (-8.5) Over/Under 145
Arizona has survived two close calls so far a including a 70-69 thriller over No. 4 Texas as a 5 ½-point underdog. Derrick Williams came up huge in this one with a team-high 17 points. There were some nervous moments in Duke’s 73-71 win over Michigan as a 12 ½-point favorite. Another strong effort by Duke guard Nolan Smith, who scored 24 points against the Wolverines, should ensure a return trip to the Elite Eight.
Southeast Region
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No.3 BYU Cougars vs. No.2 Florida Gators (2.5) Over/Under 149
BYU has yet to really miss Brandon Davies with two fairly easy wins, but it always helps when Jimmer Fredette is averaging 33 points a game. The Cougars eliminated Gonzaga to land in the Sweet 16 with an 89-67 victory as a one-point favorite. Florida looked impressive in a 73-65 win over UCLA as a 5 ½-point favorite and should have a good opportunity to exploit BYU’s weakness under the boards to pull out the win.
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No.8 Butler Bulldogs vs. No.4 Wisconsin Badgers (-4) Over/Under 124
Butler extended its season with a dramatic one-point 71-70 victory over No. 1 seed Pittsburgh as an eight-point underdog to stir up images of last season’s run to the title game. Wisconsin is suddenly back in midseason form with an impressive70-65 win over Kansas State as a 3 ½-point favorite. Jon Leuer and the Badgers will not go down easily, but Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack come up big to get the Bulldogs back to the Elite Eight.
Friday, March 25
East Region
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No.11 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No.2 North Carolina Tar Heels (-5) Over/Under 148
Marquette is one of just two teams from the Big East to advance to the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles actually sent one of their own packing in the third round with a 66-62 win over Syracuse as a 4 ½-point underdog. Tyler Zeller’s game-high 23 points helped North Carolina get by Washington 86-83 as a four-point favorite to advance on. The Tar Heels have done an excellent job at spreading the ball around with all five starters scoring in double-figures against the Huskies. This balance proves to be too much for Marquette to overcome as North Carolina advances.
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No.4 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No.1 Ohio State Buckeyes (-5) Over/Under 138.5
The Wildcats’ youth showed itself in a 59-57 squeaker over Princeton as a 12 ½-point favorite in the second round, buy the maturity was certainly there in a 84-76 win over West Virginia 84-76 as a 3 ½-point favorite in their next game. Ohio State has yet to be break a sweat in lopsided wins over UT-San Antonio and George Mason. The Buckeyes will face a stiffer test from Kentucky, but still end up winning by a comfortable margin.
Southwest Region
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No.12 Richmond Spiders vs. No.1 Kansas Jayhawks (-10.5) Over/Under 138
Richmond pulled off one of the early upsets of the tournament with a 69-66 win over No.5 seed Vanderbilt as a three-point underdog. The Spiders then took-out Morehead State 64-48 as a 4 ½-point favorite. Kansas recorded double-digit victories in its first two games behind the play of the Morris twins, Marcus and Markieff. These two seemed poised to take the Jayhawks on a deep run and are not about to let Richmond stand in their way.
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No.11 VCU Rams vs. No.10 Florida State Seminoles (-4) Over/Under 133
VCU has certainly silenced its doubters with three tournament wins including a 94-76 romp over Purdue as a 9 ½-point underdog. Florida State has been impressive in its own right with a 71-57 rout of No.2 seed Notre Dame as a 4 ½-point underdog. No matter which team wins there will be at least one double-digit seed in the Elite Eight, but stick with the Rams to extend their improbable run for at least one more game.
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