2013 Sweet 16 Picks and Predictions: West Region Odds and Free Picks – NCAA Tournament Betting: If there is one region in the NCAA Bracket that has killed the hopes of bettors this year it has been the West Region. For starters, it is the only region that is missing its No. 1 seed after the Gonzaga Bulldogs bowed out in the Round of 32. In fact, only one of the top five seeds is still around, and second-seeded Ohio State was a buzzer-beater away from being out of the running, as well. As a result, there is going to be at least one underdog that is playing for a spot in Atlanta out of a region that has already produced a bunch of upsets.
2013 Sweet 16 Midwest Region Matchup Previews
No. 13 La Salle vs. No. 9 Wichita State: It will be a battle of underdogs in this one. Despite being the No. 9 seed, Wichita State has been in command in both of its NCAA Tournament games thus far, clobbering Pittsburgh and knocking off top-seeded Gonzaga. Of course, La Salle isn’t going to be intimidated, considering they have already had to win three games to get to this point. Not to mention the fact that after getting by Boise State in the opening round, the Explorers had to survive a buzzer-beat against Kansas State and hit a buzzer-beater of their own to get past Ole Miss. Both teams have defied the odds so far, but the Cinderella run is going to come to an end for one team Thursday night.
Although known for their relentless defense, the Shockers have been lighting it up from beyond the arc in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, they knocked down 14 3-pointers in their upset of Gonzaga, and if the Explorers are going to continue their run, they are going to need to defend the perimeter. On the flip side, Wichita State needs to establish its defensive dominance and control La Salle’s Ramon Galloway. The senior guard is the driving force of the Explorers’ offense, and he is averaging 21.3 points in three games during March Madness and has knocked down 12 3-pointers.
La Salle has been taking the philosophy of survive and advance to a new level during this year’s NCAA Tournament, but the Explorers’ run could hit a road block against the Shockers. Wichita State’s defense is the real deal, and they just held the high-scoring Bulldogs to 70 points to prove it. More importantly, the Shockers’ offense has come to the party during March Madness, as well. A balanced Wichita State team is going to be too tough for the Explorers to handle. The Shockers’ defense will wear down Galloway and company, and the suddenly hot Wichita State shooters will take care of the rest.
2012 Sweet 16 Midwest Region Projected Winner: Wichita State
No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 2 Ohio State: Entering the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats and Buckeyes were on completely opposite paths. Ohio State was on a tear and won the Big Ten Tournament while Arizona was barely a .500 team after a 14-0 start. Despite the drastic differences in momentum, both teams have reached the Sweet 16, but while the Buckeyes needed a buzzer-beater to get by Iowa State in the Round of 32, the Wildcats have been cruising against lower seeds. It is unlikely that anyone will be cruising at this point in the NCAA Tournament.
If Arizona is going to continue their run, the Wildcats’ guard tandem of Mark Lyons and Nick Johnson will have to handle the pressure and avoid turnovers against Aaron Craft and a stingy Ohio State’s defense. For the Buckeyes, providing offensive support to Deshaun Thomas will be crucial. When Craft, LaQuinton Ross or Lenzelle Smith Jr. has a solid game alongside Thomas, OSU is a different team. When the Buckeyes are hot from beyond the arc, they are next to unstoppable. A potential X-factor in the game is Arizona’s young frontcourt of Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski. If the Wildcats big men can control the paint, especially the offensive glass, they could tip the scales in favor of Arizona.
In the end, Ohio State’s defense should control the tempo in this matchup. Johnson and Lyons are the Wildcats’ most experienced and consistent players, but Craft and company are built to slow down opposing backcourts. Meanwhile, Arizona’s big men have been inconsistent all year, and worse, they seemed to really wear down over the course of the season. Without the ability to control the game with their frontcourt, the Wildcats will fall to an Ohio State group that is firing on all cylinders.
2013 Sweet 16 Midwest Region Projected Winner: Ohio State
2013 Sweet 16 Midwest Region Favorite to Make the Final Four
Ohio State: After struggling in almost of all their big games throughout the year while relying solely on Thomas for offense, the Buckeyes suddenly became a different team when Craft began asserting himself on the offensive end and Thad Matta began trusting his bench more. Now, Ohio State has some offensive punch to go with their championship-caliber defense. A few months ago, the Buckeyes would have never been able to pull out a game against a hot shooting team like the Iowa State bunch they ran into in the Round of 32. Ohio State has become a much more complete team, and they are the most complete team left in the West Region. The Buckeyes will march on to Atlanta and go back to the Final Four for the second consecutive year.
Odds to win the West Region
8161 Arizona +175
8169 La Salle +900
8172 Ohio State +100
8176 Wichita State +350
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