2018 March Madness Sweet 16 Straight Up Betting Picks

With the 2018 March Madness producing some of the wildest results we’ve seen in quite some time, college basketball betting enthusiasts everywhere need to know what can be deemed as some ‘safe’ picks as we get set for the upcoming Sweet 16. Thankfully, I’ve got the bases covered with a trio of sweet, straight-up picks on three Sweet 16 matchups that all look like value-packed locks from where I’m sitting. Let’s get to them right now!

2018 March Madness Sweet 16 Straight Up Betting Picks

No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats (24-11) vs. No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats (26-10)

• When: Thursday, March 22, 2018, 9:37 PM ET
• Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
• 2018 March Madness Sweet 16 Odds: Kentucky Wildcats -5.5 (Over/Under at 138.5)

Ninth-seeded Kansas State stunned Creighton by 10 in their opener and got past upstart UMBC 50-43 in the second round, but I just don’t see the Big 12-based ballclub getting past a fifth-seeded Kentucky team that has won five straight and nine of its last 10 games overall. John Calipari’s squad got past Davidson 78-73 in a tough opener and then dropped the hammer on Buffalo 95-75 in the second round. Right now, the SEC-based Wildcats and their collection of elite five-star recruits are playing their best basketball of the season at just the right time. Kentucky gets the win over a K-State team that is just 3-3 SU over their last six games to advance to the Elite Eight! Pick: Kentucky Wildcats 77 – Kansas State Wildcats 70

No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers (26-10) vs. No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (32-4)

• When: Friday, March 23, 2018, 7:27 PM ET
• Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
• 2018 March Madness Sweet 16 Odds: Villanova Wildcats -5.5 (Over/Under at 154.5)

Fifth-seeded West Virginia man-handled Murray State 85-68 in their opener and put a spanking on Marshall 94-71 in the second round, but the Mountaineers will find doing the same to a loaded, versatile and experienced Villanova team a lot more difficult. The top-seeded Wildcats routed tiny Radford 87-61 in their opener and then blew Alabama away in the second half en route to a commanding 81-58 win in the second round. While West Virginia is very good, they have nowhere the balance they need offensively to keep up with a Villanova team that has a whopping six players averaging double figures in scoring. Not only that, but the Mountaineers’ pressure style won’t cause many turnovers against a Villanova team that is experienced enough to handle against anything you can throw at them. The Wildcats are playing some excellent basketball right now, having won seven straight games and nine of 10 while West Virginia has suffered a pair of losses to Kansas and one to Texas over their last 10 games. Villanova gets the hard-fought win in this one! Pick: Villanova Wildcats 86 – West Virginia Mountaineers 81

No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders (26-9) vs. No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers (30-6)

• When: Friday, March 23, 2018, 9:57 PM ET
• Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
• 2018 March Madness Sweet 16 Odds: Purdue Boilermakers -1.5 (Over/Under at 137.5)

No. 3 Texas Tech got past Stephen Austin 70-60 in their opener even though they certainly didn’t look like world-beaters in doing so. The Red Raiders then had their hands full in narrowly getting past Florida 69-66 in the second round. No. 2 Purdue ran roughshod all over Cal State Fullerton in their opener 74-48 but then had their own hands full in narrowly getting past Butler 76-73 in the second round. However, for me, Purdue is the far better team in this contest and I think all you have to do to realize this fact is look at each team’s last few games. While Texas Tech has won four of their last five, the Red Raiders also dropped their four previous games in a row and are an uninspiring 4-5 over their last nine games overall. Purdue has won 7-1 over their last eight games with their only loss coming against a fairly elite Michigan team that was on fire at the time. The Boilermakers average almost six points per game more than the Red Raiders while allowing just shy of one point per game more defensively. Purdue wins this one by about five points. Pick: Purdue Boilermakers 81 – Texas Tech Red Raiders 76