Best March Madness Betting Picks For Sweet 16
Posted by Joe Solari on Monday,March 21, 2016 6:27, EDT in
March Madness is truly living up to its giant-killing reputation in the NCAAB odds, and we have the Cinderellas to thank for that. Two rounds into 2016 NCAA Tournament, we already have college basketball heavyweights like Michigan State, Arizona, Kentucky, Xavier and West Virginia all out of the competition. What can we expect to happen in Round Three? Here are a couple of sumptuous March Madness picks to consider for you Sweet 16 college basketball betting.
Best March Madness Betting Picks For Sweet 16
Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M, Thursday, March 24
NCAAB Pick: Texas A&M (-4.5)
I really like Texas A&M and what they’ve been doing this year. Sadly, I don’t see them getting the better of Oklahoma because National Player of the Year front-runner Buddy Hield is virtually unstoppable. The Oklahoma star is averaging a ridiculous 31.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the Tournament while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from three-point range. In his last game against VCU, he torched them for 36 points. So although I agree that the Aggies have a chance to pull an upset here, I will stick to Hield and OU claiming another win to reach the Elite Eight.
Duke vs. Oregon, Thursday, March 24
NCAAB Pick: Oregon (-2.5)
The Blue Devils will obviously be the popular pick here, but going by the way they have been sputtering on the season, I am not too sure about taking Duke. Sophomore Grayson Allen is a marquee player (despite his character concerns) and the Blue Devils showed class to beat 13-seed UNC-Wilmington in the first round, 93-85, before getting past Yale in round two, 71-64. Duke, however, struggled against Yale and dangerously allowed them back in the game. Considering Oregon equally struggled against 8-seeded Saint Joe’s, sneaking away with a 69-64 win, maybe Duke will have a chance. That said, a motivated Oregon team won’t be easy to beat. You need an example? Simply check out how the Ducks took care of 16-seed Holy Cross with a 92-51 win in the first round. Against a Duke team that choked on a 23-point halftime lead over Yale, OU has enough reasons to come up big here. Added to their extra rest, the Ducks should be able to use their solid offense to beat Duke in a thrilling back-and-forth encounter.
Syracuse vs. Gonzaga, Friday, March 25
NCAAB Pick: Gonzaga (-5)
Two weeks ago, both Syracuse and Gonzaga looked dead in the water and were fighting for a chance to sneak into the Tournament. Two rounds later, both teams are in the Sweet 16 and are playing some really good basketball, fighting for a spot in the Elite Eight. Syracuse’s run has seen a balanced contribution from all over the field, including Malachi Richardson scoring 21 points in their first-round win, followed by Michael Gbinije’s game-high 23 points in round two, showing tons of depth. For Gonzaga, the team’s solid play is down to the lethal combo of Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis. After shining in the first round win over a Seton Hall Pirates team that won the Big East title, the Bulldogs dominated the Utah Runnin’ Utes to secure an impressive 82-59 win on Saturday. If Wiltjer and double-double machine Domantas Sabonis (20 points and 13 rebounds per game so far in the Tournament) can continue to light it up, stopping the Zags won’t be easy. All in all, this will be an interesting toss-up matchup, but I like Gonzaga for the win, mainly due to the Bulldogs’ capacity to dominate the glass.
North Carolina vs. Indiana, Friday, March 25
NCAAB Pick: OVER 160
I can’t tell you who will win this top-tier clash between these two top-10 winningest programs in college basketball history (though I am leaning on Indiana if you must know), but I will tell you this for free—expect a pulsating high-scoring affair when Indiana and North Carolina clash on Friday night. North Carolina has the nation’s fifth-best offense while Indiana has the nation’s eighth-best offense, and both defenses have been up-and-down this season. This sets up a perfect opportunity for both teams to shine in a high-scoring duel that is likely to blow up the game’s total above 160.
Virginia vs. Iowa State, Friday, March 25
NCAAB Pick: OVER 141
Iowa State (81 PPG scoring and 16.5 APG this season) is the best offensive team still in Tournament, Virginia is the best defensive team (59.7 PPG allowed this season) still dancing in the Tournament. When the two teams meet on Friday, something’s gotta give. Naturally, I am usually more inclined to trust Virginia’s defense to keep a check any opponent, but Georges Niang and gang are playing too well to be completely checked. Meanwhile, Malcolm Brogdon and the Cavs have elevated their offense recently, averaging 79 PPG scoring so far in the tournament. With that, I expect both teams to somehow find a way of playing well enough to take the total over 141.
