NCAA Basketball Sweet 16 Betting SU Picks

Will the surprising South Carolina Gamecocks pull off another upset after stunning No. 2 Duke in their Round of 32 matchup this past weekend? Can the experienced Wisconsin Badgers upset higher-seeded Florida and last but not least, can the fourth-seeded Butler Bulldogs pull off the huge upset over the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels when the national championship hopefuls all take to the court for their respective Sweet 16 matchups on Friday. My ‘trifecta’ of Sweet 16 best bets picks will provide the answers to all three questions. Now, let’s get started with the updated NCAA basketball lines here.

A Closer Look At The NCAA Basketball Sweet 16 Betting SU Picks

   

No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Baylor

When: Friday, March 24, 2017 at 7:25 PM ET Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York TV: TBS NCAAB Odds: TBA Analysis: The South Carolina Gamecocks (24-10 SU, 13-16 ATS) routed Marquette and stunned second-seeded Duke on Sunday, but I don’t see them getting past a Baylor (27-7 SU, 15-14 ATS) ballclub that is back to looking like a legitimate championship title contender after some late season struggles that significantly lowered belief in the Bears’ chances of winning it all. Baylor smacked New Mexico State senseless in their opener and got past USC in their Round of 32 matchup on Sunday. More importantly, the Bears hold the edge in shooting, free throw percentage, defense, rebounding and bench play. South Carolina is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games and 1-5 ATS in their last six games following an SU win while Baylor has gone 7-2 ATS in their last nine non-conference games. Baylor got double digit scoring from five players in their tourney opener and four players against the Trojans the last time out and it is that kind of sharing the wealth that will put the Bears over the top in this intriguing pairing. Pick: Baylor 83 South Carolina 76

No. 8 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Florida

When: Friday, March 24, 2017 at 9:59 PM ET Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York TV: TBS NCAAB Odds: Florida -1.5 / Total: 131.5 Analysis: Wisconsin (27-9 SU, 17-16 ATS) has beaten Vermont and got past top-seeded Villanova 65-62 on Saturday. Florida (26-8 SU, 19-13 ATS) pounded East Tennessee in their opener and upset Virginia in the Round of 32 while holding the Cavaliers to just 39 points, but I’m thinking the Gators are in trouble against a Wisconsin team that has plenty of experience and three players that play as well together as any trio in the nation in forwards Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ and guard Bronson Koenig. Florida holds the edge in this matchup in scoring, free throw shooting percentage and bench play, but Wisconsin is the better team when it comes to shooting the ball, defense, rebounding and turnovers and I believe having the upper hand in those crucial categories will be what decides the outcome of this contest. The Gators are a modest 3-3 SU over their last six games and 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win while Wisconsin has won four of their last five while going 7-1 ATS in their last eight non-conference games, 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall and 4-1 ATS in their last five NCAA Tournament games. Simply put, I say, go with the narrow 51 percent of public bettors that like the Badgers to get the upset as slight underdogs. Pick: Wisconsin 69 Florida 66

No. 4 Butler vs. No. 1 North Carolina

When: Friday, March 24, 2017 at 7:05 PM ET Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee TV: CBS NCAAB Odds: North Carolina -7 / Total: 153 Analysis: Butler (25-8 SU, 19-12 ATS) beat Winthrop and Middle Tennessee to reach the Sweet 16, but the Bulldogs are going down against an athletically superior and much bigger North Carolina (29-7 SU, 18-15 ATS) ballclub that will be on top of its game after struggling to dispatch feisty Arkansas the last time out. While Butler beat both, No. 2 Villanova and a very good Xavier team that is also in the Sweet 16 over their last 10 games, North Carolina has too much size and too big of a rebounding advantage to fall to the Bulldogs in this matchup. Carolina averages almost eight points per game more than Butler while giving up just two more points per contest defensively. I know Butler won’t go away quietly and that the Bulldogs have gone 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight games as an underdog, but Carolina has gone 13-3 ATS in their last 16 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite between 7-12.5 points while also going 20-7-2 ATS in their last 29 neutral site games as a favorite. The Tar Heels will win and cover by dominating down low and getting some stellar perimeter play from ACC layer of the Year Justin Jackson and experienced point guard Joel Berry III. Pick: North Carolina 76 Butler 66