We are now into the second week of March Madness and the Sweet 16 is set, with only the NCAA’s top teams left standing. They are now just four games away from winning the NCAA Championship and enjoying hero status in their respective hometowns. But this year’s tournament is ferociously competitive, and the eventual winner will have to fight every inch of the way.
Futures Update
Three-quarters of the teams have been eliminated from March Madness and only the strongest are left. There have been some huge upsets along the way, particularly in the East, where defending champion Villanova and pre-season favourite Duke have both already been knocked out. Wisconsin, Florida, and South Carolina are now fighting it out there, and it now looks the weakest region. In the other three regions the big guns have made it through: Kansas is still standing in the Midwest, in the West the prospect of Gonzaga and Arizona meeting in the Elite Eight looks a distinct possibility still, and North Carolina, UCLA and Kentucky are all through in the South.
Despite having the hardest run to the Big Dance (for the uninitiated it goes First Round, Second Round, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and the Big Dance), North Carolina is still the favourite at 6/1 with Ladbrokes. At those odds, it looks risky. The Tar Heels should beat fourth-seeded Butler but then will face either UCLA or Kentucky, both of whom could easily knock them out. Gonzaga is second favourite, 7/1 with Sky Bet, but it too has a nightmare road to the final, with the Arizona Wildcats (8/1 with Ladbrokes) in the way. The winner is unlikely to come from the East, where the best-priced team is Baylor, trading up to 33/1. A shrewd bet could be Kansas, 11/2 with Bet365, which has arguably the easiest run. Purdue is a strong team but beatable, and then they would have to overcome Oregon or Michigan to make the Final Four. You can also go each-way and get half the odds if they make the final. An interesting long-shot could be UCLA, 16/1 with Bet Victor, which has an incredible offence and could be dangerous in the West.
Upcoming Games
The first four Sweet 16 games take place on Friday and feature the two favourites in Kansas and Gonzaga. Both face tough games. Gonzaga is up against the strongest fourth seed, West Virginia, which annihilated Notre Dame with its pressing defence. It is likely to be a close encounter, but the Zags should scrape it (13/20 with Bet Victor). Kansas plays Purdue, a dark horse for the tournament thanks to its formidable front court and the form of Caleb Swanigan. The Jayhawks should get the job done (4/9 with Bet365) but Purdue -5 looks an interesting spread at 20/21 with Ladbrokes. Arizona should beat Xavier (2/7 with Bet365), so a treble of Arizona-Kansas-Gonzaga looks good, but Michigan v Oregon looks too close to call so is probably best avoided.
Betfair:
Bet on Henrik Stenson to become the BMW PGA Championship Winner.
Paddypower:
Back Australia to take the Ashes home with them.
Betway:
Back Rafael Nadal to become the Mens French Open Winner.
Coral:
Back One For Arthur to win the Grand National.
Bet365:
Back Mexico to win the Confederations Cup.
