Basketball lines – East Region is the Group Of Death
As March Madness betting fans look through the East Region basketball lines of their bracket, they will see something they have never seen before: the Pittsburgh Panthers with a No. 1 seed. The East looks like the toughest region of the four as we as we approach the Big Dance and fill out our March Mayhem brackets, let’s examine the contenders and pretenders of the East Region.
Sports betting lines: East appears to be the toughest region in March Madness
- Duke has been turning things up a notch
- Texas or Minnesota could surprise people
- Florida State, Oklahoma State are pretenders
CONTENDERS: No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers, No. 2 Duke Blue Devils, No. 3 Villanova Wildcats, No. 4 Xavier Musketeers, No. 6 UCLA Bruins
As many as five teams might pay off on the basketball lines in this region since the aforementioned contenders all finished among the Top 19 in the AP Top-25.
Top-ranked Pitt couldn’t get past the Sweet Sixteen with Ben Howland or Sean Miller (as a player) but it will be hoping to go much further as the top dog in the region. The health of Levance Fields will obviously be a key as he is dealing with a groin injury.
The UCLA Bruins might be the best Pac-10 team in the Tournament, but how far can they go with three of their main contributors being freshmen? There will be some skepticism surrounding them, especially after a loss to USC on the basketball lines of the Pac-10 Tournament.
While Pitt and UCLA are scary early-round matchups, facing Villanova in the first two rounds means that they will be on their own home court. With a No. 3 seed, the Wildcats will be in the comfy confines of Philadelphia for the first two rounds.
The Xavier Musketeers have become the new Gonzaga, according to basketball lines experts, but the question is how deep can they go in the Tournament? Are they overrated as a No. 4 seed, considering they lost two of their last three games to end the season?
Lastly, the Duke Blue Devils join the powers of the East Region as the No. 2 seed. They won the ACC Tournament and could easily come out of this region if they play defense and hit their outside shots. Duke has been streaking since a mid-season lineup change.
Overall, sportsbook bettors should expect Duke and Pitt to play for keeps in this region.
SLEEPERS: No 7 Texas Longhorns, No. 10 Minnesota Golden Gophers
Odd to pick two teams facing each other in the first round, but online betting sharps should keep an eye on both squads. The Golden Gophers are led by Tubby Smith, who is a very smart, experienced head coach that has turned around Minnesota’s program very quickly. Although they are an underdog on the basketball lines in their first-round matchup against Texas, they could be a surprise Sweet Sixteen team.
And if not the Golden Gophers, those monitoring the basketball lines should keep an eye on the Texas Longhorns. Texas has plenty of talent, although it lacks a true point guard. The Horns have A.J. Abrams, who is capable of carrying Texas to a win against most teams, and Damion James and Dexter Pittman to bang heads on the inside. They have been inconsistent all year long, but look out for them if they find their stride.
PRETENDERS: No. 5 Florida State, No. 8 Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State has some veterans, but it really played itself into the Big Dance with a couple of big wins in the Big 12 Tournament. Florida State was going to dance anyways, but a win over North Carolina has helped its seeding. The Seminoles are a one-trick pony with Toney Douglas and that won’t be enough to get by in this region.
WASHINGTON’S PICK: Duke Blue Devils
Check out the Betting Edge daily as we take a look at the March Madness odds and all four regions in the March Madness Tournament this week.
Washington Tucker was practically raised at Rucker Park. Though a freak knee injury cost him a major college basketball scholarship, his “sixth-sense” on the hardwood has translated into a spectacular career in basketball handicapping. Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
