Basketball spreads – North Carolina is supreme in the South
As March Madness betting fans look through the South Region, they might notice something they haven’t seen in a while: the Michigan Wolverines, who will be in the Big Dance for the first time since 1998. Overall, the South region is fairly flimsy in comparison to a region like the East. All eyes will be on a potential collision course between Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin and, more importantly, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
Basketball spreads: South is North Carolina’s to lose
- Tar Heels should coast to the Elite Eight
- Guard James Harden could carry the Sun Devils
- Stay away from the LSU Tigers
CONTENDERS: No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels, No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners, No. 3 Syracuse Orange
The North Carolina Tar Heels are considered the Tournament favorite and likely won’t have much trouble reaching the Elite Eight. They might have LSU or Butler in the second round, or Gonzaga or Illinois beyond that, but all of those teams will be underdogs on the basketball spreads and North Carolina shouldn’t have any problems.
From the lower region, Oklahoma should be among the last standing, but it is more vulnerable than UNC. The Sooners also will be favored on basketball spreads almost every game, but they are led by underclassmen. Without a lot of experience, they might fall out to a team like Clemson or Syracuse.
Syracuse made an improbable run in the Big East Tournament to earn a seeding this high but, after a six overtime win against Connecticut, then another overtime win against West Virginia, the Orangemen might be a little spent. On the flip side, though, some basketball spread handicappers are under the impression that they’re extra sharp.
SLEEPERS: No. 6 Arizona State, No. 7 Clemson Tigers
The Arizona State Sun Devils and Clemson Tigers are two of the few teams that could rise up in the region.
The Sun Devils are led by a stud guard, James Harden, but they played in the Pac-10 this season, which is fairly weak overall. The Clemson Tigers will likely be the first big challenge Oklahoma will face, but the Sooners will still be a favorite on basketball spreads.
The Tigers are capable of making a Sweet Sixteen run, but it’s unlikely considering they haven’t been past the first round in 12 seasons. They will likely measure success with a first-round win.
PRETENDERS: No. 4 Gonzaga Bulldogs, No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini, No. 8 LSU
The LSU Tigers won the SEC regular season crown and are seeded eighth in the Tournament. That should be a serious red flag right there. The Tigers are a favorite on sportsbook odds in the opening round, but nobody really has much faith in them. The SEC was extremely weak this year.
The No. 4 Gonzaga Bulldogs have a high seed but that’s mostly because they dominated a simple conference. They finished 14-0 in the West Coast Conference, but what stands out is their losses. They lost at home to Memphis, Portland State and Connecticut, and lost on the road in Arizona and Utah. Gonzaga is going to be ripe for the picking on the basketball spreads.
Online betting handicappers will get to see Illinois back in the Tournament for the ninth time in 10 seasons, but the Illini are very short on experience outside of a few bench seniors who have played just a handful of minutes. As a matter of fact, 12th-seeded Western Kentucky, which is favored on basketball spreads in the first round, has far more experience than Illinois.
WASHINGTON’S PICK: North Carolina Tar Heels
Check out the Betting Edge daily as we examine more March Madness odds and basketball spreads during the 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.
