March Madness: Midwest Bracket Breakdown
by Mike Rose
March Madness betting is about to kick off on Thursday, and BetUS Sportsbook takes a look at a few matchups that we may be able to look forward to down the line in the Midwest Bracket.
The First Round Upset - Even though #12 New Mexico State and #13 Houston are both trendy upset selections in the first round, the #6 Tennessee Volunteers are the team on upset alert. The #11 San Diego State Aztecs have a deep team out of a very strong conference in the Mountain West. The Volunteers have played hard without G Tyler Smith in the lineup for most of the season, but this team just doesn't look to be one that is suited to play in March Madness. The battle-tested Aztecs have held their L/10 foes to an average of just 59.1 points per game, and that defense will carry them through to the second round.
San Diego State 64 - Tennessee 58
The Matchup You Can't Wait to See - The #4 Maryland Terrapins and #5 Michigan State Spartans is probably the can't miss game of this region. The winner is probably only going to get picked off by the#1 Kansas Jayhawks next week, but for the time being, watching HC Gary Williams and HC Tom Izzo duke it out should be a great show. Though Sparty has the experience of last season's run to the NCAA Championship Game, the Terps have G Greivis Vasquez on their side. Vasquez can do a little bit of everything, and he's the perfect poster child for a little bit of March Madness magic. Look for the higher seed to march on to the second week of the dance.
Maryland 75 - Michigan State 68
When the Stars Collide - Bet you thought we were talking about Ohio State's F Evan Turner and Georgetown's C Greg Monroe, huh? There's a big time OSU battle on tap before that for the Buckeyes, as the #7 Oklahoma State Cowboys will get their shot first. G James Anderson is the leading scorer in this entire bracket, and he's got 30+ point potential every night out. The Pokes have already proven that they can play with the big boys in the Big XII after knocking off Rock Chalk in Stillwater to essentially wrap up their tournament berth. If the Bucks are napping, they're going to get picked off in this one. Fatigue could really come into play for Ohio State, which played three games in as many days in the Big Ten Tournament last week. Look for Anderson to shine in this college basketball betting battle.
Oklahoma State 66 - Ohio State 64
The Final Rematch - It might not work out this way, but can you picture if #1 Kansas gets a chance to get its grubby little paws on the Cowboys again? If the Jayhawks exact revenge on teams the same way Kentucky did when it crippled South Carolina by three touchdowns and Tennessee by 29 to avenge its two losses, the Pokes may as well not show up to their Elite 8 game. However, if Anderson catches fire, Okie State could make it this far. The buck stops here, though. Rock Chalk is too tough to topple. Regardless of who the opponent is, expect the Jayhawks to march on to Indianapolis.
Kansas 86 - Oklahoma State 68
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