NCAA Basketball - Welcome to the Swamp
by BetUS Staff
They have five professional sports teams – and one high school.
Even local legend Dick Vitale would have to admit that East Rutherford isn’t so much a town as it is an overpass to the Meadowlands Sports Complex, where you will find both Giants Stadium and Continental Airlines Arena. But there are far worse places to be in New Jersey – especially this Friday, when the last four teams in the East Region will do battle at the NCAA man’s basketball Tournament.
Looking at the remaining Sweet 16, you might be tempted to give Jersey a miss and turn your television eyes westward. The East still has its No. 1 and No. 2 seeds; however, their opponents don’t look like much of a threat, whereas the other three regions feature compelling matchups. Not so fast with that remote. At least one of these two games should give viewers more than they bargained for.
The tilt between the No. 2 Vanderbilt Commodores might not be that matchup.
The Hoyas are scary good. They are ranked ninth on the RPI list, while Vandy is way down there at No. 47 – only four teams who received at-large bids were ranked lower. The ‘Dores have a big heart and can knock down the 3-pointer with ease, which gives them the proverbial puncher’s chance as 7.5-point puppies.
Georgetown, though, is a team on a mission. The Hoyas are very good at perimeter defense, and Vandy will develop migraine headaches trying to contain all 7-foot-2 of Roy Hibbert when he takes it to the hole.
It’s the pesky No. 5 Texas (!) in the first two rounds.
USC wasn’t supposed to have the rebounding talent to make it this far, let alone to compete against the Heels and their tall timber. Yet the Trojans pounded Texas on the glass by a 43-35 count.
North Carolina is still a young team that has shown far too often its willingness to give it less than a full effort in the paint. The Heels could win this one by 20, or they could go home early.
USC could actually be a better value at +320 on the moneyline than as an 8-point dog.
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