March Madness’s Sweet 16 round concludes tonight with the remaining 4 matches. There have been multiple upsets so far, including into the first portion of the Sweet 16. Loyola continued its glory run with a close win against Nevada and FSU pulled off another upset downing Gonzaga. Kansas State defeated Kentucky—which no one saw coming—and Michigan decimated Texas A&M. With so many brackets left shattered, More than a few fans are wondering which teams to bet on. March Madness is certainly unpredictable, but there are a few safe bets to make.
If you want to bet smart, pick Duke to beat out Syracuse. Duke’s starting lineup has been unstoppable in the tournament and they have quality depth lying in wait on the bench. Both teams have legendary coaches at the helm, but Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski is in his 38th year with the Blue Devils. Marvin Bagley III is leading all players with 21.2 PPG and 11.3 RBG. Numbers like that are signs of an NBA-caliber player. If Bagley keeps this up, Duke looks like the heavy favorite heading into the championship. They are an -11 point favorite to beat Syracuse tonight.
Kansas’s win over Clemson looks secure, and sportsbooks reflect this confidence. Kansas has incredible 3-point shooting and can run the floor like no other. Clemson is a little slower on the run, but they also showed great scoring potential in their dominant win over Auburn in the second round. Clemson has to keep Kansas in check throughout the game in order to win. If there are any upsets left in this round, it could be this one, but the Jayhawks have the better squad to go through.
Villanova, the current favorites to win the whole tournament, are expected to beat West Virginia. The Mountaineers pose their strongest competition thus far, but Villanova is dangerous offensively. They have numerous shooters that can bury a team quickly if they hit from beyond the arc. West Virginia’s defense will be a huge factor in this game. However, their style is counterintuitive when facing a 3-point shooting team like Nova.
In the Texas Tech-Purdue matchup, Purdue seems to be the favorite. Texas Tech would see their first ever Elite Eight berth with a win, so if you’re liking the underdogs, take them to pull off another upset. However, Purdue is the stronger team despite missing their starting center. The Boilermakers looked good in their previous wins and are the favorites to win, but by a close margin. This game could go either way from a basketball betting standpoint.