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Final Four Bracket Predictions – 2014 NCAA Tournament Preview

2014 NCAA Tournament Bracket Preview

The men’s college basketball 2014 NCAA Tournament gets underway this Tuesday night with two of four play-in games that now comprise the First Round.[ad-4468020]

March Madness shifts into full gear this Thursday and Friday when the full field of 64 teams will take to the court to begin their quest for this year’s Final Four in Arlington, Texas.

It will take four hard-fought victories within each team’s designated region to make it that far. The following is a look at my pick to win each of the four regions based on odds provided by [dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′].

SOUTH REGION

The No. 1 team in the nation is also the top seed in this tournament and Bovada has opened it as the odds-on-favorite to win the South at 17/10, so why would you bet against the Florida Gators to get it done? They remain one of the best balanced teams in the nation with an efficient offense and a smothering defense.

Add in the fact that they are also one of the most experienced teams in the field and most of the cards fall in their favor. The one potential stumbling block to the Final Four could be No. 2 seed Kansas, but I am sticking with the Gators in the South.

EAST REGION

The surprising Virginia Cavaliers drew top billing for this region after winning both the regular season and tournament title in the ACC, but the team that most experts are touting in the East is the No. 4 seed Michigan State Spartans.
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It has been an up and down season for the Spartans with injuries plaguing this very talented team along the way, but they come into the Big Dance healthy and sporting a huge wave of momentum after rolling through the Big Ten Tournament this past week. Michigan State has been opened as 9/4 favorites win the East and I would have to say that I agree.

WEST REGION

The Arizona Wildcats have been opened as 2/1 favorites to win the West Region as the No. 1 seed, but I am going with Wisconsin as my pick at 4/1 odds. The Badgers have struggled with consistency at times this season, but their ability to move the ball around as well as their big physical presence under the boards should carry them through this region given the teams they will have to get by.

Potential stumbling blocks for Wisconsin in the West could be No. 3 Creighton in the Sweet 16 and Arizona in the Elite 8, but I like its chances to grind past both these teams to get to the Final Four.

MIDWEST REGION

The No. 1 seed in this region is the 34-0 Wichita Shockers, which have a chance to continue making history if they can make a second-straight run to the Final Four. Standing in the way of keeping this amazing streak alive is the defending national champion Louisville Cardinals, who have drawn the fourth seed in the Midwest.

The Cardinals have also been opened as 8/5 favorites to come out of the most competitive region on the bracket. They will probably have to get past No. 3 Duke or No. 2 Michigan in the Elite 8 and that is assuming they get that far with rival Kentucky lurking in the shadows as the No. 8 seed.

When all the smoke finally clears, coaching and experience will prevail as the Cardinals make their return to the Final Four.

By Dave Schwab

David Schwab is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog. While not cheering for his beloved Philadelphia Eagles David can be found working on his blog at www.eaglesinc.com. David wants to hear from you so please comment below.