NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen Predictions
The first two rounds of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament are in the books and how sweet it was. After all the smoke has cleared, there are sixteen teams left standing. There were some minor upsets, but for the most part the teams that advanced are pretty much who everyone expected. Now it gets interesting as these top teams are slated to square off against each other.
Here Are My Predictions For The Next Eight Games Both Even Up And Against The Spread (ATS)
Villanova -2 ½ vs. Duke: I like the Wildcats both straight up and ATS in this one. The ACC is on life support with only two teams left in the dance. Make it one after this game.
Pittsburgh -7 vs. Xavier: The Musketeers have played some scrappy ball so far and should be a fan favorite in this one. I think they will cover the -7 but Pitt will win the game in a wild finish.
Memphis -4 vs. Missouri: Mizzou survived a close one against Marquette with an inadvertent foot crossing the base line being the difference. They will need much more than that to stop a dominant Memphis team. Take the Tigers straight up and ATS in this one.
Connecticut – 6 ½ vs. Purdue: UConn has coasted their first two games of this tournament, but I do not think it will be that easy against a surprisingly tough Purdue team. This is going to come down to who has the ball last so take the Boilermakers to cover, but the Huskies to win.
Louisville -8 ½ vs. Arizona: As the highest seed left in the dance, the Wildcats have proved they belong. Unfortunately the clock is about to strike midnight, as Louisville will prove to be too much for them to handle. Take the Cardinals straight up and ATS in this game.
Michigan St. -1 ½ vs. Kansas: In basically a pick um game, I have to wonder which Kansas team is going to show up. So far they have played really well, but I sense a lapse in the works. I’m going with Michigan State advancing on, winning by 8.
North Carolina -8 ½ vs. Gonzaga: Ty Lawson played rather well in the Tar Heels win over LSU and should be even better with a few days rest. Gonzaga will find a way to keep this close so I like them ATS, but North Carolina’s getting warmed up for a Championship run.
Oklahoma -1 vs. Syracuse: Both the Orangemen and Sooners quietly disposed of their first two opponents with little fanfare. The winner will most likely get a shot at derailing North Carolina as they both are potentially dangerous teams. This one should be a battle with Oklahoma winning by one, thus a push on the spread.
You have probably noticed I picked all the favorites to win outright.
My bracket has probably clouded the fact that most likely this will not be the case.
I’m looking forward to all eight games as the first two rounds were fun, but now things start getting serious.
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.
