March Madness is finally here as the teams have been announced and the First Four will begin on Tuesday. BetDSI has posted lines on each of the individual regions. Let’s take a closer look at how the East, West, Midwest and South is expected to play out.
East Region
Villanova is the favorites to win out in the East at EVEN odds. They have a ton of experience, all while leading the nation in scoring. Purdue is next at +270 and West Virginia comes in at +650. If Purdue-Villanova turns out to be the regional final, that will be a tough game to call. Purdue might be better defensively and they shoot the three-pointer as well as Villanova. West Virginia just doesn’t have the defense to keep up with the top two. Villanova are deserving favorites because of their experience.
Midwest Region
Duke comes in as the favorites at +180 while Michigan State are next at +230 and Kansas at +250. This is a very top-heavy group. The Blue Devils have the best talent in the region but they can have their issues on the defensive end of the floor as we’ve seen numerous times this season. Michigan State ran into a hot Michigan team in the Big Ten final, but they might be the most balanced unit in the country. Kansas has been the most maddening team in the college basketball, looking awesome at times and average at others. They seemed to have put things together in the Big 12 tournament, so they are in the right place right now.
South Region
Virginia is the favorites at +125 while Cincinnati are next at +270, then Arizona at +350. The Cavaliers were an afterthought coming into the season, but they have turned out to be arguably the best defensive team of the last five years. However, Cincinnati’s defense is right behind Virginia and that gives them the edge over Arizona, who might have more overall talent than either team. However, they haven’t seen a defense close to what Virginia and Cincinnati brings to the table.
West Region
North Carolina are favorites here at +300 with Gonzaga at +325 and Michigan at +350. A West final between North Carolina and Gonzaga would be fun as the Tar Heels beat the Bulldogs in last year’s tournament final and they both have the talent to get there again. However, the Wolverines wouldn’t be a bad pick if you wanted to take a bit of a risk after taking favorites in the other regions. The Wolverines are an outstanding defensive team and they showed in the Big Ten tournament that they can be tough to beat when their three-pointers are falling. North Carolina’s experience gives them a great chance to get to the Final Four. They played a very difficult schedule this year, so they are battle tested. As for Gonzaga – last year’s runner up – they are a well-balanced team.
