For the first time in 14 years only two No. 1 seeds have reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. As upset-filled as this Big Dance has been, would it surprise anyone if both were eliminated on Friday night even as solid betting favorites?
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
The only region that has come close to going to form has been the East, where No. 1 Villanova faces No. 5 West Virginia in the first game Friday from Boston, and No. 2 Purdue and No. 3 Texas Tech square off in the nightcap. The No. 4 seed in the region, Wichita State, was upset in the first round as a double-digit favorite against No. 13 Marshall.
West Virginia then dismantled Marshall in Round 2 to at least claim the state championship. WVU is a 5-point underdog against Villanova. It should be a fascinating matchup because the Mountaineers bring more full-court defensive pressure than any team in the nation. The Wildcats, meanwhile, were the country’s highest-scoring team this season. The two were former Big East foes, playing 42 times overall previously and last in December 2011.
Purdue is a 1.5-point favorite against Texas Tech in the schools’ first meeting since 1988. Will the Boilermakers have starting center Isaac Haas for the game? The seven-footer fractured his elbow in the first round and missed the second round because the NCAA wouldn’t clear a brace he wanted to wear. As a university, Purdue is known for its engineering program and students in that are hoping to design a brace that would be approved by the NCAA. Boilermakers coach Matt Painter has continually said he doesn’t expect Haas back this tournament regardless.
Midwest Region play tips off Friday from Omaha with No. 1 Kansas playing only about 200 miles from its campus as a 5-point favorite against No. 5 Clemson. While playing in the Sweet 16 is nothing new for the Jayhawks, it’s the first trip for the Tigers since 1997.
In the Midwest finale, No. 2 Duke is an 11.5-point favorite over fellow ACC school and No. 11 Syracuse. That’s easily the biggest spread of any Sweet 16 game. On February 24, the Blue Devils were 13.5-point favorites when they hosted the Orange and won 60-44 in an ugly offensive game all around. The Midwest final Sunday will be an all-ACC affair should Clemson upset Kansas.
