NCAA Basketball Betting

Betting Heats Up For The Sweet 16 Round

You made it just in time.

The first two rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament have come and gone. Although there were a few memorable moments, if you didn't get a chance to see any of the action, you didn't miss much. Thursday's slate of Sweet 16 games is where business really picks up. All four matchups look like must-see TV (although they're on CBS), and handicappers will be hanging on every shot.

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No. 4 Southern Illinois at No. 1 Kansas (7:10 p.m. Eastern)
The Salukis are one hell of a basketball team. They're ranked No. 7 in RPI, led by Jamaal Tatum (42.1 percent from behind the arc) in the backcourt and Randall Falker (2.1 blocks per game) in the paint. But SIU is a 9-point puppy against the very talented Kansas Jayhawks. That line looks pretty tight. As good as Tatum is from long range, Kansas has three guards shooting over 40 percent in Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins. Balance that with 6-foot-8 power forward Julian Wright, and you have arguably the best offense in the nation. Chalmers and Wright are also a handful on defense; they should be able to limit the Salukis early, after which the Jayhawks' superior bench strength should allow them to blow ahead by a double-digit margin in the second half.

No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 2 Memphis (7:27 p.m.)
This should be one heck of a matchup. The Tigers, runaway champions of the milquetoast Conference USA, are pegged as 3-point underdogs. Don't be fooled. This looks like a very close matchup; Memphis is ranked No. 8 in RPI and No. 9 in the more stathead-oriented Pomeroy ratings, just three spots behind the Aggies. Losing Rodney Carney doesn't seem to have slowed the Tigers down at all. Texas A&M, on the other hand, will try to smother the Tigers in molasses. The Aggies play things very close to the vest, waiting for the right opportunities to spring super-pivot Acie Law (17.9 points per game). Memphis won't be pushed around, though. Make sure to put in your mouth guard if you're watching this one on the tube.

No. 3 Pittsburgh at No. 2 UCLA (9:40 p.m.)
What, one close enough matchup isn't enough for you? Try this one on for size. The UCLA Bruins, who were dominant for almost the entire season, have slipped just enough in recent weeks to become slim 3-point faves against the Panthers. That's up from two points at the open; it appears the betting public is willing to overlook UCLA's shocking loss to Cal (+15) in the opening round of the Pacific-10 Conference tourney - not to mention the combined 3-for-18 performance of Arron Afflalo and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in the Bruins' second-round victory over Indiana. UCLA's suffocating defense can pull out a win even when the gunners are firing blanks - provided the opponent doesn't have a hot hand from 3-point range. Pitt wingman Ronald Ramon (43.2 percent) and guard Antonio Graves (40.4 percent) should at least be able to keep Pitt close.

No. 5 Tennessee at No. 1 Ohio State (9:57 p.m.)
The Volunteers are the lowest seed among Thursday's contestants, and they have the unenviable task of facing Greg Oden and the OSU Buckeyes. Yet the Vols are just 4.5-point dogs in this matchup. Why? Tennessee is good, but not as good as the rest of the Sweet 16 field. The Vols had trouble putting away an overrated Virginia squad, coughing the ball up 16 times. But they do have the superb Chris Lofton (20.7 points per game) running the show, which gives Tennessee a fighting chance against any opponent. However, these are the Buckeyes we're talking about. The Vols had their chance earlier in the year, losing to OSU by just two points back on Jan. 13. The Buckeyes adjusted and won their next 18 games straight up at 10-7-1 against the spread. Let the slaughter commence.