College Basketball Betting

Solid Underdog Plays?

There have already been plenty of upsets through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament; those handicapping the Sweet 16 would therefore take great interest in the underdogs in each of the third round's eight contests. Here is an outline of those eight tourney games, and their consensus betting lines.

Thursday Games

Atlanta Region: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 LSU
Who's the underdog in this one? Of course it's LSU, with the top-seeded Blue Devils favored by 6.5 points. The Tigers will be in tough against powerful Duke.

Atlanta Region: No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 2 Texas
The Longhorns are a 5-point favorite in this game, and West Virginia made it this far by dispatching No. 11 and No. 14 seeds. Can they step it up versus Texas?

Oakland Region: No. 1 Memphis vs. No. 13 Bradley
Does Bradley have one more big win left in them? Even if they lose, they could still remain competitive and cover the 6.5-point spread posted for this contest.

Oakland Region: No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 2 UCLA
The Bulldogs had hoped for a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in this tournament; instead they got a No. 3, and they're hovering as a 3-point underdog versus the Bruins.

Friday Games

Washington Region: No. 11 George Mason vs. No. 7 Wichita State
Almost a pick'em, but George Mason so far has been listed by oddsmakers as the 2-point favorite. Probably the hardest third-round game for handicappers.

Washington Region: No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 5 Washington
UConn is the tournament pick for quite a few experts; Washington is currently listed as a 6-point underdog versus the top seed in a battle of two Huskie teams.

Minneapolis Region: No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 4 Boston College
Villanova is favored by the least of any top seed, with the Eagles only a 2.5-point underdog. Can Boston College bounce the Wildcats and go to the Elite Eight?

Minneapolis Region: No. 3 Florida vs. No. 7 Georgetown
Florida romped through the first two rounds of the tournament, so the Hoyas find themselves listed as 3-point underdogs versus the Gators in the Sweet 16 round.