Who Will Win Each Region of the NCAA Tournament?

March Madness – Betting Odds and Ends For the Round of 64

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Betting Odds Heading into the Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen West Region – Gonzaga vs. Arkansas and Texas Tech vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen South Region – Michigan vs. Villanova and Arizona vs. Houston – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen Midwest Region – Providence vs. Kansas and Iowa State vs. Miami – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen East Region – St. Peter’s vs. Purdue and North Carolina vs. UCLA – Betting Predictions and Picks

NCAA Men’s Basketball Elite Eight Houston vs. Villanova and Arkansas vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

Updated NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Odds Heading into the Final Four

NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four – Villanova vs. Kansas – Betting Odds, Preview, and Prediction

NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four – Duke vs. North Carolina – Betting Odds, Preview, and Prediction

Kansas vs. North Carolina – 9:20pm

Odds

Spread: Kansas -4.5

Total: 153

Moneyline: Kansas -195/UNC +170

Storylines

Instead of getting Coach K’s last chance at a National Championship, we get the Roy Williams Bowl. The North Carolina Tar Heels and the Kansas Jayhawks are set to face off on Monday night for a chance at a championship.

Kansas took down Villanova on Saturday 81-65, and the game was never particularly close. Led by Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack, the Jayhawks shot out to an early 20-point first half lead and never looked back. They led wire-to-wire, and despite a, 8-0 run by Villanova early in the second half cutting the deficit to eight points – Kansas was in control the entire game on their way to the championship. Villanova guard Collin Gillespie led the way with 17 points in his last game for the Wildcats – but it wasn’t enough for the storied senior guard to prolong his career.

Saturday’s night cap was outstanding. Rivals Duke and North Carolina played an unbelievable back-and-forth game that included 18(!!) lead changes and dominant performances all over the court. UNC’s Armando Bacot had 21 rebounds, guard Caleb Love scored 28 points, and Brady Manek shot 50% from behind the arc to lead the Tar Heels to a victory. Paulo Banchero led the way, per usual, for Duke with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Trevor Keels put up an excellent 19-point performance, but it wasn’t enough for the Blue Devils. Coach K goes out with a loss to his all-time rival.

Prediction/Pick

People are forgetting that North Carolina is an eight-seed. They’ve certainly defied odds over the last month and showed that they belong, but I think that comes to an end on Monday night. The Kansas Jayhawks have marched their way through this tournament so far and I don’t see that stopping. It may be back and forth, but in the end Kansas will come out victorious.

Congratulations Jayhawks – you’re National Champions.

Prediction: Kansas 84 – UNC 74

Side: Kansas -4.5

Total: OVER 153

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CLNSMedia for the latest up-to-date Boston Sports news!

Also, be sure to check out our new sports betting Twitter account @CLNSBetting for all the latest odds and content from CLNS Media.

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The post NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship – Kansas vs. North Carolina – Betting Odds, Preview, and Prediction appeared first on CLNS Media.

Who Will Win Each Region of the NCAA Tournament?

March Madness – Betting Odds and Ends For the Round of 64

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Betting Odds Heading into the Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen West Region – Gonzaga vs. Arkansas and Texas Tech vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen South Region – Michigan vs. Villanova and Arizona vs. Houston – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen Midwest Region – Providence vs. Kansas and Iowa State vs. Miami – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen East Region – St. Peter’s vs. Purdue and North Carolina vs. UCLA – Betting Predictions and Picks

NCAA Men’s Basketball Elite Eight Houston vs. Villanova and Arkansas vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

Updated NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds Heading into the Final Four

Villanova vs. Kansas – 6:09pm

Odds

Spread: Kansas -4

Total: 132.5

Moneyline: Kansas -190/Villanova +165

Storylines

We have quite the Final Four ahead of us, and it starts with Villanova versus Kansas. We have two storied teams, coaches, and programs set to face off Saturday evening – and by all accounts it shouldn’t disappoint.

The Kansas Jayhawks – led by head coach Bill Self, are 32-6 on the season and have cut through the Midwest region like a hot knife through butter. They beat Texas Southern, Creighton, Providence, and Miami all with relative ease – and have positioned themselves to make it back to their first tournament final since 2012. Guard Ochai Agbaji has led the Jayhawks all season long with 18.9 points per game. They’ll need him to be on his A game if they want to get past Villanova on Saturday.

Speaking of Villanova – the Wildcats and Jay Wright finished their season with a 30-7 record and as the Big East tournament champions. Collin Gillespie must bleed light and dark blue at this point, as the senior has been with the team since 2017 and is looking for his second championship. Gillespie averaged 15.6 points and 3.3 assists for the Wildcats this season.

Prediction/Pick

This game doesn’t have as much buzz as Duke vs. North Carolina – but I think it has the potential to be a better game. These two teams have no reason to believe that Saturday will be the end of their season – they’re both dominant programs who have the capability to win the whole thing.

Ultimately – I think the Jayhawks squeak this one out. Fouling at the end makes it a five point game and Kansas covers the spread.

Prediction: Kansas 75 – Villanova 70

Side: Kansas -4

Total: OVER 132.5

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CLNSMedia for the latest up-to-date Boston Sports news!

Also, be sure to check out our new sports betting Twitter account @CLNSBetting for all the latest odds and content from CLNS Media.

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The post NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four – Villanova vs. Kansas – Betting Odds, Preview, and Prediction appeared first on CLNS Media.

However, it brought us to this coming weekend, where we get four blue bloods matching up for a chance to win a National Championship.

Who Will Win Each Region of the NCAA Tournament?

March Madness – Betting Odds and Ends For the Round of 64

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Betting Odds Heading into the Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen West Region – Gonzaga vs. Arkansas and Texas Tech vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen South Region – Michigan vs. Villanova and Arizona vs. Houston – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen Midwest Region – Providence vs. Kansas and Iowa State vs. Miami – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen East Region – St. Peter’s vs. Purdue and North Carolina vs. UCLA – Betting Predictions and Picks

NCAA Men’s Basketball Elite Eight Houston vs. Villanova and Arkansas vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

The four blue bloods are, of course, Duke, Kansas, Villanova, and North Carolina. Here are their odds to win the tournament heading into Saturday’s Final Four. As always, all odds and NCAA March Madness betting content is powered by our friends at BetOnline.ag:

Odds to Win the Tournament

Duke                          +140

Kansas                      +190

North Carolina        +475

Villanova                  +500

There’s been a lot of talk about the coaches in this tournament. Saint Peter’s Shaheen Holloway made a name for himself with the Peacocks, Kansas’ Bill Self and Villanova’s Jay Wright are back in the Final Four, and – of course – it’s Coach K’s final season coaching the Duke Blue Devils.

However, it’s the players that make this whole thing happen. Here are BetOnline’s odds on who will win the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award:

Most Outstanding Player

Paulo Banchero                    +250

Ochai Agbaji                          +400

Collin Gillespie                     +900

Jermaine Samuels               +900

Armando Bacot                   +1000

Remy Martin                        +1000

AJ Griffin                              +2000

Brady Manek                       +2000

Caleb Love                            +2000

Christian Braun                   +2000

Jeremy Roach                     +2500

Mark Williams                     +2500

Fabian White Jr.                 +4000

Caleb Daniels                      +5000

R.J. Davis                             +5000

Wendell Moore Jr.             +5000

Duke’s Paulo Banchero (+250) is the best player still standing. If the Blue Devils win it all, he’s almost certain to win the award. However there are plenty of long shots on the board that can win MOP – so long as Duke doesn’t win.

Villanova’s Collin Gillespie (+900), Kansas’ Remy Martin (+1000), and UNC’s Brady Manek (+2000), are my favorite bets for the teams outside of Duke. These three players are all capable of having a monster weekend to lead their teams to a championship, and would be completely deserving of the Most Outstanding Player award.

Keep it here on CLNSMedia.com all week for betting previews and predictions for both Final Four games and Monday’s championship game.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CLNSMedia for the latest up-to-date Boston Sports news!

Also, be sure to check out our new sports betting Twitter account @CLNSBetting for all the latest odds and content from CLNS Media.

Use code CLNS50 for 50% off your first deposit at Betonline.ag.

The post Updated NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Odds Heading into the Final Four appeared first on CLNS Media.

Who Will Win Each Region of the NCAA Tournament?

March Madness – Betting Odds and Ends For the Round of 64

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Betting Odds Heading into the Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen West Region – Gonzaga vs. Arkansas and Texas Tech vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen South Region – Michigan vs. Villanova and Arizona vs. Houston – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen Midwest Region – Providence vs. Kansas and Iowa State vs. Miami – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen East Region – St. Peter’s vs. Purdue and North Carolina vs. UCLA – Betting Predictions and Picks

NCAA Men’s Basketball Elite Eight Houston vs. Villanova and Arkansas vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

And here are my previews and predictions for Friday’s East Region games with odds – as always –  from BetOnline.ag:

Kansas vs. Miami – 2:20pm

Odds

Spread: Kansas -6

Total: 147.5

Moneyline: Kansas -260/Miami +220

Storylines

Kansas avoided a serious scare against Providence on Friday night, beating the Friars 66-61. The Jayhawks held Providence to just 17 first half points, but a 25-11 second half run gave the Friars a lead before Kansas ultimately got the job done. Remy Martin led the way for Kansas with 23 points.

The Jayhawks will take on the Miami Hurricanes, the 10-seed in the Midwest who has gotten through USC, Auburn, and Iowa State on their way to their first Elite Eight in program history. Though I have touted the ACC all tournament, the Big 12’s Kansas Jayhawks will be the Hurricanes biggest test all season.

Prediction/Pick

Miami’s run stops here. Kansas is too good. Bill Self get’s the Jayhawks to their first Final Four since 2018.

Prediction: Kansas 68 – Miami 58

Side: Kansas -6

Total: UNDER 147.5

North Carolina vs. Saint Peter’s – 5:05pm

Odds

Spread: UNC -8

Total: 137

Moneyline: UNC -360/Saint Peter’s +290

Storylines

Yup – they did it again. The Saint Peter’s Peacocks rattled off yet another victory and have made in to the Elite Eight, the first time a 15-seed has done this in the history of the tournament. They took down Purdue 67-64 on Friday night, with guard Daryl Banks III leading the way with 14 points. Coach Holloway’s team held Purdue’s 7’4″ center Zach Edey to just 11 points and NBA prospect Jaden Ivey to just 9.

Their opponent for Sunday? The North Carolina Tar Heels. UNC took down UCLA on Friday night behind guard Caleb Love’s dominant second half performance. Love went 6 for 13 from the 3-point line and scored 25 of his 28 points in the second half. The Tar Heels finished the game on a 12-2 run over the final two minutes – cementing themselves into the Elite Eight for the first time since 2017.

Prediction/Pick

It’s getting harder and harder to pick against Saint Peter’s, but the Cinderella story has to end at some point. The ACC is the best conference in college basketball, and unfortunately I think UNC is too big of a task for the Peacocks.

They’ll fight again and cover the spread, but the Tar Heels get themselves back to the Final Four.

Prediction: UNC 75 – Saint Peter’s 70

Side: Saint Peter’s +8

Total: OVER 137

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CLNSMedia for the latest up-to-date Boston Sports news!

Also, be sure to check out our new sports betting Twitter account @CLNSBetting for all the latest odds and content from CLNS Media.

Use code CLNS50 for 50% off your first deposit at Betonline.ag.

The post NCAA Men’s Basketball Elite Eight – Kansas vs. Miami and North Carolina vs. Saint Peter’s – Betting Predictions and Picks appeared first on CLNS Media.

Who Will Win Each Region of the NCAA Tournament?

March Madness – Betting Odds and Ends For the Round of 64

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Betting Odds Heading into the Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen West Region – Gonzaga vs. Arkansas and Texas Tech vs. Duke – Betting Predictions and Picks

Sweet Sixteen South Region – Michigan vs. Villanova and Arizona vs. Houston – Betting Predictions and Picks

And here are my previews and predictions for Friday’s Midwest Region games with odds – as always –  from BetOnline.ag:

Providence vs. Kansas – 7:29pm

Odds

Spread: Kansas -7.5

Total: 141.5

Moneyline: Kansas -330/Providence +275

Storylines

Though they’re a 4-seed in the Midwest and finished the season ranked #15 in the country – the Providence Friars got to this point against all odds. They were favored by just 3 points in their first round game against South Dakota State and by just four against Richmond last round, but beat both of them handily. A few weeks ago, I had the Friars as my fifth favorite pick to win the title. Here’s what I wrote:

Call me crazy, but Ed Cooley has something going down in Providence. They are the ninth ranked team in the country, and are coming off of a dominant home win against the Creighton Jays. Center Nate Watson has been an outstanding interior player for Providence, and is shooting 65% from the field in the team’s last four games.

They head to Villanova on Tuesday night to take on the 11th ranked Wildcats – a true test to see if Providence is for real in 2022. If they can get some momentum going heading into the Big East tournament, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the 24-3 Friars playing basketball into April.

As for Kansas, they finished the season as the number 3 team in the country – led by senior guard Ochai Agbaji. Agbaji has gone for 11 and 16 point so far in the tournament, and has +1000 odds to win Most Outstanding Player according to BetOnline. That’ll be tough to do if they don’t get past the Friars…

Prediction/Pick

Which is exactly what I’m predicting. Providence continues to defy the odds and gets to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1997.

Prediction: Providence 77 – Kansas 76

Side: Providence +7.5

Total: OVER 141.5

Iowa State vs. Miami

Odds

Spread: Miami -2

Total: 133

Moneyline: Miami -145/Iowa State +125

Storylines

Both of these teams are coming off of major upsets last weekend as Miami beat #2 Auburn 79-61 and Iowa State beat #3 Wisconsin 54-49. Now, the Cyclones and Hurricanes face off in the Windy City for a chance to advance to the Elite Eight. Poetic isn’t it?

Miami plays in arguably the best conference in the country in the ACC and is led by an experienced coach in Jim Larrañaga. So their two round run isn’t terribly shocking. Their guard play is simply outstanding led by guard’s Kameron McGusty and Ian Wong, and although their front court could use some work, their backcourt is what got them here, so you have to respect it.

The Cyclones, on the other hand, are somehow riding high after going 7-11 in the Big 12 this season – good for just 11th in the conference.

Prediction/Pick

Iowa State can’t compete with Miami. The ACC is a much stronger conference – and that will show on Friday night. The Hurricanes continue their run and will take on the Providence Friars in the Elite Eight.

Prediction: Miami 74 – Iowa State 62

Side: Miami -2

Total: OVER 133

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CLNSMedia for the latest up-to-date Boston Sports news!

Also, be sure to check out our new sports betting Twitter account @CLNSBetting for all the latest odds and content from CLNS Media.

Use code CLNS50 for 50% off your first deposit at Betonline.ag.

The post Sweet Sixteen Midwest Region – Providence vs. Kansas and Iowa State vs. Miami – Betting Predictions and Picks appeared first on CLNS Media.

Busch ran up front for most of the day, and he and Kyle Larson were the class of the field as the laps wound down.

Busch was the leader when a late caution came out, and he held off the field on the final restart to pick up his first victory of 2021.

Busch didn’t win until late in 2020, and he said he’s glad his team could get to victory lane early this season.

“It’s cool to get everybody in victory lane again this early in the season,” Busch said.  “It’s hard sometimes…there’s a sense of doubt there for sure.  You’ve got to keep persevering and keep digging.”

The victory came on Busch’s 36^th birthday, and came at the end of an emotional week.  On Friday, Busch and his wife Samantha announced that they had suffered another miscarriage, another setback in their infertility journey.

Busch said it was a tough week for his family.

“You talk about the ups and downs of racing…it’s been a lot of downs of life for us,” Busch said.  “I’ve got a great opportunity and a great job…but struggling with infertility and stuff like that with Samantha.  Just a great day to put this M&M’s Mix Camry up front.”

Larson led a race-high 132 laps, but he lost the lead following a few late cautions.

With the field taking the green flag with two laps remaining, Larson committed to pushing Ryan Blaney to give both drivers a chance at the win.  Larson and Blaney got loose and into the wall, and Larson ended up 19^th.

Larson said he was trying to do all he could to give himself a shot at the win.

“Just planned on pushing Blaney as hard as I could, obviously I was just pushing too hard.” Larson said.  “Got him loose and chased ourselves both up into the wall.”

“That’s really the first time I was behind anybody on a restart, so I thought I could push around the corner.  I learned for next time.”

Unofficial results:

1. Kyle Busch
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Matt DiBenedetto
5. Chase Elliott
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Tyler Reddick
8. Chris Buescher
9. William Byron
10. Austin Dillon
11. Daniel Suarez
12. Denny Hamlin
13. Michael McDowell
14. Ross Chastain
15. Kurt Busch
16. Ryan Newman
17. Joey Logano
18. Alex Bowman
19. Kyle Larson
20. Chase Briscoe
21. Ryan Blaney
22. Austin Cindric
23. Anthony Alfredo
24. Cole Custer
25. Erik Jones
26. Bubba Wallace
27. Corey LaJoie
28. Christopher Bell
29. Aric Almirola
30. Justin Haley
31. BJ McLeod
32. Ryan Preece
33. Garrett Smithley
34. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
35. Joey Gase
36. Cody Ware
37. Quin Houff
38. Matt Mills
39. Josh Bilicki

The post Busch Caps Off Emotional Week with Kansas Victory appeared first on CLNS Media.

Logano took the lead on the final restart, and he held off Kevin Harvick over the final 30-lap run.

Harvick had a faster car throughout the race, but Logano was able to block him over the final run to pick up his first victory since NASCAR returned from their COVID shutdown.

Logano said he was focused on his mirror throughout the final run to block any runs from Harvick.

“I thought if I could hold him off those first 15 laps, I’d have a chance,” Logano said.  “Dirty air was best for us.  When we caught lapped traffic, we were able to gap ourselves as he got more dirty air.”

Logano said the victory reminds him of 2018, when he locked himself in to the final round of the Playoffs early.

“It was on my mind every lap,” Logano said.  “You come into this race knowing if you can win this thing you’ve got an amazing advantage.  We’re going to Phoenix; we’re racing for a championship again.”

Harvick said he needed to beat Logano off pit road if he was going to win.

“It came down to controlling that restart there and we lost the lead,” Harvick said.  “We weren’t the best behind somebody.  Good run for us; wish we could have won but one short.”

Unofficial results:

1. Joey Logano
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Alex Bowman
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Kyle Busch
6. Chase Elliott
7. Ryan Blaney
8. William Byron
9. Martin Truex Jr.
10. Christopher Bell
11. Austin Dillon
12. Matt DiBenedetto
13. Aric Almirola
14. Cole Custer
15. Denny Hamlin
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
17. John Hunter Nemechek
18. Bubba Wallace
19. Michael McDowell
20. Erik Jones
21. Chris Buescher
22. Ryan Newman
23. Corey LaJoie
24. Ty Dillon
25. Tyler Reddick
26. Clint Bowyer
27. Daniel Suarez
28. Brennan Poole
29. Ryan Preece
30. JJ Yeley
31. Jimmie Johnson
32. James Davison
33. Quin Houff
34. Timmy Hill
35. Josh Bilicki
36. Reed Sorenson
37. Joey Gase
38. Kurt Busch
39. Chad Finchum
40. Matt Kenseth

The post Logano Holds off Harvick to Win at Kansas appeared first on CLNS Media.

Hamlin had a fast car throughout the night, but had to chase down Kevin Harvick following the final restart.  After pulling away, Brad Keselowski slowly reeled Hamlin back in.

Hamlin was able to hold off Keselowski over the final 12 laps to pick up his second-consecutive Kansas victory.

Hamlin said he was able to make his car work where Harvick’s couldn’t to get the win.

“I saw [Harvick] getting loose,” Hamlin said.  “Usually when you’re loose, you aren’t able to run up high, and that was the benefit for us to be able to get that momentum going.”

Hamlin said he feels he has a perfect team that can help him win any weekend.

“We can win any given week and that’s something that’s really hard to come by,” Hamlin said.  “I don’t know if we had the best car; we definitely had a Top 3 car all day, but just went and got it there at the end.”

Keselowski took four tires during the final caution while Hamlin only took two, but Keselowski ran out of laps to chase Hamlin down.

Keselowski said the Joe Gibbs Racing cars were too good on restarts, which ended up being the difference.

“We were pretty equal; [Hamlin] had two tires, I had four tires, but he was just really strong on restarts,” Keselowski said.  “He and the Gibbs cars could pull everybody by about a car length on the restarts, and they did a great job taking advantage of it.”

“Thought [we were] even on the racetrack, just a little bit behind on the restarts.”

Unofficial results:

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Erik Jones
6. Aric Almirola
7. Cole Custer
8. Alex Bowman
9. Kurt Busch
10. William Byron
11. Kyle Busch
12. Chase Elliott
13. Tyler Reddick
14. Clint Bowyer
15. Ty Dillon
16. Michael McDowell
17. Matt Kenseth
18. Daniel Suarez
19. John Hunter Nemechek
20. Ryan Blaney
21. Corey LaJoie
22. JJ Yeley
23. Christopher Bell
24. Quin Houff
25. Josh Bilicki
26. Garrett Smithley
27. Austin Dillon
28. Ryan Newman
29. Joey Gase
30. Brennan Poole
31. Reed Sorenson
32. Jimmie Johnson
33. Chris Buescher
34. Ryan Preece
35. Joey Logano
36. Matt DiBenedetto
37. Bubba Wallace
38. Timmy Hill
39. BJ McLeod
40. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The post Hamlin Wins at Kansas appeared first on CLNS Media.