The fourth-ranked Syracuse Orange will be looking for its first trip to the Final Four since Carmello Anthony led the school to a national title in 2003. An emerging Kansas State program could derail the hopes of the Orange in this bracket. The semi-finals and championship matchup will take place in Salt Lake City.
Top contenders
Top-seed Syracuse is a +145 favorite to win the West region title. Forward Wes Johnson helped the Orange to the Big East regular season crown. Longtime head coach Jim Boeheim has plenty of March Madness experience to impart on his squad.
Second-seed Kansas State (+300) is next on the list. The 7th-ranked Wildcats play at an intense pace to frustrate its foes. Third-seed Pittsburgh (+800) is another physical squad at the top of the West bracket. The 18th-ranked Panthers have reached the Sweet 16 in five of the last eight seasons. Seventh-seed BYU (+1000) is gaining plenty of respect in the wagering market. The 17th-ranked Cougars are the highest scoring club in the tourney field at 83 points per contest.
Sleepers
Fifth-seed Butler and sixth-seed Xavier lead the list of sleeper clubs at +1150. The 11th-ranked Bulldogs have plenty of bite for a mid-major team. Butler enters the tourney with a 20-game winning streak. The 25th-ranked Musketeers are also a team that can’t be overlooked. Xavier has been to the Elite Eight twice since 2004.
Fourth-seed Vanderbilt (+1600) could be underrated after posting the second-best mark in the SEC during the regular season. The 21st-ranked Commodores have a versatile lineup that could be capable of making a run.
Ninth-seed Florida State (+1800) will not be an easy out. The Seminoles lead the country in field goal percentage defense at 37%. Despite some significant personnel losses, eighth-seed Gonzaga (+1900) is once again in the dance. The 22nd-ranked Bulldogs are in the NCAA field for the12th straight time. Gonzaga has reached the Sweet 16 on five different occasions during the run.
Tenth-seed Florida (+2200) has returned to the NCAA party for the first time since winning consecutive titles in 2006-07. The bottom six teams in the region round out the field at odds of +2000.
11th-seed Minnesota is an intriguing club. Gophers head coach Tubby Smith guided Kentucky to a national title back in 1998 and has led two other programs to the Sweet 16. 12th-seed UTEP and 13th-seed Murray State are also a couple of low seeds that could make some noise in the early rounds.
