Basketball Betting: NCAA Midwest Region Preview

The top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks are in a solid position to win an NCAA title for the second time in the last three years. However, the overall Midwest field is viewed by many to be the most difficult of the four NCAA regions. The semi-finals and championship contest for this region will be held in St. Louis. Top contenders Top-seed Kansas is a -110 choice to come out of the Midwest. With guard Sherron Collins leading a talented squad, the Jayhawks appear to have all the parts in place to win another title. Second-seed Ohio State (+310) could pose a formidable challenge behind standout forward Evan Turner. The 5th-ranked Buckeyes crushed Minnesota in the Big 10 championship game last Sunday. Third-seed Georgetown (+620) lacked some consistency this season but the 14th-ranked Hoyas are a dangerous club. After reaching the NCAA championship game a year ago, fifth-seed Michigan State (+1200) is lurking in the middle of this regional. Head coach Tom Izzo has been able to get his teams to peak at tournament time more often than not in his tenure with the 13th-ranked Spartans. Fourth-seed Maryland (+1600) is actually flying under the radar a little bit in this loaded region despite gaining a share of the ACC regular season title. Senior guard Greivis Vazquez leads the 20th-ranked Terps. Sleepers While the top five seeds in the Midwest are all legitimate Final Four contenders, there are some lower seeds that can't be overlooked. Sixth-seed Tennessee (+2200) stopped Kansas and Kentucky during the regular season. The 15th-ranked Vols have been inconsistent but are capable of making a run. Seventh-seed Oklahoma State is also at +2200. Cowboys guard James Anderson is third in the nation in scoring at 23 points per outing. Eighth-seed UNLV, ninth-seed Northern Iowa and tenth-seed Georgia Tech are all at +2700 to win the Midwest. The Panthers have lost only four games this year. If Northern Iowa can get by UNLV in the first round, the club could give Kansas something to think about in the second round. The Yellow Jackets have one of the better freshmen classes in the country. The bottom six seeds comprise the field at +3500. Among these squads, 11th-seed San Diego State appears to be the most dangerous club. The Aztecs enter the tourney with plenty of momentum after beating a strong field to capture the Mountain West conference tournament in Las Vegas.