Basketball Betting: NCAA West Region Preview

The defending national champions will try to mount a repeat as the top seed in this region. The West regional semi-finals and championship game will be played in Anaheim. Top contenders Third-ranked Duke is a +110 choice to return to the Final Four. After leading the Blue Devils to the championship last season, seniors Nolan Smith (21.3 points per game) and Kyle Singler (17.1 points per game) are once again two of the top players in the country. Freshman standout Kyrie Erving could return to the lineup in the tourney. Due to injuries, he has been limited to just eight games this season. Head coach Mike Krzyewski will be seeking his fifth national championship. Upstart San Diego State (+350) will try to upend Duke as the second-seed. The 6th-ranked Aztecs are an outstanding defensive squad. During his time at Michigan, SDSU head coach Steve Fisher guided the Wolverines to three NCAA title games (1-2 record). After winning five games to capture the Big East tournament crown, 9th-ranked Connecticut (+605) is a confident team as the third-seed in the West. Dynamic guard Kemba Walker is one of the top backcourt performers in the nation. In 1999 and 2004, the Huskies won national titles after reaching the Final Four from the West region. Fourth-seed Texas (+500) certainly has enough talent to reach the Final Four. The 8th-ranked Longhorns won at Kansas during the regular season but struggled down the stretch. Sleepers Under head coach Sean Miller, the 17th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (+1100) are a live fifth-seed in the West. Standout forward Derrick Williams (19 points per game) is a major force in the front court for the squad. Sixth-seed Cincinnati (+2200) didn't gain much attention this season despite a solid 25-8 record. Among ten other Big East squads in the NCAA field, the Bearcats are flying under the radar heading into March Madness. In a Keystone State battle to open the tournament, seventh-seed Temple (+3200) will square off against tenth-seed Penn State (+5000). While the Owls have made plenty of trips to March Madness, the Nittany Lions are in the NCAA field for just the fourth time since 1965. After an inconsistent regular season that featured 14 losses, ninth-seed Tennessee (+3200) is a dangerous club in the bottom half of the West bracket. The Vols just missed a Final Four bid in last year's tourney. Eighth-seed Michigan (+3200) will line up against Tennessee to open the tournament.