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Thursday, March 20
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NCAA West Regional betting news and notes: Zona's Miller sterling in tourney
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No. 16 Weber State Wildcats vs. No. 1 Arizona Wildcats (-20, 127.5)
Arizona, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, shouldn’t have any problem winning against No. 16 seed Weber State. No. 1 seeds are a spotless 116-0 SU against No. 16 seeds. Another stat that favors the Wildcats (30-4 SU, 20-13 ATS) well beyond Friday’s game: In 10 years as a head coach (previously at Xavier, currently at Arizona), Sean Miller has never lost SU to a worse-seeded team in the NCAA tournament. This will be Miller’s seventh trip to the Big Dance.
No. 11 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. No. 6 Baylor Bears (-3.5, 131)
Nebraska has never won an NCAA tournament game, going 0-6 SU. So picking the 11th-seeded Huskers to pull the outright upset of No. 6 Baylor might not be the best move. On the flip side, the Huskers (19-12 SU) have a 20-10 ATS mark this year, eighth nationally.
No. 14 UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns vs. No. 3 Creighton Bluejays (-14, 154.5)
Experience can count for a lot this time of year, and Creighton has plenty of it. This is the Bluejays’ third straight NCAA tournament and they have four seniors, including likely National Player of the Year Doug McDermott. Those four seniors are all starters (guard Austin Chatman is a junior) and of Creighton’s top eight players, seven have NCAA tournament experience. The Ragin’ Cajuns, meanwhile, are in the Big Dance for the first time since 2005 and have just two seniors among their starters and top reserves.
No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs (+2.5, 139)
Cowboys star Marcus Smart (18.7 points. 6.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds in his last seven games) has been all the rage in getting his squad to the NCAA tournament. But the key for Oklahoma State could be less-heralded Phil Forte, according to the Daily Oklahoman’s John Helsley.
The 5-foot-11 guard was named co-Sixth Man of the Year in the Big 12, but he’s been a starter the past 10 games. His sharpshooting from 3-point range – hitting 44.5 percent (98 of 220) and is 24th nationally in made 3-pointers per game (2.97) – has stretched defenses, opening up things for Smart and standout teammates Markel Brown and Le’Bryan Nash.
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Thursday, March 20
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAA West Regional betting news and notes: Zona's Miller sterling in tourney
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. 16 Weber State Wildcats vs. No. 1 Arizona Wildcats (-20, 127.5)
Arizona, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, shouldn’t have any problem winning against No. 16 seed Weber State. No. 1 seeds are a spotless 116-0 SU against No. 16 seeds. Another stat that favors the Wildcats (30-4 SU, 20-13 ATS) well beyond Friday’s game: In 10 years as a head coach (previously at Xavier, currently at Arizona), Sean Miller has never lost SU to a worse-seeded team in the NCAA tournament. This will be Miller’s seventh trip to the Big Dance.
No. 11 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. No. 6 Baylor Bears (-3.5, 131)
Nebraska has never won an NCAA tournament game, going 0-6 SU. So picking the 11th-seeded Huskers to pull the outright upset of No. 6 Baylor might not be the best move. On the flip side, the Huskers (19-12 SU) have a 20-10 ATS mark this year, eighth nationally.
No. 14 UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns vs. No. 3 Creighton Bluejays (-14, 154.5)
Experience can count for a lot this time of year, and Creighton has plenty of it. This is the Bluejays’ third straight NCAA tournament and they have four seniors, including likely National Player of the Year Doug McDermott. Those four seniors are all starters (guard Austin Chatman is a junior) and of Creighton’s top eight players, seven have NCAA tournament experience. The Ragin’ Cajuns, meanwhile, are in the Big Dance for the first time since 2005 and have just two seniors among their starters and top reserves.
No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs (+2.5, 139)
Cowboys star Marcus Smart (18.7 points. 6.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds in his last seven games) has been all the rage in getting his squad to the NCAA tournament. But the key for Oklahoma State could be less-heralded Phil Forte, according to the Daily Oklahoman’s John Helsley.
The 5-foot-11 guard was named co-Sixth Man of the Year in the Big 12, but he’s been a starter the past 10 games. His sharpshooting from 3-point range – hitting 44.5 percent (98 of 220) and is 24th nationally in made 3-pointers per game (2.97) – has stretched defenses, opening up things for Smart and standout teammates Markel Brown and Le’Bryan Nash.
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