NCAA March Madness: The Sweet 16 Preview And Betting Options
Published March 28, 2019 by Sol FH
With 16 teams left in this year's March Madness, anything can happen, and the underdogs could reign supreme. Don't miss tip-off tonight at 23:00 GMT.
The first of the final eight NCAA March Madness games gets underway tonight at 23:00 GMT between No. 1 ranked Gonzaga and No. 4 Florida State. Both teams looked unstoppable in their respective previous games, and either team could walk away with the win tonight. And what's at stake? A ticket into the coveted Elite Eight, which is a step closer to the Finals.
There are four games tonight and four games tomorrow night. Without question, the biggest game to watch will be tomorrow night between Duke and Virginia Tech, but, let's focus on tonight's games first.
Gonzaga vs. Florida State
This rivalry started exactly the same way last year, with a meeting in the Sweet 16. It was Florida State that beat Gonzaga in 2018, the underdog beating the favorite. The Bulldogs will be looking to bite back at the Seminoles this year, but they have a big battle ahead. Gonzaga beat Baylor 83-71 in the last round, with Brandon Clarke racking up the most points with 36 in the winning effort. FSU is a very strong team and actually recorded the largest win margin of the tournament. They crushed Murray State 90-62 in the last round. bet365 Sports likes Gonzaga at 1.26 while FSU is at 4.00.
Tennessee vs. Purdue
Don't sleep on either of these teams as they could easily be there in the Finals. Ranked 2nd, Tennessee is a strong team that downed Iowa to get here. Purdue is always tough, ranked No. 3. They beat Villanova in the last round. Both teams are evenly ranked, and it will come down to strong defense and shooting when all is said and done. Tennessee is slight favorites at 1.76, while Purdue is right behind at 2.10 according to bet365 Sports.
Michigan vs. Texas Tech
At 2:39 GMT, Michigan (2) will take on Texas Tech (3) for a chance to make the Elite Eight. The Wolverines are the favorites in this big game after taking care of Florida in the last round. Texas Tech is ranked 3, but they are very close to bettering Michigan in this one. Michigan is slightly better off at 1.80 while Texas Tech is at 2.05.
Virginia vs. Oregon
Now, this is the one that people should really care about as Virginia is one of the strongest teams in College Basketball right now. The only issue is, they have rarely made it past the Sweet 16. In fact, they have only done it once it its history. Oregon is the big story in this Sweet 16, as they are one of the only team not ranked in the Top 5 left in the festivities. The Ducks are ranked No. 12, and they have been upsetting teams left and right. In the first round, they ousted No. 5 Wisconsin and then took it to UC Irvine in the last round to make it here. Oregon will need to pull off yet another big upset here as Virginia are huge favorites at 1.22. Oregon is well back at 4.50, but bet365 Sports is offering competitive odds throughout the game.
