X marks the betting spot when it comes to March Madness and Xavier comes into the 2012 edition of the tournament as the most profitable team in the past decade.
March Madness Picks: South Region Betting Predictions
Presswire
Xavier is forecast to lose in the first round by the OddsShark.com scores computer, but not before it covers the spread against Notre Dame. That would increase its against-the-spread run to 16-2-1 ATS since 2001.
So while Duke and North Carolina may have more titles, Vegas is more afraid of little Xavier.
Duke and Baylor are the second and third seeded teams and if the computer is right, both will be gone by the weekend, clearing the way for Kentucky.
The Wildcats lead the way and are the favorite in odds to win the South Region. The SEC tournament steeled them for tough competition and they can go all the way – therefore, they are favored to win the South Region at shops such as Bovada and 5Dimes.
Can Lehigh really beat Duke? Can South Dakota State really beat Baylor? Does VCU have another Cinderella run in it? Could be time to re-think those picks.
South Region
(16) West. Kentucky (16-18) 6:50 pm ET Predicted Score: 85-64 Kentucky
(1) Kentucky (32-2)
Pick : WKU +24.5
KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, KY)
(12) VCU (28-6) 7:15 pm ET Predicted Score: 82-76 Shockers
(5) Wichita St. (27-5)
Pick: VCU +6.5
Rose Garden (Portland, OR)
(14) South Dakota St. (27-7) 7:27 pm ET Predicted Score: 82-81 SD State
(3) Baylor (27-7)
Pick: SD State +8.5
University Arena (Albuquerque, NM)
(9) Connecticut (20-13) 9:20 pm ET Predicted Score: 75-73 Cyclones
(8) Iowa St. (22-10)
Pick : Iowa State +1.5
KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, KY)
(13) New Mexico St. (26-9) 9:45 pm ET Predicted Score: 84-83 Hoosiers
(4) Indiana (25-8)
Pick: Aggies +6.5
Rose Garden (Portland, OR)
(11) Colorado (23-11) 9:57 pm ET Predicted Score: 79-73 UNLV
(8) UNLV (26-8)
Pick: UNLV -3.5
University Arena (Albuquerque, NM)
(15) Lehigh (26-7) 7:15 pm ET Predicted Score: 83-81 Mountain Hawks!
(2) Duke (27-6)
Pick: Lehigh +12.5
Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC)
(10) Xavier (21-12) 9:45 pm ET Predicted Score : 72-70 Notre Dame
(7) Notre Dame (22-11)
Pick : Xavier +2.5
Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC)
Odds to Win the South Region from OddsShark
Kentucky (1) 5/7
Duke (2) 5/1
Baylor (3) 11/2
Wichita State (5) 8/1
Indiana (4) 12/1
UNLV (6) 25/1
Connecticut (9) 30/1
Notre Dame (7) 40/1
Iowa State (8) 60/1
Xavier (10) 60/1
VCU (12) 100/1
Colorado (11) 150/1
New Mexico State (13) 200/1
South Dakota State (14) 200/1
Lehigh (15) 200/1
Western Kentucky (16) 200/1
Mississippi Valley State (16) 225/1
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