Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

March Madness Predictions: Will Duke or Kansas win the Midwest Region?

Midwest Region Predictions

The Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament looks to be the toughest to pick according to oddsmakers. Here’s our breakdown and prediction for this region.

According to oddsmakers at YouWager, Duke is the slight favorite to win this region, as the Blue Devils have odds of +205 to prevail. Other short odds to win are Michigan State (+230) and Kansas (+270).

Bet on the 2018 NCAA Tournament

The Favorite: Duke +205

The Blue Devils certainly aren’t lacking in talent, but the largely young roster has dealt with some inconsistency throughout the season. Still, Duke had a nearly perfect non-conference run with a victory over Michigan State, the third seed in this region. I feel the Blue Devils matchup well with Kansas and they have arguably the best coach in the tournament. If the talent plays up to its ability, Duke has the capability to win the whole tournament.

The Dark Horse: Seton Hall +3000

This is a real stretch, but injuries have me feeling that Auburn, TCU and Clemson really can’t contend. Seton Hall is a team that has been playing well over the last few weeks, beating the likes of Providence and Butler, while losing by one in OT to Villanova. The Pirates are also a team that beat Louisville and Texas Tech during the season. While not without their flaws, Seton Hall will be a good team in an underdog role. The Big East was a really tough conference this season and breaking away from that should also provide a boost and give the Pirates a chance to be a real Cinderella.

Stay Away: Michigan State +230

I know that many people love Michigan State. The talent is there and Tom Izzo has shown an ability to work some magic in March. However, if you really look closely at the Spartans, there are clear flaws. The Big Ten schedule was incredibly favorable to MSU, as they didn’t have many tough road games. The ones they did have, they lost. Michigan State is a team that needs to get out in transition. When forced into a half-court offense, the Spartans struggle to get to the basket and commit far too many turnovers. I don’t see these problems getting fixed in a tough region.

Midwest Region Prediction

I feel like this region comes down to Kansas and Duke, but the Jayhawks are a program that have had a real propensity to exit the tournament far too early. I trust Coach K far more than I do Bill Self. I also think that the Blue Devils may have the better talent and with it being March, the young guys may start to focus in because they actually care about something this time of year.

MIDWEST REGION PREDICTIONS: DUKE +205

Need More winners against the spread? Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. Instant Access here.

AD BLOCKER DETECTED. We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Please support us by disabling these ad blockers.