Midwest Region Prediction
Which team from the Midwest Region will advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament? Here’s our prediction for this region.
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, Duke is the favorite in the Midwest, as the Blue Devils are getting -150 odds. Other odds to prevail are Kansas (+205), Clemson (+800) and Syracuse (+1800). The Midwest Region semifinals and final will take place from CenturyLink Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
Bet on the 2018 NCAA Tournament
THE FAVORITE
Duke is the favorite despite being the second seed and top-seeded Kansas still in the running. The Blue Devils looked dominant in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, as it beat Iona and Rhode Island by over 20 points. Duke certainly is one of the most-talented teams left in the field and the Blue Devils seem hard to beat when playing to their full potential.
DARK HORSE
Clemson at +800. The Tigers dominated Auburn in the second round of the tournament, 84-53. They also picked up a double-digit win over New Mexico State. Should that offense carry on into this week, it’s going to make Clemson tough to beat. The Tigers already rank 26th nationally in defense. If their offense can continue to play above average, they have a real chance to beat the likes of Kansas and Duke or Syracuse.
STAY AWAY
Syracuse at +1800. There is good value with the Orange given their three wins last week, but Syracuse only beat Michigan State because the Spartans shot so poorly and refused to adjust to the zone defense. Duke won’t have that issue. The Blue Devils already own a 16-point win over the Orange this season. Syracuse ranks 317th nationally in offense and it’s going to be hard to overcome that deficiency this weekend.
PREDICTION
I picked Duke to win this region last week and the Blue Devils certainly haven’t done anything to make me change my mind. Duke has all the offensive talent to win this region and their defense looked strong last week. Their 29th-ranked offense should be too much for Syracuse to deal with and I think the Blue Devils have more ability on both sides of the ball than Kansas or Clemson.
MIDWEST REGION PREDICTION: DUKE -150