More No. 1 seeds lost Thursday night, adding to the madness of March
In one of the most turbulent NCAA Tournaments in history only the strong survive.
Saturday’s slate of Elite Eight games is devoid of any No. 1 seeds after Gonzaga and Arizona were sent packing in the regional semifinals. A pair of intriguing matchups will decide the first two Final Four entrants from the South and West regions.
FrontPageBets presents its picks to fly to New Orleans for the national semifinals.
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Tipoff: 6:09 p.m.
TV: TBS
Region: South (San Antonio)
Spread: Houston -1.5 (-120); Villanova +1.5 (+100)
Money Line: Houston -130; Villanova +110
Over/Under: 128 (-110)
Road to the Elite Eight: Houston (32-5) might have been the most overlooked team in the tournament before knocking out No. 1 seed Arizona, 72-60. The oddsmakers have taken notice, installing the Cougars as the favorite against Villanova. Kelvin Sampson’s crew does it with an aggressive defense that allows just 59 points per game. They held Arizona, one of the top offensive teams in the country, to 31.9% shooting. And it’s not as if Houston doesn’t have talent on offense. Sophomore guard Jamal Shead had 21 points and six assists against Arizona. Senior guard Kyler Edwards added 19 points and five rebounds. They face a tournament-tested Villanova squad (29-7) that has won two national championships over the past six seasons. Senior guard and catalyst Collin Gillespie has struggled with his shot, but hit a huge 3-pointer to snuff Michigan, 63-55, in the region semis. Senior forward Jermaine Samuels was the main man for the Wildcats against the Wolverines, scoring 22 points and pulling down seven rebounds. VU can play defense, too, holding Michigan to 34.4% shooting. Houston is 25-12 against the spread. Villanova is 19-15-2.  Â
The pick: Villanova, 64-63
Tipoff: 8:49 p.m.
TV: TBS
Region: West (San Francisco)
Spread: Duke -3.5 (-110); Arkansas +3.5 (-110)
Money Line: Duke -170; Arkansas +150
Over/Under: 147.5 (-110)
Road to the Elite Eight: Arkansas (28-8) took out top overall seed Gonzaga, 74-68. The Razorbacks have made it to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season under Eric Musselman. Plain and simple, they out-toughed the Zags. Star senior guard JD Notae showed no conscience, missing 20 shots but scoring 21 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out six assists and blocking two shots. Sophomore forward Jaylin Williams, too, was a force on both ends of the court, pouring in 15 points and snaring 12 rebounds. Duke (31-6) seems intent on sending out retiring coach Mike Krzyzewski with a sixth national championship. The Blue Devils clawed back against defensive juggernaut Texas Tech, 78-73, in the region semis. Trailing by four points at halftime, Duke shot a stunning 70.8% in the second half. Sophomore guard Jeremy Roach (15 points, 63.6% field-goal percentage) again hit big shots as he did to vanquish Michigan State. Freshman wunderkind forward Paolo Banchero bulled his way to 22 points on 58.3% shooting. Arkansas is 21-15 against the spread. Duke is 19-16-2.
The pick: Duke, 75-72
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Gerry Ahern is senior content editor for FrontPageBets. A 35-year veteran sports editor and digital media executive, he has led coverage of the biggest events in sports, from Super Bowls, to Final Fours, to Olympics, to the Masters.
