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NCAA March Madness: East Region Sweet 16 betting preview

By Matt Wiesenfeld | Last updated 3/22/23

The East is wide open thanks to the top multiple top seeds going down early, most notably Purdue, who lost to Fairleigh Dickinson in their opener. Now the favorite is a team nobody is ever really comfortable backing: Tennessee.

Among the four teams left each definitely has a question mark in terms of whether they have done it before, can do it again, or just how good are they? That should make for some interesting matchups.

In terms of the game picks from last week, I was 1-1. Tennessee took their time putting away Louisiana, while Kentucky looked sharp in its opener against Providence before losing to Kansas State.

Current Odds to Win East Region

Tennessee Volunteers +125
Michigan State Spartans +270
Kansas State Wildcats +320
Florida Atlantic Owls +420

Purdue was the pre-tourney pick but that got away from us quickly. I am not sure there is a bad way to go at this point, although I am having a hard time getting behind Michigan State, even though they have the most accomplished coach in the group by a very wide margin. Tennessee is a high-quality team but I feel like I have never have a sense of their rhythms. They have beaten teams better than the ones in this group throughout the season.

East Region Sweet 16 Picks

Kansas State +1.5 (vs. Michigan State) — I am a strong believer in backcourts at this time of the year. All season long the Wildcats have been getting production from the duo of Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson. Nowell has been especially strong in the tournament, averaging a double-double. He played all 40 minutes against Kentucky, making sure KSU never had a lull. Look for a repeat performance against the Spartans.

Florida Atlantic +4.5 (vs. Tennessee) — FAU has won a lot of games this season. They have advanced to this point without shooting the ball well, but that has been a part of their DNA all year. Ramping up your offense against a squad like Tennessee is a tough ask, but the Vols have their scoring lulls and just a couple of more long distance jumpers can make a major difference. Even if Tennessee is in control all game look for the Owls to keep punching.

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