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NCAA March Madness: West Region Sweet 16 betting preview

By Matt Wiesenfeld | Last updated 3/21/23

Well there is not going to be a repeat champion this college basketball season. Arkansas knocked off Kansas in the round of 32 this weekend, really opening up this bracket.

In looking back at the pre-tourney preview I had Gonzaga as the best bet, so I still feel pretty good. They were pushed by TCU on Sunday night, but they still look like a strong play.

Unfortunately, I missed on my best bets for Thursday and Friday with Illinois and Iona falling short in underdog roles. Kudos to Iona for their super quick coaching turnaround.

Current Odds to Win West Region

Connecticut Huskies +185
UCLA Bruins +185
Gonzaga Bulldogs +230
Arkansas Razorbacks +600

Obviously the price has come down with just four teams remaining, but Gonzaga is still my horse in this region. They are underdogs in their game against UCLA so there is a good hedge strategy you can play if you like them or the Bruins a lot.

West Region Sweet 16 Picks

Arkansas +3.5 (vs. Connecticut)

The Huskies have looked really good, especially against a strong St. Mary's team in their last contest. However, it is hard not to like Arkansas after a win over Kansas, in which highly-touted Nick Smith Jr. was a nonfactor (0 points). Fellow frosh Anthony Black was hobbled and only scored four points in 37 minutes yet they still beat the defending champs thanks to veterans Ricky Council and Deebo Davis. That is one of the reasons I like them to compete well and maybe win this one outright on Thursday. Their best game has yet to be seen in these NCAAs.

Gonzaga +2.5 (vs. UCLA)

The Zags took a little while to find their footing in their game against TCU, but that game was not as close as the final score indicated. While UCLA looked strong in their two wins, now is the time of the tournament where they are going to really start missing top defender Jaylen Clark, who might have locked down the likes of Julian Strawther. These are two experienced teams and the Zags look good having already been pushed and prevailing.

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