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The NCAA Tournament is set, and the 2nd-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide from the SEC are the No. 1 overall seed in the South Region. It’s the 1st time in school history that Tide are the top overall seed.
Below, we look at Tipico Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament South Region futures odds and and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
The South Region has some heavy hitters, as Pac-12 Tournament champion Arizona is the 2-seed, joined by 3-seed Baylor from the Big 12. Creighton is the 4-seed from the Big East, with 2019 national champ Virginia from the ACC as the 5-seed. Charleston, NC State and San Diego State have also spent time in the Top 25, and they’re in this region as well.
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South Region futures odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 1:37 p.m. ET.
1 seed: Alabama +180 (bet $100 to win $180)
2 seed: Arizona +450 (bet $100 to win $450)
3 seed: Baylor +550 (bet $100 to win $550)
4 seed: Virginia +1000 (bet $100 to win $1,000)
5 seed: San Diego State +1300 (bet $100 to win $1,300)
6 seed: Creighton +900 (bet $100 to win $900)
7 seed: Missouri +5000 (bet $100 to win $5,000)
8 seed: Maryland +1200 (bet $100 to win $1,200)
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9 seed: West Virginia +2000 (bet $100 to win $2,000)
10 seed: Utah State +3000 (bet $100 to win $3,000)
11 seed: NC State +5000 (bet $100 to win $5,000)
12 seed: Charleston +7000 (bet $100 to win $7,000)
13 seed: Furman +10000 (bet $100 to win $10,000)
14 seed: UC Santa Barbara +10000 (bet $100 to win $10,000)
15 seed: Princeton +10000 (bet $100 to win $10,000)
16 seed: SE Missouri State +20000 (bet $100 to win $20,000)
16 seed: Texas A&M-CC +20,000 (bet $100 to win $20,000)
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South Region expert pick and prediction
Baylor Bears (+550)
The Bears lost in their 1st game of the Big 12 Tournament against their kryptonite, Iowa State, and it likely dropped them a peg to the 3 line. That’s OK, as this team has been resilient all season, and truthfully, it received a little more much-needed rest.
Baylor has a resume littered with impressive wins after traversing the ultra-competitive Big 12, racking up 22 victories along the way. It has scored wins over a 1-seed, Kansas, while also taking down the likes of Arkansas, Gonzaga, Texas and UCLA. It swept conference member and tournament West Virginia in 2 regular-season meetings, too.
This Baylor team can score plenty, averaging 77.3 points per game (PPG) in the regular season, while hitting 36.8% from behind the arc. It is a solid free-throw shooting team, too, hitting 74.6% from the line, which is key in close games, especially in the NCAA Tournament. Defensively, the Bears could do better, but they’re adequate, especially along the perimeter. Defenses hit just 32.0% from downtown against Baylor.
Things are set up nicely for Baylor, as it should ease by the winner of Creighton-NC State, and it matches up well with Arizona in a potential Sweet Sixteen matchup. I like the team’s experience in a potential matchup with Alabama in the Regional Final, too. At this price, Baylor is the best value in the region.
Top 25: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
South Region contenders
These 2 teams are worth a futures bet to win the region.
ARIZONA WILDCATS (+450)
The Wildcats are flying high after bumping off rival Arizona State in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals, before dropping UCLA in an epic Pac-12 Championship game.
Arizona sports one of the best players in the nation in Azuolas Tubelis, as he averaged 19.9 PPG, 9.2 RPG and 2.0 APG during the regular season, while hitting 57.7% from the field. Oumar Ballo clogs up the paint, too, providing a giant obstacle for the opposition. But he can also score, posting 13.9 PPG, while cleaning the glass at an 8.6 RPG rate. He is very efficient from the field, too, cashing in at 64.5%.
This is a high-flying offense, going for 83.1 PPG, and a defense which limited teams to just 41.0% from the field. That’s a nice combination for success.
ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (+180)
There isn’t a ton of value in playing the chalk, as taking ‘Bama to win the South Region will only multiply your initial wager 1.8 times. I also don’t like the distraction of the off-court issues the Crimson Tide have faced, although to date, it hasn’t derailed this team from its goals. Expect plenty of questions, and more noise, however.
Still, the on-court talent cannot be argued. This team rolled to the SEC Tournament title, not only beating 3 NCAA Tournament teams in Mississippi State, Missouri and Texas A&M, but topping each by 11 or more points. Solid offense, and suffocating defense was the name of the game in hoisting the trophy. That was the case all season, as ‘Bama limited teams to just 37.7% from the field, and 28.4% from behind the arc.
This team can beat anybody, and it showed in Houston Dec. 10, but it also has double-digit losses to UConn, Gonzaga and non-tournament team Oklahoma. Arizona and Baylor are better values, but Alabama has the talent to not only win the region, but to have “One Shining Moment/”
South Region long shots
CHARLESTON COUGARS (+7000)
Charleston found itself ranked in the Top 25 earlier this season. Back-to-back regular-season hiccups against Drexel and Hofstra knocked Charleston back a bit, but it also served as a wake-up call. This team enters the NCAA Tournament with 10 straight wins, and a CAA tournament title in tow.
Charleston topped fellow tournament team Kent State earlier in the season, and it can score with the best of them at 81.7 PPG during the regular season, ranking 13th in the nation, according to Covers.com. Defensively, the Cougars did a good job holding teams to just 31.4% from behind the arc. The strength of schedule is a bit of a question, and what likely dropped a 31-win team to a double-digit seed. But a Sweet Sixteen run wouldn’t be shocking, and then you never know what can happen. For a chance to multiply your initial wager by 70, CoC is worth a look.
NC STATE WOLFPACK (+5000)
The Wolfpack are one of those teams which would make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, or could easily bow out in the 1st round. They’ve been hard to figure, but NC State certainly has the tools to be successful.
D.J. Burns Jr., Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith are a solid 3-headed monster, with Casey Morsell capable of filling up the basket as well, especially from long range. Burns brings the swagger, and he is solid on the glass, which showing nice touch around the rim. Jack Clark is also a nice complementary piece.
The Wolfpack have enough talent to give Creighton, Baylor, and even Arizona, some trouble in the South Region. We’ve seen double-digit seeds go deep into the tourney in recent years, and NC State has a solid array of plays to make a lot of noise.
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