Betting on the Sweet 16

The fact that UCLA is not in the tournament makes this picture no less appropriate.

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Spread-Favorite(Avg PPG)(Moneyline)- Underdog(Avg PPG)(Moneyline)- Total
6 - Syracuse (81.6) (-270) vs Butler (69.8) (+230) - 138.5
4 - West Virginia (72.9) (-190) vs Washington (79.9) (+165) - 142
4.5 - Kansas State (79.8) (-220) vs Xavier (79.3) (+180) - 153.5
8.5 - Kentucky (80.1) (-500) vs Cornell (75.8) (+400) - 147
4.5 - Ohio State (74.1) (-210) vs Tennessee (73.6) (+175) - 134
4.5 - Baylor (77.3) (-200) vs St. Mary's (79.4) (+170) -145
1 - Michigan State (72.9) (N/A) vs Northern Iowa (63.6) (N/A) - 121
8 - Duke (77.6) (-410) vs Purdue (70.9) (+325) - 129.5

• If you like Cornell, bet early. The line started high and is falling as we speak. The public is jumping on Cornell's bandwagon. Most expect Kentucky to win this game and Cornell to cover.

• The WVU line will change tomorrow with news of Darryl "Truck" Byrant's broken foot and for good reason. Many have pointed to WVU not having a great true point guard and now they'll be saying even more about that. But as the folks at Basketball Prospectus have mentioned, it hasn't affected WVU and they control the ball well. If you still believe WVU will stay true to that, then wait because the line is going to shrink.

• Yes, Kalin Lucas is definitely out and yes, that matters. You decide how much it matters: the guys making the lines have thought about this, and you're not tricking them.

• Don't try to tease anything. If you don't like the spread, then take the moneyline. Play single games by themselves.

For stats: statsheet.com/mcb
For betting line trends: covers.com

What my choices are right now:

1. Syracuse is going to the next round, not sure about 'Cuse -6 although they have been shooting light out. Go with a moneyline bet for now in case the spread gets larger, but if the spread gets smaller feel free to double down on this one, Butler can keep it close, but I do not think they can match up with the athleticism or break Boeheim's 2-3 zone.
   
2. WVU with the spread, but wait for the spread to go down some because of the injury. Take the points with Cornell (or the moneyline) just to make watching the game more fun (No don't do that, that's a bad reason to make a bet).
3. I don't know which way the OSU-Tenn line will go, but I like OSU to win, although they may have trouble covering. This WILL be a tough game, as Tennessee is the only team in the country to beat both Kentucky and Kansas this year, and "The Villian" E. Turner has not been shooting well. I see Jon Diebler steping up again, as he and Turner keep Ohio State's season alive.
   
4. Tom Izzo has a week to figure out how to gather his team without Kalin Lucas. Will that be enough?
5. Duke looks to advance and so the line will probably increase as the country believes that.
6. Take Baylor with the line, or if you really want take the -4.5. Everyone is loving Omar "the Sandman" Sanham and his Aussie teammates from St. Mary's. But the game will be played in Houston, essentially a home game for the Baylor Bears. Also, when a team has long, athletic guards like LaceDarious Dunn, Quinncy Acy, and speedster Tweety Carter, and a dominant presence down low in Ekpe Udoh its hard to pick against them and even harder to pick who has a better name. This team can do damage and pose the biggest challenge to Coach Rat(K) and his band of babies.
   

What bets are you making? Put it in the comments.