The South Region really still looks like a tremendous gauntlet for the eight surviving teams.
On Sunday, the 2-seeded Villanova Wildcats will look to take care of business against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
NCAA Tournament Odds at BookMaker.eu
Iowa Hawkeyes +6
Villanova Wildcats -6
Over/Under 145.5
HOW THE IOWA HAWKEYES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Hawkeyes didn't do any of the little things right down the stretch to finish off Temple. They were sloppy on defense, and they didn't do the job from the foul line. In fact, they were lucky to even have a shot in OT after the Owls carried all of the momentum into the extra frame.
Peter Jok is the man who really has to pick himself up off the mat. He scored 16 points against Temple, but he also missed free throws on two separate occasions which could've effectively ended the game. He also went just 3-of-10 from beyond the arc. Neither stat is prototypical from one of Iowa's leaders, and we don't expect to see him struggle in this one. He'd better not, or Villanova is going to take it to the Hawkeyes.
Iowa really just has to make some shots, too. Villanova is going to do some scoring, and its interior defense is really tough to score upon. That said, whomever ends up knocking the Wildcats out of this tournament will end up doing it with a big three-point shooting day. Iowa isn't shy about stroking threes, as Jarrod Uthoff and Jok combined to hoist 20 triple attempts against Temple, but if this team goes 7-of-28 again from downtown, it'll be a tough road to sow versus one of the top teams in the nation.
HOW THE VILLANOVA WILDCATS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
You don't normally take a lot out of a 30-point win by a No. 2 seed over a No. 15, but that 86-56 win over UNC-Asheville was crucial for the Wildcats. They've heard all season long about what they can't do and how they won't last long in March, but they really took care of business against the Bulldogs and now have the best test in front of them against Iowa.
There's no doubting the talent that Jay Wright will have on the floor in this game. Daniel Ochefu seems to be over an ankle injury which put his status for the start of the dance in a bit of doubt, as he had a double-double against UNC Asheville even though he played just 26 minutes. Ryan Arcidiacono remains one of the top guards in the nation, while Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart have the potential to be huge, too.
Villanova has to be aggressive in this game and get to the foul line. It has the second best shooting percentage from the stripe in America at 77.5 percent, and that's why when games have been relatively close this season, it has been able to put matters away.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Is this finally the time for Villanova to get over its March Madness bugaboo? We tend to think so.
Iowa is fortunate to be here, and there wasn't anything about that game against Temple which impressed us all that much. The Hawkeyes weren't in good form down the stretch, and they didn't have the look on their faces of a team which felt like they could close out a tourney game against a really good team.
Veterans always pay off this time of year, and though all the Villanova seniors know is about the heartache of runs in the dance which fizzled out at this stage or nearby, this will be where the narrative all turns around. We expect to see Arcidiacono have a fantastic game in this one to put Iowa away.
Villanova 73, Iowa 64
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Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Villanova Wildcats will go down Sunday, March 21, 2016, at 12:10 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center. The game will be televised nationally on CBS.
