Talk about your chalk bracket! Arkansas and Wichita State tried their damndest to shake the South Region up, but in the end, couldn’t administer the knockout punch to either North Carolina or Kentucky that would have blown just about everybody’s bracket up. So, we’re left with the top four seeds advancing which makes the Sweet 16 matchups in the region all the more enticing. UNC is the odds on favorite to go to the desert, but if it fails to close a game out like it did versus the Hogs, the Heels likely won’t be given a second chance this time around.
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ODDS TO WIN SOUTH REGION
North Carolina -103
UCLA +268
Kentucky +355
Butler +777
North Carolina Tar Heels -103
Regardless of what went down against the Razorbacks, North Carolina is the favorite to cut the nets down in Phoenix as well as the favorite to advance to the Final Four out of this region. But after watching it put the game in cruise control thinking it had already beaten Arkansas just 10 minutes into the game, I’m starting to have my doubts. Do that against a well-coached team like Butler, and it could be all she wrote. Still, there likely isn’t a team remaining in this field that can keep up with the Tar Heels offense when it’s firing on all cylinders like it did in the first round matchup with Texas Southern. UNC has the talent, experience and ability to see this all the way through. They must however make it a point to never take their opponents for granted again.
UCLA Bruins +268
All the talk going into the Bruins Sunday night tilt with the Cincinnati Bearcats was that Lonzo Ball wasn’t going to make it through the game’s entirety. Not against that Bearcat defense with a gimpy hip. Well, all the stud point guard did was go out and hit 7-of-10 shots for a team-high 18 points, dish off 9 dimes, and rip down 7 rebounds. I’d say he felt just fine. You know what you’re getting with UCLA. It’s defense is of the matador variety, but boy can it ball at the offensive end of the court. If forced to get into a shootout, you’d be hard pressed to find a team more capable of winning one than these Bruins. Still, it’s going to have to come up with a few stops when it matters most, and I’m just not sold it can do that with the game on the line.
Kentucky Wildcats +355
No. 2 seeds haven’t fared well in this tournament save for Arizona. Duke and Louisville have already been bounced. While Kentucky managed to reach the second week of the tourney, it didn’t look great in doing so by failing to cover the 20 point spread against Northern Kentucky in a nine point win, and then squeaking past Wichita State by three. Still, that win against the Shockers was huge with Greg Marshall’s squad one of the best coached in the country. We’re still yet to have a Malik Monk sighting, and I think that’s one of the main reasons we’re yet to see Kentucky’s offense really get going. He scored a combined 71 points against the Bruins and Tar Heels in the regular season, and if it turns out that those are the two defenses he gets to run up against through the weekend, you better watch out!
Butler Bulldogs +777
Like both Kansas and Florida, the Bulldogs were dropkicked from their conference tournament immediately. Also like both the Jayhawks and Gators, Butler was able to cruise past each of its first two opponents without breaking much of a sweat. That’s certainly a trend I’ll be utilizing when filling my bracket out next season. Chris Holtmann has done an excellent job guiding this squad back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. The last two times they made it this far, they went on to lose in the title game both times. Kelan Martin, Andrew Chrabascz and Kamar Baldwin are some exceptional talents, and none will back down to anyone the Heels throw at them. They shot 49 percent or better in both game last week, and should be able to get theirs against a leaky UNC defense. Can the Butler do it again?
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