posted March 18, 2008 at 14:58 EST in NCAA B Articles

With the start of the annual NCAA Basketball Championship Tournament just two days away, BetUS.com wants to assist NCAA basketball bettors across the globe in maximizing their respective chances of making winning wagers in the BetUS.com Sportsbook throughout the entirety of the 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament – and this Midwest bracket preview is just the trick that will get the job done by identifying the legitimate contenders in this bracket – and separating them from the pretenders.

First and foremost, let’s take a look at the bracket’s No. 1 seed, the Kansas Jayhawks, (31-3 SU, 18-14, ATS, 17-15 O/U). Kansas will face a very respectable No. 16 seed in a Portland State, (23-9 SU, 16-12-1 ATS, 18-10 O/U), team that posted solid wagering statistics across the board this season but won’t be able to hang with the deep Jayhawks come the second half of this contest.

Next up, No. 8 UNLV, (26-7 SU, 17-11-2 ATS), takes on No. 9 Kent State, (28-6 SU, 17-12 ATS, 13-14-2 O/U) in a matchup of two teams that averaged an identical 69.2 points per game in the regular season, though Kent State shot the ball better from the field than the Runnin’ Rebels, (46.7 percent to 42.0 percent).

Forget the respective seed each team has been given here and expect a down to the wire finish in this contest, though I say UNLV escapes with a narrow victory.

Fifth-seeded Clemson, (24-9 SU, 19-11 ATS, 15-13-1 O/U), takes on No. 12 seed Villanova, (20-12 SU, 12-17 ATS, 10-19 O/U), in a contest between one team that overachieved all season long, (Clemson) and one that barely made its way into the tournament and has been miserable against the spread all season long, (Villanova.)

Fourth-seeded Vanderbilt, (26-7 SU, 16-16 ATS, 18-14 O/U) faces No. 13 seed Sienna, (22-10 SU, 17-13 ATS, 12-18 O/U), and should advance fairly easily though they averaged just four more points per game this season than their counterparts in this contest.

No. 6 USC, (21-11 SU, 18-12 ATS, 13-17 O/U), takes on 11th-ranked Kansas State, (20-11 SU, 11-14 ATS, 18-7 O/U), in what may be the best first round matchup in the entire tournament as sensational freshman and National Player of the Year Candidate Michael Beasley goes up against another highly touted freshman in USC’s O.J. Mayo.

While the Wildcats have the better player in Beasley and arguably the best player in the nation this season, USC is a better team overall and should advance if they can keep Beasley in check.

Defensive-minded No. 3 Wisconsin, (29-4 SU, 17-13 ATS, 10-20 O/U), takes on high-scoring No.14 Cal-State Fullerton, (24-8 SU, 18-8-1 ATS, 15-12 O/U), in a matchup of two teams with totally diverse styles of play. In the end, Wisconsin’s defense will be far too strong for the Titans.

No. 7 Gonzaga, (25-7 SU, 17-15 ATS, 16-16 O/U), faces a very experienced No. 10 Davidson team, (26-6 SU, 19-11 ATS, 12-18 O/U), in a contest that could literally go either way, though No. 23 Davidson is my pick here as they have won 22 straight games leading up to this contest and have faced many of the top teams in the nation this season.

Last but certainly not least is the matchup between No.2 Georgetown, (27-5 SU, 13-16 ATS, 11-18 O/U), and 15th-seeded Maryland Baltimore City, (24-8 SU, 1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/U). While the Hoyas struggle with their inconsistent offense, they are still one of the best defensive teams in the nation and will advance here even if they fail to cover the spread as they have often this season.

With just one predicted upset in the first round, (No. 10 Davidson over No. 7 Gonzaga), I also expect Kansas to win their second round game over the UNLV-Kent State winner, before eventually facing the fifth-seeded Clemson Tigers in the Regional Semifinal round.

I also like the Wisconsin Badgers and their overwhelming defense to reach the Regional semis along with the Georgetown Hoyas.

Though the road to the Final Four in this bracket seems fairly easy for the top-ranked Jayhawks, Kansas could be in legitimate trouble against a Clemson team I think is definitely underrated.

The Hoyas could also be in a spot of trouble if they face a talented Davidson squad that doesn’t beat themselves in the second round.

Ultimately, I think this region will come down to a Kansas-Wisconsin matchup for the right to reach the Final Four as Georgetown’s offense will likely hold them back.

My dark horse team to win the region is Clemson while I also think it’s possible that Kansas State, and Kent State could pick up first round victories against their respective opponents along the way.

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