The West Region of the Sweet 16 in March Madness

Round 3 of March Madness pits 4 teams against each other in the West Region.

March Madness is upon us. Many have already filled out their brackets and most have at least one defeat which probably ruined the whole outcome. The storied “Sweet 16” is well known in U.S. gambling news as the darling group. Traditionally the Sweet 16 has more sentimentality among fans than the elite 8 and the final four. In the 3rd round, 16 teams will compete in 8 games. Among the four regions, Midwest, East, West and South, 4 teams will play per region.

• Four teams will face off in West region of Sweet 16
• West Region 3rd round will be in Los Angeles
• The Sweet 16 will be on March 28 and March 29

It doesn’t matter so much the level of seed in this round. In this round, the fans can look and see which teams got to the round because they were good or lucky. The Sweet 16 is the time for us to discover who could get the title of “Cinderella team” or the team who had the heart and the will to defy the odds in the tournament. The West Region competition will be in Los Angeles, California on March 28 and March 29.

Wisconsin vs. North Carolina

First up we have University of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Badgers are a number 1 seed position and hold an awesome record of 31-3 in their division. Their offense is considered the most efficient in the country and last year they made it to the final four. In their last game they were tied with less than 6 minutes to go, when Wisconsin scored a big 3-point shot, then went on the hit 10 out of 12 free throws for the win.

University of North Carolina and will meet. The North Carolina Tarheals are normally potent. They have a record of 24-11. This is the Tarheels first time in the Sweet 16 since 2012. Trailing Arkansas midway in the 2nd half by a point in their last game, North Carolina turned it on and got a 17-4 run to gain control. Having, Marcus Paige, one of the best guards in the nation, they can just explode at a moment’s notice.

The Badgers are in the Sweet 16 for the 4th time in the last 5 years. They have won the last 18 of 19 games. They had 5 different players shoot 3 point shots last game against Oregon. The Tarheels shot 45% from the floor last game and have won 7 of their last 9 games. The Wildcats are 11-9 against teams that made the tournament. The Tarheels have been able to cover the spread better even though Badgers were a 3.5 pt. favorite. So those who participate in internet betting may have a good day with this one.

Arizona vs. Xavier

The University of Arizona are in the Sweet 16 for the 3rd straight year. The Wildcats have won their last 13 games winning 11 games by double digit score. They dismantled Ohio State last Saturday 73-58. The Arizona Wildcats are one of the strongest teams in the country with an impressive record of 31-3. They currently have 4 players that are expected to be in the NBA. They rank at the top of almost every important category.

Xavier University is a 6th seed in this tournament. The Xavier Musketeers have a 21-13 record, but made it to the final four last year where they lost to North Carolina. Normally a dangerous team, but with bad losses to Texas El-Paso and Long Beach, they are unpredictable. The Musketeers are in the Sweet 16 for the 5th time in the last 8 years. They shot a whopping 68% from the floor against Georgia State last Saturday.

Needless to say, that Arizona is the favorite in this match up. The Wildcats are 12-0 against teams that made the tournament. During the season, Arizona held their opponents to 39% shooting. The Xavier Musketeers can move the ball around well since they have 6 guys averaging between 8.5-12 points a game. This doesn’t mean they can afford mistakes or allow Arizona to get any scoring runs. Since they’ve covered the spread on large games, punters may want to go with Arizona according to U.S. gambling laws.