Vegas odds & Cinderella bandwagons
Vegas has tabbed two of the better-seeded Sweet 16 teams as underdogs: #3 Xavier (by 1 point to #7 West Virginia) and #2 Tennessee (by 2.5 points to #3 Louisville).
Meanwhile, the Vegas oddsmakers -- much like yours truly (see my current Facebook status at right) -- have jumped on the Davidson/Stephen Curry bandwagon. The #10-seeded Wildcats are only 4.5-point underdogs against #3 Wisconsin. WOOO!! Goooo David(son), Beeeeat Goliath!!!
(Curry, incidentally, isn't just a freakin' awesome player who scores like a bazillion points a game and who looks like he's about 16 years old. He's also apparently a really nice, genuinely humble guy.)
The other Cinderellas aren't so highly regarded. #1 Kansas is an 11.5-point favorite over #12 Villanova, and #1 UCLA is favored by 12.5 points over #12 Western Kentucky. That comports with history; top seeds are 16-0 all-time against #12 and #13 seeds that manage to reach the Sweet Sixteen, and it hasn't usually been close. (Twelve of the sixteen games have been decided by double figures.)
But College Hoops Journal says we shouldn't sleep on WKU: "All they’ve got going for them is some late-game mojo (first true buzzer-beater since Drew Nicholas in '03) and a UCLA team that has escaped three of their past five games with terrible non-calls from officials. How vulnerable is UCLA? They only scored 51 points against Texas A&M and clearly can’t shoot when someone’s not afraid to punch back. ... The Hilltoppers are in the perfect position of being able to fly under the radar (as much as any 12-seed can right now) and finally take the stake to UCLA’s heart."
Personally, I'm not buying what CHJ is selling, but man oh man, it would be awesome if the Hilltoppers could topple the Bruins.
I could see Louisville over Tennessee, a 3 over a 2, but West Virginia over Xavier? Xavier gets no love.
Posted by: Dan Port | Mar 25, 2008 1:57:53 PM
I am riding the Nova bandwagon. I like Curry a lot but I live 10 minutes from the Villanova campus so I have to root for the Cats. I really wanted Drake to be my bandwagon squad this year but they shit the bed.
Posted by: Marty West | Mar 25, 2008 9:06:51 PM
Realize that Davidson was only a 5-point underdog to 2-seed Georgetown, so being a 4.5 point underdog to 3-seed Wisconsin isn't really jumping on the bandwagon.
I'm glad to hear that you're supporting my Alma Mater though. Go Cats!
Posted by: JH | Mar 26, 2008 8:48:02 AM