NCAA Tournament Midwest Region: Odds, Sleepers, Pick For Bracket
Does anyone have the firepower to stop Kansas?
You think the Kansas Jayhawks have a bad taste in their mouths as they enter the 2022 NCAA Tournament?
The Jayhawks were poised for a deep run in the 2020 tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the entire thing. A year later, as a 3-seed, Southern Cal absolutely thumped KU by 34 points in the second round.
Kansas will have a chance to right the wrongs this year where they’re the top seed in the Midwest region. Here’s a breakdown of the Midwest.
Midwest region field:
(Region odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
1. Kansas +160
2. Auburn +250
3. Wisconsin +1400
4. Providence +3500
5. Iowa +330
6. LSU +1500
7. USC +3000
8. San Diego State +2500
9. Creighton +5000
10. Miami +4000
11. Iowa State +7000
12. Richmond +10000
13. South Dakota State +10000
14. Colgate +18000
15. Jacksonville State +25000
16. Texas Southern/Texas A&M CC (both +25000)
Player to watch: Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis
As Davis goes, so go the Badgers. He was fantastic down the stretch, averaging more than 20 points per game over a five-game winning streak that helped Wisconsin lock up the Big 10 regular-season title. Then, in the conference tournament against Michigan State, he went 3-for-19 from the field and the Spartans bounced the Badgers in the quarterfinals. He’s a likely top-10 pick in the NBA draft, though, and is capable of taking over a game at any moment.
East region sleeper: No. 8 San Diego State
Can we make the case for No. 5 Iowa as a “sleeper?” No? Let’s go with the Aztecs then. SDSU probably deserved a better seeding than the No. 8 it holds, and the path to the Sweet 16 isn’t easy. Creighton could give them some problems (though San Diego St. is a slight favorite), and a first-round win almost certainly sets up a second-round date with top-seeded Kansas. SDSU’s defense — ranked second in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ranking — is the reason to believe it could be anyone at any point in this tournament, and Brian Dutcher’s team has solid experience which always plays this time of year.
Upset alert: No. 3 Wisconsin versus No. 14 Colgate
You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts. Either Wisconsin wins this one by 25 or Colgate steals it for one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. There’s reason to believe the latter is possible, given how good the Raiders can shoot it from deep. As CBS Sports pointed out, only South Dakota State shoots the 3-ball better than Colgate. If the treys start raining down, the Raiders are very alive, especially considering the Badgers ranked 293rd in the nation in 3-point shooting. The Badgers are just 7.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Pick to win Midwest: Kansas +160
This is the reason Ochai Agbaji returned to Lawrence, right? KU made the most of the opportunity, going 28-6 in the regular season en route to winning the Big 12 tournament. Bill Self obviously isn’t going to melt in the spotlight, and the Jayhawks’ depth is among the best in the land. Auburn looms, but if the Tigers trip up at any point, the rest of the region shouldn’t present much of a challenge for KU.
