March Madness South Region: Odds, Picks, Cinderella, and Winner

Predicting Every West Regional Matchup

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ROUND OF 64
(1) Auburn over (16) Alabama State/St. Francis (PA)
(8) Louisville over (9) Creighton
(12) UC San Diego over (5) Michigan
(4) Texas A&M over (13) Yale
(11) SDSU/UNC over (6) Ole Miss
(3) Iowa State over (14) Lipscomb
(7) Marquette over (10) New Mexico
(2) Michigan State over (15) Bryant

ROUND OF 32
(1) Auburn over (8) Louisville
(12) UC San Diego over (4) Texas A&M
(3) Iowa State over (11) SDSU/UNC
(2) Michigan State over (7) Marquette

SWEET SIXTEEN

(1) Auburn over (12) UC San Diego
(2) Michigan State over (3) Iowa State

ELITE EIGHT

(2) Michigan State over (1) Auburn

Favorite: Auburn (-110)

Best College Basketball Bets | March Madness First Four, March 18

While deserving of the top overall seed in the field, the Auburn Tigers have slowed as of late and will enter the Big Dance on a bit of a skid. Dropping three of their previous four contests to close out the year, the fear factor seems to be a bit lost at the moment. Nevertheless, Johni Broome remains one of the sport's premier talents; they are undoubtedly the favorite to reach San Antonio out of this region.

Dark Horse: Louisville (+2000)

Predicting the First Round of the NCAA Tournament Based on KenPom

Louisville was criminally under-seeded in this bracket. Just ask the bracketologists over at Bracket Matrix, who averaged out at 5.77 for their consensus seeding for the Cardinals. As we mentioned, the premise of facing Auburn now versus just a few weeks ago isn't quite as daunting, and we wouldn't be surprised to see them give the Tigers a run for their money in the Round of 32. Louisville feels like your best shot if you are looking for a longer price.

Cinderella: UC San Diego (+5000)

Predicting the First Round of the NCAA Tournament Based on ESPN’s BPI Rankings

Despite being an incredibly trendy pick, we are still riding with UC San Diego as the Cinderella out of the South. The Tritons put together one of the best mid-major seasons we have seen in recent history, finishing inside the top 40 at KenPom and positioning themself as one of the most dangerous #12 seeds the tournament has ever seen. While winning the region may be a bit far-fetched, a +450 ticket to reach the Sweet Sixteen may be a better option.

Region Winner: Michigan State (+500)

We will back Sparty to cut down the nets when it's all said and done. This feels like head coach Tom Izzo's best chance at returning to a Final Four since doing so in 2019. The Spartans closed out the season on a ridiculous tear with seven consecutive victories, six of them coming against teams currently ranked inside of KenPom's top 25. They have a dominating defense and do not rely heavily on the three-pointer, giving them a high floor and a grind-it-out tenacity that can pay dividends when playing on neutral courts the rest of the way. Izzo is one of the sport's elite coaches, and he will have his guys ready to take advantage of a relatively wide-open region—Back Michigan State to reach the Final Four.

Predicting Every West Regional Matchup

Shoot your shot! Cash in with our four- and five-star College Basketball Picks and buzzer-beating Player Props.

ROUND OF 64
(1) Auburn over (16) Alabama State/St. Francis (PA)
(8) Louisville over (9) Creighton
(12) UC San Diego over (5) Michigan
(4) Texas A&M over (13) Yale
(11) SDSU/UNC over (6) Ole Miss
(3) Iowa State over (14) Lipscomb
(7) Marquette over (10) New Mexico
(2) Michigan State over (15) Bryant

ROUND OF 32
(1) Auburn over (8) Louisville
(12) UC San Diego over (4) Texas A&M
(3) Iowa State over (11) SDSU/UNC
(2) Michigan State over (7) Marquette

SWEET SIXTEEN

(1) Auburn over (12) UC San Diego
(2) Michigan State over (3) Iowa State

ELITE EIGHT

(2) Michigan State over (1) Auburn