John Fredericks: Best Bets for Sweet Sixteen

Godzilla is 6-2 in the Tournament – HOT!

 

Gonzaga VS. UCLA -1.5

What goes up must come down. After a while injuries take a toll on a team in a tournament like this.

All the injuries UCLA has will finally catch up with them in this game. Gonzaga has been underrated most of the year and is the much more healthier team in this matchup. The Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in the last six games following an ATS loss in the previous game. They pick themselves up off the mat.

The line is trending towards Gonzaga and I expect them to win this game straight-up.

By the way, if you love the UConn Huskies, read Nate’s pick here. 

Pick: Gonzaga +1.5

Florida Atlantic VS. Tennessee -5.5

The Vols limited Duke to 52 points in the Round of 32, and are a nightmare matchup for FAU.

The Owls live and die by the outside shot, with 25 percent of all offensive points scored coming from three-point range. Wow!

They also rank 38th in the nation in treys at 43.8 percent.

However, they haven’t been shooting it all that well so far in the tournament at just 30 percent against both FDU and Memphis.

Now they go up against a powerful Tennessee team that ranks first in defending against the three-ball.

Tennessee continues to be undervalued based on poor ATS performance during the regular season. That was then and this is now.

I also expect the Vols to dominate on the boards, especially on the offensive end where they rank seventh in offensive rebounding percentage at 37 percent. This will be a huge problem for FAU as Tennessee has the bigs in the paint – especially at power and stretch forward.

I bet against Rick Barnes last Saturday due to his poor performance in the tournament. He wiped the slate clean in thrashing Duke. The Vols are the superior team.

Don’t just take my word for it! Click here to read Matthew Wadleigh’s preview of the Thursday night games. 

Pick: Tennessee -5.5