Day 5 Ball Bets: Purdue uses size to keep it tight with Kansas
After a thrilling first four days of the NCAA tournament, the field has been narrowed to 16 teams as regional semifinals tipoff on Thursday night.
Four teams will punch their ticket to the Elite Eight in the next 12 hours, and here's the best three bets to make from those contests.
Best bets
(4) Purdue +5 vs. (1) Kansas
Talented post scorers such as Thomas Bryant and Johnathan Motley have put up big numbers against Kansas this year, a good sign for those backing Purdue and its national player of the year candidate Caleb Swanigan. The Jayhawks certainly have more firepower on the perimeter, but the Boilermakers' size should cause problems for Kansas. Bill Self's outfit has the benefit of playing in front of a virtual home crowd, but Swanigan will have a big enough game to keep this one inside the five-point spread. Kansas 81, Purdue 79
(4) West Virginia +3.5 vs. (1) Gonzaga
The massive Gonzaga frontline would cause most teams a ton of problems but West Virginia is as equipped as any undersized outfit in the country to handle things. The Mountaineers' swarming defense will be something the Bulldogs haven't seen all season, and how Nigel Williams-Goss responds will likely be the deciding factor. West Virginia leads the country in turnovers forced and steals per game, and that will translate into offense for it to pull off the upset. West Virginia 76, Gonzaga 74
(11) Xavier vs. (2) Arizona -7.5
Xavier blew the doors off No. 3 Florida State in the Round of 32, turning in an incredible shooting performance from beyond the arc. The Musketeers made 11-of-17 shots from deep for a ridiculous 64 percent total, and also held the Seminoles to just 19 percent from distance. Considering Xavier made just 34 percent of its three-pointers this season, good for 173rd in the country, that incredible performance seems unlikely to happen again. The Musketeers likely can't keep up to the Wildcats' high-powered offense, and Arizona will punch its ticket to the Elite Eight with a comfortable win. Arizona 78, Xavier 65
Season Record
Best bets: 31-19-1
Home dog: 3-9
Full-day parlay: 6-8
Twitter picks: 7-2
Overall spread record: 70-43-2
(Lines courtesy: Covers)
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)