Men’s March Madness 2024, South Region, Preview, Odds & Best Bets: Can Anyone Topple Cougars?
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Wed Mar 20, 2024, 9:33 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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March Madness is off and running with the First Four games, and the South Region is still waiting on their 10 seed. Colorado takes on Boise State tonight to see who will fill in the final spot in this region.
At a glance, this South Region seems like it is Houston's to lose, however, we could see some Cinderella's in the bottom half of the region.
Can anyone take down the Cougars? Or will this year's Cinderella come out of the South Region?
Let's dive in!
March Madness – South Region
The Houston Cougars are the 1 seed in the South, followed by the Marquette Golden Eagles as the 2 seed. With Kentucky, Duke and Wisconsin rounding out the Top 5, this region seems fairly stacked at a glance, however when you dive deeper, it seems Houston's path might be fairly easy.
South Region Betting Odds
To win the South Region:
- Houston +135
- Marquette +550
- Duke +650
- Kentucky +700
- Wisconsin +1300
- Florida +1600
- Texas Tech +1600
- Nebraska +3000
- Texas A&M +3500
- Colorado +3500
- NC State +4600
Next on the list is James Madison and Boise State at +7500, followed by Oakland, Vermont, WKU, and Longwood, all priced at 250-1.
This is a region I see Houston completely controlling, and to be honest, I don't see very many upsets either… at least in the first round.
If Anyone Can Beat the Cougars, Then Who?
To be quite honest with you, I don't see Marquette, Kentucky, or Duke challenging the Cougars. I think if anyone, Texas A&M might give them trouble in the Round of 32. But ultimately, I like Houston to get to the Elite Eight pretty easily.
A plus money future on Houston to win the region isn't terrible, especially since they will certainly be favored in the South Regional Final.
Now, looking at the bottom half of the bracket.
Like I said, I think a Marquette team with a beat up Tyler Kolek could easily get bounced in their second game. Kentucky is too young and doesn't play good enough defense to compete with some of these teams. The Wildcats have struggled in low scoring games, and to stop their opponents when it matters.
In the Round of 64, I have complete chalk in my bracket besides the Aggies beating the Huskers in the 8/9 matchup. But I do like the Texas Tech Raiders and Florida Gators to both win a couple games in this South Region.
March Madness South Region Best Bets
I know, I know, Florida lost their big man to a brutal injury in the SEC Championship game. But this team is fast and tenacious, and I think they could catch the Golden Eagles in a bad spot. The Gators don't foul, defend the perimeter well, and are one of the best rebounding teams in the country.
I think they can keep this up and surprise some people who have counted them out already.
Now, I also like Texas Tech to beat Kentucky and meet the Gators in the Sweet 16. Tech plays in the most competitive conference in the Big 12, and they certainly have the defense to stop the young Wildcats.
The Red Raiders certainly have the experience in this matchup, and even with their talent, I think Kentucky falls short of the second weekend.
South Regional Final Prediction: Houston over Texas Tech
I think we see two Big 12 squads in this South Regional Final, totally unbiased of course.
In the trilogy between these teams, I do think the Cougars get the best of Texas Tech once again, but not without a fight.
It's tough to beat a team three times, especially a conference foe, so ultimately I look forward to a great ball game.
However, with Houston as my National Champion, I think they end up claiming the South.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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