March Madness Sweet Sixteen Betting
(2) Kansas State (28-7) vs. (6) Xavier (26-8)
The breakdown: After winning by the skin of its teeth in the second round, Xavier is alive to play Kansas State, who just won its first two games by an average of 16 points per game.
Why Kansas State will win: Nobody seems to be able to stop guard Jacob Pullen, who has scored 49 points in the last two games on 50 percent shooting. He hits his open threes, makes all his free throws, and doesn’t take dumb shots from the floor. Xavier will need to find a way to stop him, otherwise Pullen can easily go for 25 points and the Wildcats will win easily.
Why Xavier will win: The Musketeers just dispatched two high major teams, beating Minnesota and Pittsburgh. A third win over a third conference would be huge for Xavier, way more so than for Kansas State. Look for Xavier to get a big game from Jordan Crawford, who has helped carry the Musketeers through the tournament so far. When he’s on, Xavier is hard to stop.
Pick: Kansas State by 5-7.
