March Madness Sweet Sixteen Betting
(1) Syracuse (30-4) vs. (5) Butler (30-4)
The breakdown: Despite being without the services of senior big man Arinze Onuaku for the first two games of the tournament, Syracuse has cruised to wins of 23 and 22 points over Vermont and Gonzaga. Now, the Orange get a third crack at a mid major team when they face off against 5 seed Butler in the Sweet 16.
Why Syracuse will win: In Onuaku’s absence, forward Wes Johnson has stepped up to the plate big time, scoring 49 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in the first two games of the tournament. Johnson and senior wing Andy Rautins will be relied upon until Onuaku is 100 percent again.
Why Butler will win: Most mid majors struggle to stay neck and neck with high major teams due to size. Without Onuaku, Butler has a much better chance of succeeding down low, grabbing critical rebounds and drawing out possessions to slow the game down to make Syracuse play at their pace. Butler will get a few extra long possessions and will need to capitalize on them to advance to the Elite Eight.
Pick: Syracuse by 10.
