Round of 64 Upset Picks
In just a couple of days time, college basketball fans and bettors everywhere will be fully engulfed in the madness that is the NCAA Tournament. The round of 64 is usually the most wild and unpredictable, which makes it the most fun, but also the most difficult to bet. As with every year, there will be plenty of upsets. This much we know. The hard part is choosing those cinderellas, but fortunately, we’ve got some great ones already picked out for your bracket pool. Wow your friends and coworkers this year be nailing those upsets that nobody saw coming! Here are our upset picks.
#12 Oregon over #5 Oklahoma State
Analysts and experts everywhere were shocked that the Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks landed a 12-seed during the selection process. The Ducks ended the regular season in a bit of drought, finishing second in the Pac-12, but after an excellent showing in the Pac-12 tourney, they should have gotten a higher seeding.
Since they didn’t get that higher seed, this sets up a big early upset in the making. The Ducks are hot right now and they’ll be running into an Oklahoma State team that was solid, but not all that special during its 2012-2013 campaign. The Cowboys went 24-8 on the year, but failed to rank in the top 60 in any major offensive category as a team. Look for the Ducks to pull off the 12-5 upset and advance to the round of 32.
#11 Minnesota over #6 UCLA
Minnesota barely squeaked into the tourney as a bubble team, but they received plenty of national attention this season for their massive upset wins over Wisconsin, Michigan State and Indiana. The Golden Gophers were arguably one of the biggest giant killers of the regular season and UCLA is far from being a giant.
UCLA is coming off a loss in the Pac-12 title game and will be without one of its best players, freshman Jordan Adams, who is out for the tournament. The Bruins will certainly miss Adams’ 15.3 points per game as they tangle with the Gophers and his absence will ultimately be too much for them to deal with. Take Minnesota to advance.
#11 Bucknell over #6 Butler
Butler might be one of America’s favorite tournament darlings off all-time, but it’s been somewhat of a tough year for the Bulldogs. With increased expectations, they struggled at times this season, losing to teams such as La Salle and Charlotte. After failing to make it to their conference final, the Bulldogs certainly looked vulnerable.
And so, it’s the perfect time for a sneaky under-the-radar team like Bucknell to come in and pull off the shocker. The Bison of Bucknell are currently riding a seven-game win streak that includes the Patriot league championship. After going 28-5 during the regular season, the Bison have more than enough confidence to take down Butler, so look out for a upset on the horizon.
#11 Belmont over #6 Arizona
Arizona got off to a great start, but limped down the stretch, losing three of its last five games. Meanwhile, the Belmont Bruins finished off the year on a hot streak, winning six straight, including the Ohio Valley Conference championship. Belmont is coming in with the nation’s fourth best scoring and field-goal shooting offense and also ranks 15th in assists per game. If Arizona is not careful, its tournament will only last one game as Belmont soldiers on to the round of 32.
