To assist in your annual plight to win the NCAA Tournament office pool. Brad Evans breaks down his favorite picks section by glorious section. Bold and very disputable, here’s his breakdown of the East Region. Fade or follow? That’s up to YOU!
Region winner -- Duke Blue Devils (To reach the Final Four +105, DraftKings)
Dick Vitale finds this selection arousing. The "Dukies, baby!" connoisseur -- like almost everyone in America -- is bullish on this year's Blue Devils brand. It's warranted. Though foot-challenged Pat Ngongba and Caleb Foster will be sidelined for an undeterminable period, Cam Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Dame Sarr are talented enough to pick up the slack. Keep in mind, Duke enters the Dance top-three in adjusted offensive and adjusted defensive efficiency over the last month. That incredible balance -- especially when locking down the opposition -- is why Duke should peel out to Indy. Its draw, too, is arguably the softest of any No. 1. Frankly, it should be. Jon Scheyer's squad was the top overall seed.
Cinderella special (11+ seed) -- South Florida Bulls (+205 ML vs. Louisville, DraftKings)
Even the most fearless matador is frightened of Bryan Hodgson's Bulls. They're scary. USF relishes a brisk pace, generates a second chance on over 38 percent of its possessions, cashes in often at the charity stripe and defends the floor extraordinarily well. Specifically on D, it's top 60 nationally in effective field-goal percentage, two-point percentage and turnover rate. Blessed with active hands and boundless energy, it's a unique team to prepare for. Izaiyah Nelson can pound the paint while Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion can splash cylinders from outside. Louisville's turnover problems and poor interior defense only raise its quick-exit chances. Star freshman Mikel Brown's injury risk only enhance them. Channel Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, other Bulls.
Sleeper shot (No. 3-No. 10 seed) -- Michigan State Spartans (+200 to reach Elite Eight)
Tap the keg. Crank the tunes. And let the party begin. It's March. It's Izzo. And it's Michigan (expletive) State. A deep Spartans run always feels like a rite of spring. With a premier -- though very dirty -- point guard in Jeremy Fears and tremendous blue-collar frontcourt, Izzo's team construction is Elite Eight viable. Since February 1, the Big Ten reps are No. 23 overall on BartTorvik, slotting No. 14 nationally in points per possession scored (1.280). Admittedly, they're a more forgiving defensive brand compared to years past. Over their final 10 games, they ranked outside the top 250 in effective field-goal percentage D. Still, dominant on the glass and loaded with experience, they will be a hard team to oust. In a generally weak bottom half out East, MSU colliding with Duke in the Region Finals is entirely buyable.
Best opening round bet -- Cal Baptist +14.5 vs. Kansas (-110, BetMGM)
Northern Iowa, Bucknell and Bradley -- Kansas isn't immune to early round knockouts under Bill Self. Once considered a destined Final Four team due to the god-given skills of Darryn Peterson, the Jayhawks will be fortunate to survive the first weekend. Entering the Dance, they're outside the top-300 in effective field-goal percentage offense over the last month. Horrendous. KU is a rather unyielding defense, but the Lancers showcase frontline size and better-than-advertised guard play. They're also No. 15 nationally in effective field-goal percentage defense this season. The spread above should be closer to 10.5.