The 2009 Elite 8 tips off this afternoon with a West Region tilt between the Missouri Tigers and the UConn Huskies; it will conclude tomorrow with a South Region battle between Oklahoma and North Carolina. Current 2009 Elite 8 betting odds, picks & predictions at Sportsbook.com are favoring Louisville and North Carolina to reach the final, each school listed at +250 moneyline odds.
There will be no Cinderella's this year as the two highest seeds to reach a regional final are the three seeded Missouri Tigers out West and the three seeded Villanova Wildcats in the East.
The West Region will feature a contest between the Missouri Tigers of the Big 12 and the UConn Huskies of the Big East. UConn, as a one seed, has reached the regional final after disposing of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Texas A&M, and Purdue. They have yet to have a close call, covering the spread in every game, and, as a result, are are a -6 against the spread favorite against the Tigers. Missouri earned a shot at UConn by getting past Cornell, Marquette, and the second seeded Memphis Tigers.
The East Region has turned into a Big East showdown between the top seeded Pittsburgh Panthers and the three seeded Villanova Wildcats. Pittsburgh has yet to have an easy victory, but they have been victorious nonetheless. The Panthers have pushed through East Tennessee State, Oklahoma State, and Xavier to face the Wildcats tonight in Boston, winning by an average of 7.6 per game. Villanova has worked their way past American, UCLA, and Duke to garner a rematch with the Panthers, a team they beat 67-57 back in January. Despite that result, the Panthers are favored -2 against the spread.
The Midwest Region has boiled down to the Louisville Cardinals and the Michigan State Spartans. The two seeded Spartans added the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks to their list of victims last night, a catalog that includes Robert Morris and USC as well. Louisville, the tournament's number one overall seed, has eliminated Morehead State, Siena, and Arizona in route to a Sunday afternoon tilt with the Spartans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The South Region finale will feature a skirmish between one seed North Carolina and two seed Oklahoma. The Tar Heels have made easy work of their tournament opposition, overcoming Radford, LSU, and Gonzaga by an average of 26 points per game. UNC, however, figures to face their stiffest opponent in the 30-5 Sooners. Oklahoma has powered their way past Morgan State, Michigan, and Syracuse to make an appearance in the Elite Eight.
Sportsbook.com's 2009 Elite 8 Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions:
Louisville +250
North Carolina +250
UConn +450
Pittsburgh +500
Villanova +1000
Michigan State +1200
Oklahoma +1200
Missouri +2000
