2014 March Madness: East Region Predictions
By TJ Ackerman
Mar 15, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; The Iowa State Cyclones players celebrate after their game against the Baylor Bears in the championship game of the Big 12 Conference college basketball tournament at Sprint Center. The Cyclones won 74 – 65. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
ELITE EIGHT (REGION FINALS)
(4) Michigan State Spartans vs. (3) Iowa State Cyclones
Sunday, March 30th
Analysis: Vegas currently has the Spartans listed as the second favorite to win the National Championship, trailing only the Florida Gators. Vegas is usually pretty good at their job, and they may see/know something that has tipped their hat towards Sparty. However, they are also very good at understanding the current mindset of the nation’s gamblers. The NCAA tournament is a big-time revenue generator, and thus, they want to get action from people. The average fan knows Michigan State well enough to recognize the name, which cannot necessarily be said for the Cyclones. On top of that, college basketball has become a game of coaches. With all of the one and done players that churn through the college ranks, the coaches are the one stable piece of the puzzle. Sure enough, Tom Izzo is one of the top coaches in the game and recognized nation-wide. I tend to believe that Vegas is toying with our heart strings with the Michigan State odds. While I do believe that the Spartans are a great team, the Cyclones are flying under the radar…flying all the way to Dallas.
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