🎲 College Basketball March Madness: Expert Picks and Bracket Preview | East Region

The bracket is set and March Madness is officially here. There are 68 college basketball teams ready to dance in Indianapolis, and as usual there was a ton to take away from what we saw during the Bracket Selection show. Each region has its own set of questions and a few teams that are under the radar. Let’s dig into the East Region, where Michigan has the top seed but will have to survive several tough matchups in order to make the Final Four. To help break down everything, Matt Gajewski and Ben Rasa are here for some rapid-fire picks for the East Region of the bracket.

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March Madness: Expert NCAA Bracket Picks | East Region

Favorite to Win the East Region

Ben’s Pick: Alabama

This is a region where I am not sold on the No. 1 seed in Michigan, so I will have to look elsewhere. I truly think this is where the madness could happen, as it’s a region filled with question marks and a lot of teams that I don’t really believe in.

I will look towards the No. 2 seed in Alabama, as I don’t mind their path out of the first weekend or their draw moving forward. They are an aggressive defensive team that has caused problems for opponents all season, and that will not change come tournament time. Alabama has four players averaging north of 10 points a game, and although at times the offense is stagnant, there are few teams that will be able to deal with this type of defensive effort. If Michigan gets bounced early, this region is primed for Alabama to make a run.

Matt’s Pick: Alabama

Alabama is an impossible stylistic opponent for most mid-major teams that simply can’t defend Alabama’s athleticism at all five spots. After demolishing Iona, this team should take care of any opponent until the Elite Eight. Alabama is one of the more versatile teams in the country with their starting five. They often use 6-foot-8 forward Herb Jones to handle the ball. Some may criticize their lack of size here, but Alex Reese, Jordan Bruner and James Rojas all stand at least 6-foot-8 as well and play meaningful minutes off the bench.

East Region DFS Player to Watch

Ben’s Pick: James Bouknight — UConn

Bouknight comes in averaging 19 points and nearly 6 boards per game. He dealt with injuries all season, but UConn was 11-3 when he was healthy. If they have any hopes of making a run, Bouknight has to be involved. UConn is a 3-point favorite in their opening-round game against Maryland, and I expect a ton of usage and volume for Bouknight.

Matt’s Pick: Herb Jones — Alabama

The hyper-athletic Jones is 6-foot-8, often handles the ball, and averages 11.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Jones also comes up big in the biggest of games for Alabama. In the SEC final against LSU, Jones double-doubled with 13 points and 11 boards in their victory.

[MARCHMADNESS]

Most Overrated Team

Ben’s Pick: Michigan

This is more a product of me believing more in three other No. 1 seeds than I do Michigan, as I thought they overachieved during the regular season. Credit to them for finishing 20-4 and earning a top seed, but I do not think they are nearly as capable of blowing through a region as the other premier teams are. For starters, we need to see the status of Isaiah Livers, who looks to be out with a foot injury, and that alone is a massive blow to the Wolverines stock. Add in a tough second-round game against LSU or St. Bonaventure, and Michigan will be tested right from the start. I think they will be the earliest top seed to exit the tournament, and that could throw the East Region bracket into chaos.

Matt’s Pick: Georgetown

I’ll echo everything Ben said about Michigan. The Livers injury cannot be overstated. Livers averages 13.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while being one of the most disruptive defenders on the court. To add some flavor here, Georgetown is also significantly overrated after taking down the Big East. This team finished with a sub-.500 record in the regular season and now enters Round 1 as a mere 5-point underdog to Colorado. Many will back Georgetown because they’re hot. However, a smart bettor and fan will fade this team immediately.

Most Underrated Team

Ben’s Pick: Colorado

I am not sure they are underrated in the sense they should have been a higher seed, but this a dangerous team that I am high on. The Buffaloes finished the regular season 22-8, and although they lost in the Pac-12 final, I think they are playing good ball heading into the tournament. They are led by McKinley Wright IV, who is a do-it-all point guard. That is always a major asset in the tournament. This team shoots north of 80% from the free-throw line, which is tops in the country, giving them another massive advantage in a tournament setting. Colorado plays at a somewhat methodical tempo, but it is still an efficient offense and a balanced team prime to make a run. If Michigan obliges and gets bounced early, the stage will be set for a team like Colorado to make a deep March Madness run.

Matt’s Pick: Florida State

Potentially meeting in the Round of 32, this Colorado – Florida State game could be electric. Florida State finished second in the ACC regular season before falling to a surging Georgia Tech team in the ACC tournament. Florida State plays frustrating basketball for opponents. They rank 25th in offensive efficiency and legitimately run one of the deepest 10-man rotations in basketball. They also have the star power in potential NBA lottery pick Scottie Barnes to overwhelm teams. Colorado dropped a slew of curious game in the Pac-12, including Cal and Utah. Look for Florida State as a potential sleeper from this region.

East Region Round 1 Upset

Ben’s Pick: Abilene Christian over Texas

This is a wild one, but I am sticking to my gut with an Abilene Christian team that I have been impressed with all season. They are a 9-point underdog against the No. 3 seed in Texas, but I believe they can hang in this game. Abilene Christian is 23-4 on the year, has an impressive defense and forces the most turnovers of any team in the country. They played Texas Tech close early in the season and should be able to at least force Texas into a closer-than-expected contest as a 14 seed.

Matt’s Pick: Michigan State/UCLA over BYU

At the time of writing this, BYU still does not know their first-round opponent, with Michigan State and UCLA battling in the play-in game. BYU presents significant concerns when considering a potential upset. Their strength of schedule is lacking, losing all major games against Gonzaga and USC. This team did clip St. John’s and San Diego State, but even Utah State only lost by 3 to BYU. Michigan State would make the tougher opponent here. The Spartans possess more size with Joey Hauser and Aaron Henry to give BYU trouble. Neemias Queta and Evan Mobley notably demolished this BYU team earlier this season.


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Author
*Ben Rasa (aka Jazzraz)* has been involved with sports and numbers for quite some time dabbling in the poker world , sports wagering and of course finding a home in the DFS world. While he enjoys playing NFL, NCAAF and NBA he has found his best advantage on the links with PGA and the Euro Tour. Jazzraz focuses on GPPs and uses a analytical approach to try and find pricing inefficiencies as well as trying to go against the grain to find those under owned lesser know players that can make the difference in giant field tournaments. You can contact Ben by emailing [email protected].

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