Sweet 16 Time At Oddsmaker

[Tony Trader]

Get you bets in early at OddsMaker Sportsbook

After the most entertaining first four days of any NCAA basketball tournament in memory, the round of 16 of this year's Big Dance begins Thursday night. Here's a quick look at the first four regional semifinal games

Thursday's action begins in the West when top-seeded Syracuse takes on fifth-seeded Butler out in Salt Lake City (7:07 Eastern). And back in the East second-seeded West Virginia runs with 11th-seeded Washington in Syracuse (7:27 E).

Then, in the second West semifinal, second-seeded Kansas State battles sixth-seeded Xavier (9:37 E). And in the second East semi, top-seeded Kentucky will try to derail the little engine that is 12th-seeded Cornell (9:57 E).

Syracuse, Big East Conference regular-season champs, got beat by Georgetown in their first game of the conference tournament. So the 'Cuse had eight days off before they beat Vermont 79-56 in the first round of this NCAA tournament, and then they kicked Gonzaga Sunday 87-65 to reach the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

Butler, perfect champions of the Horizon League, bounced UTEP 77-59 in the first round of this tournament, then gutted out a tough 54-52 victory over Murray State Saturday to reach the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last eight years.

West Virginia, first-time winners of the Big East Conference tournament a couple of weeks ago, shot down Morgan State 77-50 in the opening round of this tournament, then beat Missouri Sunday 68-59 to get to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in the last six seasons.

And Washington, which finished third in the Pac-10 this year, then won the conference tournament, nipped Marquette in the first round of this tournament 80-78, then beat down New Mexico 82-64 Saturday to reach the regional semis for the first time since 2006.

As of Tuesday morning OddsMaker Sportsbook is listing the Orange at -7 over the Bulldogs, and the Mountaineers at -4.5 over the Huskies.

Kansas State, which tied for second in the Big 12 this season and got to the conference tournament championship game, beat North Texas in the first round of this tournament 82-62, then staved off BYU Saturday 84-72 to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1988.

Xavier, regular-season co-champs in Atlantic 10 this season, defeated Minnesota 65-54 in the first round of this Big Dance, and outlasted Pitt 71-68 Sunday to reach the second weekend of the tournament for the third straight year.

Kentucky, champions of the SEC, beat East Tennessee State 100-71 in the first round of this NCAA tournament, then trounced Wake Forest Saturday 90-60 to make its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2005.

And finally, Cornell, champions of the Ivy League, knocked off Temple 78-65 in the first round of this tournament, then pounded Wisconsin Sunday 87-69 to reach a regional final for the first time ever.

As of Tuesday morning, Oddsmaker is listing KSU's Wildcats at -4.5 over the Musketeers, and UK's Wildcats at -9 over the Big Red.

OddsMaker Sportsbook is also listing Syracuse at +100 to win the West Regional, K State at +200, and Butler and Xavier at +800. And Kentucky is listed at -500 to win the East, with West Virginia at +300, Washington at +1,000 and Cornell at +1,500.