2009 March Madness Bracket Predictions: East Region

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east-region-31709The East Region is the one to watch as the committee has really loaded it up with the possibility of some great matchups. Pittsburgh, Duke, Villanova, Xavier, Florida State, and UCLA make up the No. 1 through No. 6 seeds in this loaded region who will be competing for the one Final Four slot. In this article Jimmy Boyd breaks down his East Region bracket picks to help you fill out your bracket.

Round One – You’re not going to see the first ever No. 16 over No. 1 seed upset in this region so you take pencil Pittsburgh in there. The No. 8 versus No. 9 game pitting Oklahoma State against Tennessee sees the lower seed Volunteers favored by odds makers. This one is a close call, but I’m going to move Oklahoma State out of the first round because of its ability to knock down the three point shot. Tennessee really struggles shooting from the perimeter so that should be the difference. I’m not picking a No. 12 over No. 5 upset in this region so you can move the Seminoles out over Wisconsin. Xavier moves into round two with a win over Portland State and Villanova takes down American. I have Minnesota upsetting Texas in a No. 10 vs. No. 7 seed game and Duke handling Binghamton to complete the first round.

Round Two – Oklahoma State’s style of play poses similar problems for the Pitt Panthers the way Louisville’s did, but at the end of the day the better team moves on to the round of 16. No. 5 seed Florida State versus No. 4 Xavier has the makings of a great second round matchup. Xavier made a nice run in 2008, but the Seminoles prove just how good the ACC is this year with a win. Another dandy with No. 6 seed UCLA facing off against No. 3 seed Villanova goes in round two. I know the Wildcats earned this seed with their regular season play but I don’t personally think they are quite worthy of it when I perform the eye test. UCLA has a great guard tandem in Collison and Shipp that takes the Bruins back to the round of 16. Minnesota is athletic enough to give Duke some problems but will have no answer for Gerald Henderson and that gives Duke the edge.

Sweet 16 – And there were four remaining in the East Region. Pitt and Florida State face off in a No. 1 versus No. 5 matchup with Pitt advancing. Toney Douglas is as good a scorer as I’ve seen this year and can really light it up, but the balance of Pitt will prove to be too much. Duke is starting to regain the confidence it had early in the season and with coaching genius coach K calling the shots, the Blue Devils gain an extra edge to go with their talent. UCLA won’t make another Final Four this year.

Elite Eight – Pitt versus Duke in the Elite Eight to see who makes the Final Four is the matchup most want and its likely the one we’ll get as these two teams are the most complete in the region. Duke can hang as long as it continues to make threes, but once those wear off, Pitt will take control to move on.

Jimmy Boyd’s March Madness college basketball predictions are here to help you get the most bang for your buck with your basketball betting this month. Pick more winners against the NCAA basketball odds with the help of Jimmy Boyd.

About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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