Last Updated on March 27, 2010 2:00 pm by drew
K.State-Butler Pick
The first ticket to the Final Four will be punched on Saturday at 4:30PM ET when Kansas State faces Butler in the West Regional Championship.
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These two teams will battle it out from the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kansas State is the No. 2 seed while Butler is the No. 5 seed.
Oddsmakers from online sports book BroburySports.com have made Kansas State a 4-point favorite over Butler on Saturday evening. The over/under has been set at 135.
Kansas State is seeking its first Final Four appearance since 1964 and its fifth appearance in school history. The Wildcats are coming off their 101-96 double overtime classic with Xavier on Thursday night. Kansas State shot 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point land in the win. The Wildcats had just 12 turnovers in 50 minutes of play. Jacob Pullen had 28 points to lead the Wildcats while Denis Clemente had 25 points and Curtis Kelly had 21 points and eight rebounds.
Butler is appearing in its first Elite Eight in program history and obviously seeking its first Final Four in school history with a win over the Wildcats. Butler has now won 23-straight games with a 63-59 win over Syracuse on Thursday night. The Bulldogs committed just seven turnovers in the game while forcing 18 from the Orange. The Bulldogs were led by Gordon Hayward, who had 17 points and five rebounds while Shelvin Mack added 14 points and Willie Veasley had 13 points.
In this pick, look for the Wildcats to have some tired legs with the marathon game against the Orange while Butler has to be the hottest team in the tournament, having won 23 straight. The Bulldogs are no joke and their pressure should get to Kansas State. With the Wildcats giving 4 points, we like Butler with the under in this game.
Our NCAA Tournament Free Pick for this matchup is: BUTLER +4 and UNDER 135
March Madness Betting Trends
Butler is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
March Madness Injury Report
KANSAS ST
[G] 12/05/2009 – Justin Werner has left team ( Shoulder )
BUTLER
No Injuries Reported
March Madness Game Odds
Kansas State Wildcats -4 Over 135
Butler Bulldogs +4 Under 135
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Posted: 3/27/10 2:00PM ET