Evan Altemus
CBB Sides
triple-dime bet
734 Washington -6 (-110) vs 733 Miss. St

Analysis:
Washington is one of the more
disrespected teams in the entire country.

They won the Pac 10 regular season title and had several impressive wins throughout conference play. They struggled at the start of the year but closed the season in impressive fashion. Now they get to play their first game of the tournament very close to home in Portland, Oregon. Mississippi State is just happy to be here after winning the SEC Championship. Their biggest advantage over teams is their big man Jarvis Varnado, but Washington will be able to take away that strength with the dominant inside play of Jon Brockman. The Huskies are one of the best rebounding teams in the country, and they have outstanding guard play to complement Brockman. Mississippi State really struggled in non-conference play with losses against Washington State, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Charlotte, and San Diego. Now they have to travel across the country and play almost a home game for Washington. The Bulldogs struggled away from home all season, and they won?t be able to keep this game close. Look for Washington to get a dominant opening round win.