Top Picks:
Louisville +8.5 and Lville/Kentucky under 138
Ohio St -3 vs Kansas
Louisville- Everyone knows the rivalry aspect between these schools and the rivalry between Calipari and Pitino makes it even a better story line. I do think the intense rivalry favors Louisville in a big way. Kentucky is a big favorite and Calipari is considered one the premier elite coaches. L'ville is the underdog and Pitino is no longer considered one of the top dogs in the coaching game.
Believe me, Pitino will use these perceptions to his advantage and will keep his kids loose. Calipari will try to keep his team from buying into the hype and has put a nice front out there making it seem he is loose but he knows losing this one will be a major blow for him and Kentucky.
For the x and o's, L'ville absolutely will not get into a running game with Kentucky and if they can shoot a high percentage early and get an early lead then Kentucky will be vulnerable. If Kentucky gets off to a fast start then L'ville will still play the slow down game and try to get Kentucky to miss shots and creep back into the game which is opposite of what Baylor tried to to.
I do like L'ville to win this game straight up and expect a white knuckle finish and look for Pitino to flash the trademark smile as his teams takes this one in a low scoring slugfest.
Ohio St- I was on the right side last week with both Ohio St and Kansas as they exploited matchups. This week thee matchups are pretty even and the difference will come down to composure. Kansas has shown that they do not thrive in half court games when they have to consistently run plays and execute in the half court.
Kansas will try to push the tempo and get Ohio st to run and open the game up. I like the buckeyes to take advantage of this and push it when it is opportune but also slow it up to control the tempo. The point guard matchup has been much ballyhooed with good reason. i like Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor to win the stats title however Ohio St's Craft will be in charge of the tempo and controlling the game. If Craft can handle the pressure of that role and make good decisions then the Buckeyes will prevail
This should be a good game but between's Sullinger's overall leadership and skill and Craft ensuring the game plan gets executed, the Buckeye's prevail and cover.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Elite 8- Sunday
Nice to get back on track with 2 winners yesterday.
Big Day today-
5 Star Picks
Baylor +8 vs Kentucky
Kansas -2 vs North Carolina
Baylor- Baylor has been moving through the tournament without a lot of attention. Now they are facing red hot Kentucky who has been impressive through the tournament and the whole season. However, I like Baylor to cover this one as Kentucky played an incredible game against Indiana- shooting a high percentage from the field and unbelievable percentage at the line. Remember this is still a college team and they will be in a for a letdown game and are facing a talented Baylor team which will make everything tough for the Wildcats.
Kansas- Kansas has not been seemingly playing well and seems to barely get by. Today even though they are playing a really good team, it is a better matchup for them. North Carolina will play an up and down game and will give the Jayhawks many more transition opportunities which will allow their athletes to get better scoring opportunities.
They Jayhawks have won a lot of high scoring games throughout the season and look for this one to follow suit as the favored Jayhawks get the "upset" win.
Big Day today-
5 Star Picks
Baylor +8 vs Kentucky
Kansas -2 vs North Carolina
Baylor- Baylor has been moving through the tournament without a lot of attention. Now they are facing red hot Kentucky who has been impressive through the tournament and the whole season. However, I like Baylor to cover this one as Kentucky played an incredible game against Indiana- shooting a high percentage from the field and unbelievable percentage at the line. Remember this is still a college team and they will be in a for a letdown game and are facing a talented Baylor team which will make everything tough for the Wildcats.
Kansas- Kansas has not been seemingly playing well and seems to barely get by. Today even though they are playing a really good team, it is a better matchup for them. North Carolina will play an up and down game and will give the Jayhawks many more transition opportunities which will allow their athletes to get better scoring opportunities.
They Jayhawks have won a lot of high scoring games throughout the season and look for this one to follow suit as the favored Jayhawks get the "upset" win.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Elite 8- Saturday
2 more tough losses last nite-
Top picks today
Ohio St -3
Lville/Florida over 130.5
Top picks today
Ohio St -3
Lville/Florida over 130.5
Friday, March 23, 2012
Sweet Sixteen- Friday
Clank! i think Marquette put up another brick...Moving on to Friday.
Top Picks
Indiana +9.5 vs Kentucky
Kansas/NC St over 142.5
Indiana- Ahhh, yes I now remember how good of a coach Tom Crean is. He has gotten past those early year struggles at Indiana and has his team performing at a high level. I also like the fact that Indiana beat Kentucky earlier in the year. Unless the Wildcats just hammer the Hoosiers from start to finish, Indiana will believe that they can win and Kentucky will remember they lost before and have that creep into their mind.
An Indiana win will not surprise me and I definitely like the points here.
Kansas/NC St- OK, I was wrong about NC St, they belong and are coming into this one confident. I think they Wolfpack will remain formidable on offense. Kansas did not have their best game last time out vs Purdue and Self will have them focused for this one. I am looking for an entertaining game with both teams playing scoring more than enough to get this one over.
Top Picks
Indiana +9.5 vs Kentucky
Kansas/NC St over 142.5
Indiana- Ahhh, yes I now remember how good of a coach Tom Crean is. He has gotten past those early year struggles at Indiana and has his team performing at a high level. I also like the fact that Indiana beat Kentucky earlier in the year. Unless the Wildcats just hammer the Hoosiers from start to finish, Indiana will believe that they can win and Kentucky will remember they lost before and have that creep into their mind.
An Indiana win will not surprise me and I definitely like the points here.
Kansas/NC St- OK, I was wrong about NC St, they belong and are coming into this one confident. I think they Wolfpack will remain formidable on offense. Kansas did not have their best game last time out vs Purdue and Self will have them focused for this one. I am looking for an entertaining game with both teams playing scoring more than enough to get this one over.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Sweet Sixteen- Thursday
Only one game that I feel good about tonight-
Marquette -2 vs Florida
As the spread indicates this game can go either way and I will not be shocked if Florida steps up and win however i am pretty confident that Golden Eagles will be the team that steps up and gets the job done.
When Florida has gathered their impressive wins this year, their 3 point shooting has been the key. Marquette knows this and will have a plan in place to defend the threes. Conversely, Marquette is more physical than Florida and will control the paint.
As long as Marquette can control the boards and shoot a decent percentage, they will get the job done.
Marquette -2 vs Florida
As the spread indicates this game can go either way and I will not be shocked if Florida steps up and win however i am pretty confident that Golden Eagles will be the team that steps up and gets the job done.
When Florida has gathered their impressive wins this year, their 3 point shooting has been the key. Marquette knows this and will have a plan in place to defend the threes. Conversely, Marquette is more physical than Florida and will control the paint.
As long as Marquette can control the boards and shoot a decent percentage, they will get the job done.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
NCAA Tourney Picks- Sunday
Tough day NCAA wise- Vandy could not get it going yesterday and Marquette/Murray St ran up and down the floor yesterday but missed countless layups...not that I am bitter.
At least Gonzaga hung on and I got a nice NBA win.
5 Star Pick
North Carolina -8.5 vs Creighton
Top Picks
Lehigh +4 vs Xavier
Purdue +8 vs Kansas
North Carolina- If you have read some of my NCAA posts then you have seen that I a fan of the Missouri Valley conference and pay pretty close attention those teams. I'd like to explain how Creighton will pull the upset but I think they are clearly outclassed in this one. UNC has an advantage or is even at every position and has a much deeper bench. 8.5 points might seem like a lot but I expect UNC to establish a double digit lead pretty quickly and then to be able to stretch it out as the game progresses.
Lehigh- The natural inclination is to say that Lehigh is a 15 seed and they will come back to earth in this one. However, I along with selection committee have no idea how good Lehigh really is and they should have been much higher than a 15 seed. If they had been seeded higher, let's say a 6 or 7 seed then we would not be writing them off in this one. Xavier is a good team but giving 4 points is a bit too much in my thinking here when Lehigh legitimately can win this one straight up.
Purdue- This is kind of a scary pick but Purdue is a pretty battle tested and underrated team. The Big Ten has shown well and Purdue did well in league play. Kansas has a lot of weapons but I think they will get drawn into a physical game (which they can handle) but it won't lend it self to getting a double digit win. I don't see Purdue winning but I like them to keep it close, put a scare into Kansas and get the cover.
At least Gonzaga hung on and I got a nice NBA win.
5 Star Pick
North Carolina -8.5 vs Creighton
Top Picks
Lehigh +4 vs Xavier
Purdue +8 vs Kansas
North Carolina- If you have read some of my NCAA posts then you have seen that I a fan of the Missouri Valley conference and pay pretty close attention those teams. I'd like to explain how Creighton will pull the upset but I think they are clearly outclassed in this one. UNC has an advantage or is even at every position and has a much deeper bench. 8.5 points might seem like a lot but I expect UNC to establish a double digit lead pretty quickly and then to be able to stretch it out as the game progresses.
Lehigh- The natural inclination is to say that Lehigh is a 15 seed and they will come back to earth in this one. However, I along with selection committee have no idea how good Lehigh really is and they should have been much higher than a 15 seed. If they had been seeded higher, let's say a 6 or 7 seed then we would not be writing them off in this one. Xavier is a good team but giving 4 points is a bit too much in my thinking here when Lehigh legitimately can win this one straight up.
Purdue- This is kind of a scary pick but Purdue is a pretty battle tested and underrated team. The Big Ten has shown well and Purdue did well in league play. Kansas has a lot of weapons but I think they will get drawn into a physical game (which they can handle) but it won't lend it self to getting a double digit win. I don't see Purdue winning but I like them to keep it close, put a scare into Kansas and get the cover.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
NCAA Tourney Picks Saturday + NBA
Wow- who out there had the Lehigh/Norfolk St money line parlay? I am sure someone did. Yes, those games busted many brackets but you had to like it.
On to Saturday, 3-3 so far but a little ahead with the overweight on Cinci. Time to start a streak.
Top Picks:
Gonzaga +8 vs Ohio St
Murray St/Marquette over 142.5
Vandy -1 vs Wisconsin
NBA Top Pick:
Bulls -5 vs 76ers
Gonzaga- The Zags have been a bit underrated all year. They are a pretty battle tested team with balance. The Buckeyes are of course a great team but they have not blown out other good teams throughout the season especially on the road. Overall I think 8 points is too much on a neutral site as this game will go back and forth with both teams alternating on the lead and playing from behind. I see the winner taking this one by 4 points or less on either side.
Murray St/Marquette- Two good teams that are athletic. Although Marquette has the side advantage they won't be afraid to push the pace when they have the chance. Murray st will be shooting threes and push the pace as well. Look for an entertaining game and for both teams to score into the upper 70's.
Vandy- Another underrated team that the general public does not know too much about. They are very athletic and can shoot the lights out. Wisconsin will need to control the boards and may be able to but I am looking for Vandy to make shots, keep the pressure on and get Wiscy out of the their game plan and take this one.
Pros
Bulls- I have staying away from the pros but take advantage of this game. The bulls have not lost back to back games and were embarrassed last night. When they have had bad losses they have come out super focused and I expect a focused effort in this one.
On to Saturday, 3-3 so far but a little ahead with the overweight on Cinci. Time to start a streak.
Top Picks:
Gonzaga +8 vs Ohio St
Murray St/Marquette over 142.5
Vandy -1 vs Wisconsin
NBA Top Pick:
Bulls -5 vs 76ers
Gonzaga- The Zags have been a bit underrated all year. They are a pretty battle tested team with balance. The Buckeyes are of course a great team but they have not blown out other good teams throughout the season especially on the road. Overall I think 8 points is too much on a neutral site as this game will go back and forth with both teams alternating on the lead and playing from behind. I see the winner taking this one by 4 points or less on either side.
Murray St/Marquette- Two good teams that are athletic. Although Marquette has the side advantage they won't be afraid to push the pace when they have the chance. Murray st will be shooting threes and push the pace as well. Look for an entertaining game and for both teams to score into the upper 70's.
Vandy- Another underrated team that the general public does not know too much about. They are very athletic and can shoot the lights out. Wisconsin will need to control the boards and may be able to but I am looking for Vandy to make shots, keep the pressure on and get Wiscy out of the their game plan and take this one.
Pros
Bulls- I have staying away from the pros but take advantage of this game. The bulls have not lost back to back games and were embarrassed last night. When they have had bad losses they have come out super focused and I expect a focused effort in this one.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
NCAA Tourney Picks- Friday
Time for a 5 star pick and 2 top picks.
5 Star
Cincinnati -2.5 vs Texas
Top Picks
San Diego St +2 vs NC St.
Ohio +5.5 vs Michigan
Cincinnati- The Bearcats have had a solid season with impressive wins at home and on the road in the Big East but this pick is fading the Longhorns who did just enough in a down Big 12 to get into the tournament. The Longhorns in a normal Big 12 year would have struggled and been likely relegated to the NIT. Take advantage of the perception that Texas belong but the reality that Cinci is the much better team.
San Diego St- Similar game to the one above. SD St has a solid squad but never got a lot of respect nationally despite their relatively high ranking. NC St is not tournament worthy in my opinion. A big selling point for the Wolfpack is that they had a "good" loss against North Carolina. Huh? They really did not win much on the road and will be one of those teams that people say I knew they were not that good; what was I thinking? Don't be one of those guys.
Ohio- A somewhat obscure team but they are playing an overrated Michigan team that had a nice run in early January but did not do much in February. Look for a close game that will come down to a final possession for either team.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
NCAA Tourney - Thursday Picks
OK- I am back for the tournament.
3 Top Picks for Thursday.
Murray St -5 vs Colorado St
UNLV - 5.5 vs Colorado
NM St +6.5 vs Indiana
Murray St- The Racers became a bit after an afterthought after their winning streak came to an end. They are a talented team who are playing pretty close to home. CSU had a nice year but most of their key wins came at home and will struggle to contain the Racers in this one.
UNLV- The running rebels are out to prove they are best in the west and will be ready to take down a Colorado team that is not really tournament worthy but snuck in thanks to playing in a really weak PAC 12 conference. The Buffaloes are glad to be there while UNLV will be making a statement.
NM St- Looking for the straight up win here for NM St. The Hoosiers peaked early in the year and did not play great ball in February. The Aggies will come into this one confident and will give the Hoosiers all they can handle and I won't be surprised if they will win this one relatively easily.
3 Top Picks for Thursday.
Murray St -5 vs Colorado St
UNLV - 5.5 vs Colorado
NM St +6.5 vs Indiana
Murray St- The Racers became a bit after an afterthought after their winning streak came to an end. They are a talented team who are playing pretty close to home. CSU had a nice year but most of their key wins came at home and will struggle to contain the Racers in this one.
UNLV- The running rebels are out to prove they are best in the west and will be ready to take down a Colorado team that is not really tournament worthy but snuck in thanks to playing in a really weak PAC 12 conference. The Buffaloes are glad to be there while UNLV will be making a statement.
NM St- Looking for the straight up win here for NM St. The Hoosiers peaked early in the year and did not play great ball in February. The Aggies will come into this one confident and will give the Hoosiers all they can handle and I won't be surprised if they will win this one relatively easily.
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