King Creole
2* Richmond -2
Very tough task for the winners of the West Coast Conference Tournament. ST MARYS finally got a few monkeys off their back with the 'unglaublich' win over Gonzaga last Monday (March 8th). In that title game, they were dogs of +4.5 points.... and won by a large margin of 19 points (81 to 62). Now, the Gaels have to head all the way across the country to the site of this sub-regional (Providence, Rhode Island). You get one GUESS as to who has the travel and fan advantage! St Marys doesn't travel EAST of the Rocky Mountains very often... but when they DO, we note that they have gone 1-8-1 ATS since the 2000 season as road underdogs.
Playing AGAINST a team that won their Conference Tourney Championship has turned out to be very profitable in the last 10 years...
2-10 ATS: All NCAA Tourney FIRST-ROUND Underdogs of < 8 points playing off a Conference Tourney Championship UNDERDOG win (St Marys). Underdogs in the range of +2 to + 8 points have gone 1-9 ATS.
We also note that in THEIR Conference (The West Coast Conference SPECIFICALLY)... teams off a SU win in their Championship game have gone a PERFECT 0-4 ATS when the game line is 11 or less points (St Marys).
The Gaels have been BIG money winners in their last 2 games. They covered by +23.5 points against Gonzaga and +10 points against Portland.
5-18 ATS since 1997: All NCAA Tourney FIRST-ROUND teams playing off BB ATS wins in a row (St Marys).
0-3 ATS since 1998: All NCAA Tourney FIRST-ROUND teams playing off an Underdogs win of 15 or MORE points (St Marys).
On the OTHER hand, teams who LOST in their Conference Championship game come into the first-round of the NCAA Tourney very pissed off... focused.. and HUNGRY.
6-0 ATS: All NCAA Tourney FIRST-ROUND teams playing off a Conference Tourney Championship game loss of 4 .750 (RICHMOND), and playing off a SU loss.... versus an opponent with a W/L percentage of > .750 (St Marys), and playing off a SU win.
10-1 ATS: All NCAA Tourney FIRST-ROUND favorites of 8 < points (RICHMOND) vs any opponent off BB SU and ATS wins... with the last as an underdog (St Marys).
Richmond comes in with a #7 Seed. Shorter favorites have done VERY well as of late with this particular seed.
11-2 ATS since 2004: All NCAA Tourney FIRST-ROUND favorites of 4 < points who are a #7 Seed (RICHMOND). In the last 3 years, these teams have gone 6-1 ATS.
BEN BURNS
10* TNT NBA GOW - Miami +2.5
10* FIRST ROUND NCAA TOY - Maryland / Houston Over 157
10* O/U BEST BET - Villanova / Robert Morris Under 147
10* MAIN EVENT - Butler -2
10* BEST BET - UNLV -1
igz1 sports
3* Dallas -105
Teddy Covers
20* Big Ticket Tennessee
Richmond
BYU
Montana
MARTY OTTO
Big O: Northern Iowa +1
Richmond -2
UTEP +2.5
Vanderbilt -3
Wayne Root
Millionaires Club - Richmond
Vegas Legend - Murray St
RAS
UTEP/Butler Under 135
Washington/Marquette Under 143
Montana/New Mexico Under 135
Georgetown/Ohio Over 138
Will Cover
4* N. Iowa +1
3* Murray St. +3
Alatex
15* Marquette -1.5
KU -25.5
N. Iowa +1
UTEP +2
Tom Freese
UTEP
BRANDON LANG
15 DIME - WASHINGTON HUSKIES
So impressed with their win over Cal in the Pac-10 tourney. And although I haven't been impressed with Lorenzo Romar in the past, he has put together a fast, quick, up and down squad that is perfect for a little sweet sixteen run.
They come into this game winners of 7 in a row SU and 6-1 ATS and the only non cover was a 7 point win in the Pac-10 tourney as a 9 point favorite. All things considered, you are looking at a team that is allowing it's opponents to shoot 31% from behind the arc, which does not bode well for a Marquette team that lives and dies by the long ball. Just ask Cal, who was 5-of-19 from 3-land which was their downfall in their Pac-10 championship loss.
As for Marquette, they are flat-out living on borrowed time. When you play as many close games as they have you it's bound to catch up to you and facing this Huskies bunch, it catches up with them tonight. Marquette is just 1-3 ATS their last 4, and for me the bottom line is they face a team they just don't match up well against. Simple as that.
The numbers will show Washington is 4-1 ATS last 5 NCAA tourney games and with this line so low, the winning team covers and for my dollar, that winning team tonight is the Washington Huskies.
Pac-10 draws first blood tonight over the Big East, and my 9th straight college winner are the boys from out west taking care of business. Washington advances to the round of 32.
FREE PICK - VILLANOVA WILDCATS
Scott Spreitzer
BYU
ANTHONY REDD
20 Dime - East Tennessee State
20 Dime - Georgetown
20 Dime - Montana
BIG AL
4* Tennessee
4* Richmond
3* UNLV
3* UTEP
3* New Mexico
3* Miami Heat
Youngstown Connection
Notre Dame -2.5