Maddux Sports
Basketball
5 units on Duke -2 (Sweet 16 Game of the Year)
3 units on Pittsburgh -6.5
3 units on Purdue +6.5
The Prez
Connecticut -6.5 / 5 units
Memphis -4.0 / 5 units
Missouri / Memphis Over 141 / 5 units
Karl Garrett
40 DIMER - VILLANOVA WILDCATS
20 DIMER - MEMPHIS TIGERS
40 DIMER - VILLANOVA WILDCATS
I believe the wrong team is favored in this game, plain-and-simple!
Villanova is totally hitting their stride, and that crush-job over UCLA this past weekend was all I needed to see to make me a believer in Jay Wright's team advancing past the Blue Devils.
Duke has not fared well when taking on schools from the Big East, going 2-8-1 against the spread their last 11.
The Blue Devils had some issues taking care of a Texas team that I didn't think very highly of in the last round, and taking on the Wildcats is a whole different animal, as Villanova is more than capable of rattling off 12-points in 40 seconds.
G-Man fully expects the Wildcats to get the straight up win, but getting a little more than a basket makes the play that much stronger.
Take 'Nova plus the points.
20 DIMER - MEMPHIS TIGERS
No doubt Mike Anderson has the Mizzou program back full force, but the way they ended their game against Marquette is a red-flag as far as I am concerned. Missouri looked shaky as all get out at the end of that game, and tonight they are coming in against a Memphis team that I believe has found their tourney legs.
After a shaky first round game against Cal State Northridge, Coach Cal's team shredded Maryland 89-70 in the second round, and I think they are only to get stronger in this game.
Memphis is not usually a single-digit favorite, but they have covered their last pair in that role, and they will cover here.
Nice run by the Tigers of Columbia, but the Tigers of Memphis went all the way to the final last year, and will not blink in this round.
Take Memphis.
Nick Parsons
UConn
Pittsburgh
Special K
20* Villanova
DAVE MALINSKY
4* Purdue +6.5
STEVE BUDIN
25 DIME - PITTSBURGH
Anthony Redd
30 Dime - Memphis
10 Dime - Villanova
10 Dime - Purdue
Nevada Sharpshooter
500* Shootout
Missouri +4.5
Best Bets
Xavier +7
UConn -6.5
HalfBets
8* Memphis -4.5
Brandon Lang
50 Dime - Villanova
Fairway Jay
20* Big Drive: Chicago -5
20* Big Drive: Missouri +4.5
Big Drive: Duke -2
Purdue +6.5
Teddy Covers
20* Big Ticket: Xavier +7
Marc Franco
Uconn -7 over Purdue
GAME OF THE YEAR
The Betting Number opened at -6.5 and has moved to -7 in most places here in Las Vegas.
Connecticut had two dominant performances to open the NCAA Tournament as the Huskies steamrolled UT-Chattanooga in the first round and followed that up with another blowout against Texas A&M in the second round.
The offense has been unstoppable, scoring 103 and 92 points while the defense allowed the two opponents to shoot a combined 33.3 percent from the floor (43-129). Connecticut is now 15-2 away from home on the season and of those 15 wins, seven victories came against teams that are in the 64-team field.
Purdue has gotten here in much less spectacular form, as they beat Northern Iowa by 5 and Washington by just 2. Purdue plays tough defense, but they haven't had to defend a team like the Huskies all season.
Purdue doesn't have the answers UConn has offensively, or off the glass, which is where the difference lies in this game. The Boilermakers reached 80 points just once in their last 27 games, and that was against a very bad Indiana team.
The Huskies look like a team that is serious about cutting down the nets for the 3rd time in 10 years, and have too many answers for Purdue in this one. I like UConn to win this one going away by at least 14 or more points.
Dr. Canada
Flames/Jackets over 5.5
Lightning/Canadiens over 6
Canucks -130