Hello,
Sorry for the hiatus. The tourney definitely kept me off the NBA and NHL track, so I didn't feel comfortable making picks this week. Regardless, the tourney starts back up tonight, and we are ready to roll.
Michigan Wolverines vs Oregon Ducks + 1 (11 units wagered, 10 units won)
Time: 7:09 EST TV: CBS
Watch this video of Dillion Brooks. Now, watch this one. Yes, the man has ice in his veins. It must be from his Canadian uprbringing. There is not a single person I want taking the last shot other than Mr. Brooks. Michigan is a very nice story and that is probably inflating their value a little bit. I know they are very hot, but there is a reason they are #7 seed. At some point the shots have to stop falling, and I think tonight is the night. Yes, the loss of Chris Boucher was huge, but people seem to forget, they have another incredible rim protector in Jordan Bell. Also, there defense is pretty stout overall, ranked #25 in the Kenpom in defensive efficiency. The Ducks are the more balanced squad, and I think, that along with a clutch Dillion Brooks basket, will get them the "upset."
West Virginia Mountaineers vs Gonzaga Bulldogs -3.5 (11 units wagered, 10 units won)
Time: 7:39 EST TV: TBS
I have the Zags winning the whole thing, so I'm going to stick my pick. The Bulldogs have many detractors. Tonight, haters think that West Virginia is their first real test. Well, they also played and beat two other teams playing this weekend, so they are wrong. They are also scared that the Bulldogs will not be able to handle "Press Virginia" and their ability to force turnovers. Well, there aren't many teams that throw out four guards to handle high pressure defenses. Gonzaga is one of those teams. Josh Perkins, Jordan Matthews, Silas Melson, and of course, Nigel Williams-Goss can do it. Also, West Virginia historically crashes out by the Sweet Sixteen. The one exception during the Bob Huggins era was in 2010, when they had a college super star in Da'Sean Butler. I love Jevon Carter, but he is not a college super star. Also, worth noting, although not incredibly relevant, the one time these two schools met in the tourney (2012), Gonzaga rocked West Virginia. No players remain, but Mark Few definitely knows how to beat Bobby's press. I'm rolling with the Zags tonight and will be as long as their play allows me.
Xavier Musketeers +7.5 (11 units wagered, 10 units won) vs Arizona Wildcats
Time: 10:09 EST TV: TBS
Xavier is the lowest seed left in the tourney, and they got to the Sweet Sixteen in pretty convincing fashion. In their win over Florida State, the Musketeers played a a lot of zone to turn the Seminoles' athletes in to shooters. It worked very well as a 25 point win could easily tell you. The Musketeers will do the same thing tonight in order to limit drives from Allonzo Trier and Kadeem Allen. Also, they are a bit small on the interior, so this should stop the Arizona bigs from getting easy buckets inside. I still think the Wildcats will pull this one out, however, the Musketeers will make them fight for it.
Bonus Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals -1.5, +165 (10 units wagered, 16.5 units won)
Time: 7 EST TV: CSN-MA
Meaningless regular season games are where the Caps strive. Okay, this has important seeding implications on the line, but still, at this point, nothing matters until the middle of April. I made this point the last time people hyped up a Jackets-Caps game in D.C., and the Caps killed the Jackets. So, I am just going to stick with that logic.
Saturday: 1-2
Overall: 108-97-7 (+105.5 Units)
March: 26-24: (+5.5 Units)
NCAA Tournament: 6-3 (+27 units)
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