The No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes take on the No. 2 seed Kansas Jayhawks in the Final Four on Saturday, March 31st. This contest will follow the Louisville/Kentucky game down in New Orleans, Louisiana with tip set for 8:45 EST Saturday night. These teams met earlier this season with Kansas winning 78-67 at home on December 10th. Jared Sullinger sat out his second straight game with back spasms, but the Jayhawks earned the victory behind a career-high 13 assists from Tyshawn Taylor, who played through...
Read more about Ohio State vs. Kansas Louisville vs. Kentucky - March 26, 2012Two bitter rivals square off in the Final Four this weekend when the No. 1 seed Kentucky Wildcats take on the No. 4 seed Louisville Cardinals. Tip is set for 6:10 EST on Saturday, March 31st in New Orleans, Louisiana. This will be the second meeting between these teams. Then-No. 3 Kentucky beat then-No. 4 Louisville 69-62 at home on December 31st behind 24 points and 19 rebounds from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Louisville’s Russ Smith led all scorers with 30 points. Taking a look at the odds in Las...
Read more about Louisville vs. Kentucky North Carolina State vs. Kansas - March 21, 2012The No. 2 seed Kansas Jayhawks will essentially be playing a home game when they take on the No. 11 seed North Carolina State Wolfpack in the Sweet 16. That’s because this game will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, just a few hours away from Lawrence, Kansas. This Midwest Region showdown will take place on Friday, March 23rd at 10:17 EST. Taking a look at the spreads, I find a line of Kansas -8 over North Carolina State with a total set of 143 points. Kansas The Jayhawks have put together yet another...
Read more about North Carolina State vs. Kansas Ohio vs. North Carolina - March 21, 2012The Midwest Region’s top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels will take on the No. 13 seed Ohio Bobcats in Sweet 16 action. This game will be held in St. Louis, Missouri on Friday, March 23rd at 7:45 EST. Almost everyone figured the Tar Heels would make it this far, but few could have imagined the Bobcats getting here. Las Vegas bookmakers believe this one is headed for a blowout as their odds indicate a line of North Carolina -10.5 over Ohio and a total set of 142.5 points. North Carolina The Tar Heels...
Read more about Ohio vs. North Carolina Xavier vs. Baylor - March 21, 2012The No. 3 seed Baylor Bears are set to do battle with the No. 10 seed Xavier Musketeers on Friday, March 23rd. This Sweet 16 showdown will be played in Atlanta, Georgia out of the South Region. Many expected the Bears to make it here, but few had Xavier getting this far. Taking a look at the odds, I find a spread of Baylor -6 over Xavier and a total set of 140 points. Baylor The Bears have had their share of ups and downs this year, but they are playing their best at the right time. Head coach Scott...
Read more about Xavier vs. Baylor 2012 Sweet 16 Bracket - March 21, 2012It’s been another interesting NCAA tournament in 2012. This year’s Sweet 16 field includes three double-digit seeds: #10 Xavier, #13 Ohio, and #11 NC State. Download or print this year’s complete Sweet 16 Bracket. Other than two of those three double-digit seeds winning against better seeds, there was just one other upset this weekend (according to seeding). #6 Cincinnati shocked a lot of #5 Florida State backers, who felt the Seminoles were a legitimate Final Four contender....
Read more about 2012 Sweet 16 Bracket Indiana vs. Kentucky - March 20, 2012The No. 1 seed Kentucky Wildcats are looking for revenge when they take on the No. 4 seed Indiana Hoosiers in the Sweet 16. These teams will square off on Friday, March 23rd at 9:45 EST in Atlanta Georgia. The Hoosiers handed the Wildcats one of their two losses this season with a 73-72 triumph on December 10th. Christian Watford hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in one of the most exciting finishes of the season. The Wildcats are expected to have their revenge as oddsmakers in Las Vegas have installed...
Read more about Indiana vs. Kentucky Cincinnati vs. Ohio State - March 20, 2012The East Region’s No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes look to advance to the Elite Eight with a win over the No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats in the Sweet 16. These teams are set to do battle on Thursday, March 22nd at 9:45 EST. This showdown between two in-state foes will be held in Boston, Massachusetts Thursday night. It’s their first meeting since a 72-50 home victory by the Buckeyes back in 2006. Taking a look at the odds in Las Vegas, I find a line of Ohio State -8 over Cincinnati and a total set of...
Read more about Cincinnati vs. Ohio State Florida vs. Marquette - March 20, 2012The No. 3 seed Marquette Golden Eagles take on the No. 7 seed Florida Gators in a Sweet 16 showdown on Thursday, March 22nd. This game will be held in Phoenix, Arizona at 10:15 EST, and it will certainly be one of the most exciting games in the West Region to date. Oddsmakers in Las Vegas expect a close one as they’ve installed a spread of Marquette -1.5 over Florida and a total set of 146 points. Marquette The Golden Eagles have gone under the radar for most of the season. They brought back a...
Read more about Florida vs. Marquette Wisconsin vs. Syracuse - March 19, 2012The No. 1 seed Syracuse Orange are set to do battle with the No. 4 seed Wisconsin Badgers in the Sweet 16. This East Region showdown will take place in Boston, Massachusetts at 7:15 EST on Thursday, March 19th. It will be the first meeting between these teams since 1999, which was won by Syracuse by a final of 68-49. Oddsmakers in Las Vegas have installed a line of Syracuse -4 over Wisconsin with a total set of 121 points. Syracuse The Orange put together a tremendous season to earn their No. 1 seed...
Read more about Wisconsin vs. Syracuse Louisville vs. Michigan State - March 19, 2012The No. 1 seed Michigan State Spartans are set to take on the No. 4 seed Louisville Cardinals in the Sweet 16 of the West Region. This game will take place in Phoenix, Arizona and tip is set for 7:45 EST Thursday night. It will be a rematch from the 2009 NCAA Tournament when Tom Izzo’s Spartans knocked out Rick Pitino’s top-seeded Cardinals in the Elite Eight. According to the latest odds, Michigan State is a 4.5-point favorite over Louisville with a total set of 125 points. Michigan State The...
Read more about Louisville vs. Michigan State NCAA Tournament Picks Against the Spread - March 14, 2012UNC-Asheville (#16) v Syracuse (#1) – The loss of Fab Melo will likely keep the Orange from winning the NCAA Tournament, but it won’t stop them from rolling over UNC-Asheville. Lay the 15-points on Syracuse. Southern Miss (#9) v Kansas State (#8) – Southern Miss comes in having lost seven straight against the spread. That has Kansas State overvalued in what is a pretty even matchup. Take the 5-points and roll the Golden Eagles. Loyola-MD (#15) v Ohio State (#2) – It may...
Read more about NCAA Tournament Picks Against the Spread 2012 NCAA Tournament Possible First Round Upsets - March 14, 2012The chances of the better seed winning every game is slim to none. If you want to win your office pool, you have to be willing to take some chances on some upsets. The difficult part is picking which games the underdogs will win. A lot of the upsets take place in the opening round, which is where I will focus my attention in this article. Here is a look at my three favorite possible upsets out of each region. I chose to not include any of the 8 vs. 9 games, as those games are basically a toss up...
Read more about 2012 NCAA Tournament Possible First Round Upsets Tips on Filling Out Your Bracket - March 14, 2012Before starting to fill out your NCAA Tournament brackets, you want to gather as much information as possible. While the results change from year to year, there have been many constants over time. Surrounding yourself with as many tips and trends as possible will only increase your chances of winning the office pools you enter. I am going to fill you in with a few of my favorite tips on what to look for when filling out your brackets. By no means do you have to stick by these guidelines, though....
Read more about Tips on Filling Out Your Bracket NCAA Tournament Sleepers - March 13, 2012The brackets are out for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and this year could be as difficult as ever in predicting who will make the Final Four, as each region has a number of teams who you could make an argument for, and if years past have taught us anything, you never know what to expect. I have taken the time to breakdown the possible sleepers (teams not the top two seeds) in each region, which should help you make your tournament picks this year. East Region Sleepers: I believe the East is the toughest...
Read more about NCAA Tournament Sleepers Odds to Win Tournament MOP - March 13, 2012At the end of the 2012 NCAA basketball tournament the Associated Player names one student the Most Outstanding Player (MOP). Even though this player is not required to come from the winning team, it almost always is. The last person to win the award without cutting down the nets was Hakeem Olajuwon all the way back in 1983. Here is a look at some of the past champions: 2011 – Kemba Walker, Connecticut 2010 – Kyle Singler, Duke 2009 – Wayne Ellington, North Carolina 2008 –...
Read more about Odds to Win Tournament MOP Who Has The Easiest Road to the Final Four - March 13, 2012When making your NCAA Tournament picks its usually a good idea to look at each region and try to figure out which teams have the easiest road to the Final Four. When you have it down to the four teams you like in each region, it gives you a better idea of where you can throw in some upsets that won’t kill you if they don’t come through. Here is a quick look at the four teams who I think have the clearest path to New Orleans. South Region: No. 1 Seed: Kentucky Wildcats I really believe...
Read more about Who Has The Easiest Road to the Final Four Teams Entering the 2012 NCAA Tournament on a Run - March 13, 2012A recent trend when it comes to the NCAA Tournament is that teams coming into it on a good run usually tend to win it all. That’s indicated by the fact 10 of the last 14 champions have won their conference tournament. So we’re looking for teams that not only won their conference tournament, but ones that were also hot a few weeks beforehand. There may never be another team to have as magical of a run to win the national championship as the Connecticut Huskies last season. They won five games...
Read more about Teams Entering the 2012 NCAA Tournament on a Run #1 Seeds Odds for 2012 NCAA Tournament - March 13, 2012The 2012 NCAA Tournament brackets have been released and for the most part there were no arguments on the four No.1 seeds. Kentucky is the top seed overall and will play in the South region, with Syracuse being the No. 1 seed out of the East region, North Carolina the top seed out of the Midwest region, and Michigan State holding down the top spot in the West Region. One of the great things about March Madness is all of the different angles for fans. There are NCAA tournament contests where people...
Read more about #1 Seeds Odds for 2012 NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament Trends - March 13, 2012If you are having trouble filling out your bracket, these NCAA Tournament trends could help you win your league this year. As you should already know, nothing is certain in the field of 64, but if you play the numbers you just might end up winning your office pool this year. Pick At Least One 11, 12, or 13 Seed to Win in the First Round: These are the prime spots you need to look if you want to include some upsets in the opening round. At least one No. 11 seed has advanced in each year since 2004....
Read more about NCAA Tournament Trends Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out Your Bracket - March 13, 2012It’s time to fill out your 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, and I wanted to share with you some common mistakes to avoid. If you are a die hard college basketball fan, you likely don’t need a lot of help with your bracket. As many of you know filling out a bracket is something that everyone enjoys, regardless if you are an expert or not. If you are looking for some help, I recommend following these simply rules when you make your picks. Don’t Pick All Chalk (Team With Better Seed) ...
Read more about Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out Your Bracket Top Players to Watch in the 2012 NCAA Tournament - March 13, 2012The NCAA Tournament seems to be won every year by a team that had one player make big plays for them time and time again. Last year it was Kemba Walker, who averaged 23.5 points and 5.7 assists while leading the Connecticut Huskies to the 2011 title as a No. 3 seed. I am going to take a look at which players have the potential to carry their team to a title run in 2012. There has seemingly been a lot more teamwork this year, and not so many studs that have been carrying their teams all season. But...
Read more about Top Players to Watch in the 2012 NCAA Tournament Which No. 12 Will Beat a No. 5 Seed - March 13, 2012What makes the NCAA Tournament so special is the numerous upsets that occur every year. When making picks in a bracket, one of the most popular choices for an upset is the No. 5 vs. No. 12 match-up. There is some evidence out there to prove that this is the best time to pick an upset. Dating back to 1985, No. 12 seeds own a 36-72 (33.3%) record against No. 5 seeds. That means they pulled off the upset one out of every three times. You would think that a No. 11 seed would beat a No. 6 seed more often,...
Read more about Which No. 12 Will Beat a No. 5 Seed Best Opening Round NCAA Tournament Games - March 13, 2012While the four play-in games are now officially the first round, most still consider the opening round of the NCAA Tournament to be the 32 games played on Thursday and Friday. Most of the great games aren’t until you get to the round of 32 and beyond, but there are a number of exciting matchups scheduled in the round of 64. Here is a look at the best opening round games in the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket. Thursday, March 15 No. 9 Connecticut vs. No. 8 Iowa State (South Region) – Here...
Read more about Best Opening Round NCAA Tournament Games NCAA Tournament Upset Predictions - March 13, 2012The NCAA Tournament brackets have been set, and over the next few days millions around the country will fill out their brackets, and try and come as close as possible to what actually happens. If you have ever filled out a bracket, you know simply picking the team with the higher seed will not get you far win it comes to winning your office pool. Just like the regular-season, there are upsets all through the course of the tournament, and spotting early upsets is crucial to picking a strong bracket....
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