Sports Picks & Predictions

7* Purdue/UConn NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on UConn -6

7* Utah/Indiana State NIT *HEAVY HITTER* on Indiana State -2.5

7* NC State/Duke NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on NC State +6.5

7* Clemson/Alabama NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Clemson +3.5

7* NCAA Tournament Game of the Year on Houston -4

7* San Diego State/UConn NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on UConn -11

7* Washington State/Iowa State NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Iowa State -6.5

7* TCU/Utah State NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on TCU -4

7* NC State/Texas Tech NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Texas Tech -5

7* Grambling State/Montana State NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Montana State -3.5

7* NCAAB Conference Tournament Game of the Year on NC State +2.5

7* NCAA Basketball Game of the Year on Villanova +1.5

7* Illinois-Chicago/Bradley MVC *HEAVY HITTER* on Bradley -12

7* Rutgers/Nebraska Big Ten *HEAVY HITTER* on Nebraska -8.5

7* Seton Hall/Creighton Big East *HEAVY HITTER* on Seton Hall +8.5

7* Baylor/TCU Big 12 *HEAVY HITTER* on TCU -2.5

7* Big East Game of the Year on Villanova +12

7* ACC Game of the Month on Boston College +4.5

7* CAA Game of the Month on William & Mary +17.5

7* Utah/UCLA Pac-12 *HEAVY HITTER* on UCLA -2.5

7* Horizon League Game of the Year on IUPU-Fort Wayne -9.5

7* VCU/Saint Louis Atlantic 10 *HEAVY HITTER* on VCU -4.5

7* Big 12 Game of the Year on TCU +7

7* Ole Miss/South Carolina SEC *HEAVY HITTER* on South Carolina -4

7* Nebraska/Illinois Big Ten *HEAVY HITTER* on Illinois -9.5

7* AAC Game of the Year on Charlotte -6.5

7* SEC Game of the Year on Missouri +6.5

7* ACC Game of the Month on Virginia -5.5

7* Atlantic 10 Game of the Month on Duquesne +6

7* Horizon League Game of the Month on Wisconsin-Milwaukee +7

7* San Diego State/UConn NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on UConn -7

7* Wisconsin/North Texas NIT *HEAVY HITTER* on North Texas -1.5

7* San Diego State/Alabama South Region *HEAVY HITTER* on Alabama -7

7* Gonzaga/UCLA West Region *BAILOUT* on Gonzaga +2

7* Creighton/Baylor South Region *HEAVY HITTER* on Baylor PK

7* Thursday NCAA Tournament *BLOWOUT* on Houston -19

7* Kent State/Toledo MAC *HEAVY HITTER* on Kent State +1

7* UAB/North Texas C-USA *HEAVY HITTER* on North Texas -1

7* UNLV/Boise State MWC *HEAVY HITTER* on Boise State -5

7* Ohio State/Wisconsin Big Ten *HEAVY HITTER* on Wisconsin +2

7* Kansas/Texas Big 12 *HEAVY HITTER* on Texas -3

7* Arkansas/Alabama SEC *HEAVY HITTER* on Arkansas +8.5

7* Big East Game of the Month on Georgetown +2.5

7* ACC Game of the Year on Georgia Tech +12.5

7* Louisville/Duke ACC *HEAVY HITTER* on Louisville +19

7* Oregon/Washington State Pac-12 *HEAVY HITTER* on Washington State -1

7* Big East Game of the Year on DePaul +13.5

7* New Mexico/San Jose State MWC *BAILOUT* on San Jose State -1

7* SEC Game of the Year on Missouri +12

7* Pac-12 Game of the Month on Oregon -4

7* ACC Game of the Year on Clemson -1.5

7* Big 12 Game of the Month on Texas Tech +4.5

7* Indiana/Illinois Big Ten *HEAVY HITTER* on Illinois -6.5

7* ACC Game of the Month on Pittsburgh +6.5

7* NCAAB Dog of the Week on Nebraska-Omaha +18

7* NCAAB Game of the Week on Wright State +4.5

7* UNC/Kansas NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Kansas -4

7* Villanova/Kansas Final 4 *HEAVY HITTER* on Kansas -4

7* St. Peter's/North Carolina NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on UNC -8

7* Houston/Villanova NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Houston -2

7* UNC/UCLA NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on UNC +2.5

7* Miami/Auburn NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Miami +7.5

7* UNC/Baylor NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on North Carolina +6

7* Colgate/Wisconsin NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Wisconsin -7.5

7* Bryant/Wright State First 4 *HEAVY HITTER* on Wright State -3.5

7* Indiana/Wyoming First 4 *HEAVY HITTER* on Indiana -3.5

7* AAC Game of the Month on Memphis -6.5

7* Vanderbilt/Alabama SEC *HEAVY HITTER* on Alabama -5.5

7* Butler/Xavier Big East *HEAVY HITTER* on Xavier -5.5

7* NC State/Clemson ACC *HEAVY HITTER* on Clemson -4.5

7* Big East Game of the Year on Georgetown +13

7* Big 12 Game of the Month on Kansas State +12.5

7* Atlantic 10 Game of the Month on George Washington +10

7* USC/Oregon Pac-12 *BAILOUT* on Oregon -1.5

7* UCLA/Oregon Pac-12 *HEAVY HITTER* on Oregon +3.5

7* SEC Game of the Month on Ole Miss +16

7* Big Ten Game of the Year on Nebraska +11.5

7* Arizona State/UCLA Pac-12 *HEAVY HITTER* on Arizona State +13.5

7* East Carolina/UCF AAC *HEAVY HITTER* on East Carolina +9.5

7* Oregon/Arizona Pac-12 *HEAVY HITTER* on Oregon +13.5

7* Maryland/Nebraska Big Ten *HEAVY HITTER* on Nebraska +2.5

7* AAC Game of the Week on UCF +14

7* AAC Game of the Year on Cincinnati -2.5

7* Illinois/Purdue Big Ten *HEAVY HITTER* on Illinois +6

7* Virginia/Duke ACC *HEAVY HITTER* on Virginia +12

7* Big 12 Game of the Year on West Virginia +6

7* Big Ten Game of the Month on Minnesota +11

7* Atlantic 10 Game of the Month on VCU -2

7* Baylor/Gonzaga NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Baylor +4.5

The Key: The Baylor Bears have won and covered against the likes of 9th-seeded Wisconsin, 5th-seeded Villanova, 3rd-seeded Arkansas and 2nd-seeded Houston to get here.  They won all 4 of those games by 9 or more points.  Gonzaga has had the much easier schedule beating 16th-seeded Norfolk State, 8th-seeded Oklahoma, 5th-seeded Creighton and 11th-seeded UCLA.  And they needed OT to beat the Bruins.  The Bulldogs have played a much easier schedule than Baylor all season.  I would argue that the Bears are actually the better team, and it has shown so far in the NCAA Tournament.  It will show again Monday in the Championship Game.  Take Baylor.

7* Houston/Baylor NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Baylor -5

The Key: The Baylor Bears have won and covered against the likes of 9th-seeded Wisconsin, 5th-seeded Villanova and 3rd-seeded Arkansas to get here.  The Houston Cougars have won against 15th-seeded Cleveland State, 10th-seeded Rutgers, 11th-seeded Syracuse and 12th-seeded Oregon State.  And it's worth noting they had to go down to the wire with both Rutgers and Oregon State.  This easy run to the Final Four has been a microcosm of Houston's season.  They have only faced one team that ranks in the Top 25 of almost everyone's power ratings, and that was Texas Tech.  Baylor will be their most difficult challenge to date and it's not even close.  I expect that to show up on the scoreboard today with the Bears rolling to victory.  Take Baylor.

7* NCAA Tournament Game of the Year on Oregon State +8

The Key: The Oregon State Beavers are now 18-3-1 ATS in their last 22 games.  They have won 12 of those games outright as underdogs, including their wins over Tennessee by 14, Oklahoma State by 10 and Loyola-Chicago by 7 in the NCAA Tournament thus far.  Those 3 opponents were much tougher than the slate that Houston has faced, and the Beavers also beat UCLA, Oregon and Colorado in the Pac-12 Tournament.  Houston has beaten Cleveland State, Rutgers and Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament.  The Beavers will give them a run for their money similar to what Rutgers did in the 2nd round.  The Beavers are 16-3 ATS in their last 19 games as underdogs.  Take Oregon State.

7* UCLA/Alabama NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Alabama -6.5

The Key: Alabama is 26-6 this year and one of the most dangerous teams left in the tournament.  If I had to pick one team that stood a chance against Gonzaga other than Baylor, it would be Alabama.  That's because their ceiling is as high as anyone.  That was on display against Maryland as they crushed the Terrapins 96-77.  They hoist 30 3-pointers per game and make 35.5% of them.  They get great looks almost every time down the floor.  And they have quietly ranked 2nd in the country in defensive efficiency, so they do a good job of not allowing easy shots for their opponents.  UCLA's competition during this 3-0 run in the NCAA Tournament has been extremely soft with wins over Michigan State, BYU and Abilene Christian.  They take a big step up in class here against Alabama.  And the Bruins finished 0-4 SU in their last 4 games of the season against the Pac-12.  The Bruins are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 Sweet 16 games.  Their season comes to an end here in blowout fashion against the Crimson Tide.  Take Alabama.

7* NCAAB 2nd Round Game of the Year on Alabama -5.5

The Key: Maryland somehow made the NCAA Tournament with a 16-13 record this season.  They lost 3 of their final 4 games this season with 2 upset losses to Northwestern and Penn State.  They played a UConn team that played at a slow tempo just like they do in the first round and simply out shot them 51.2% to 32.3%.  Now this is a bad matchup for them against an Alabama team that gets up and down and shoots a ton of 3-pointers, which is Maryland's defensive weakness.  And it's an Alabama team that ranks 2nd in defensive efficiency in the nation, which is bad news for a Terrapins team that is one of the worst offensive teams in the country.  This game just has blowout written all over it.  The Terrapins are 0-9 ATS in their last 9 game off a low-scoring game that saw 125 or fewer combined points.  They will have to try and keep up with the Crimson Tide here and they are not equipped to do it.  Take Alabama.

7* Oregon State/Oklahoma State NCAAB *BAILOUT* on Oregon State +6.5

The Key:  I like the price we are getting on the Oregon State Beavers against Oklahoma State in the 2nd round.  The price has been off on the Beavers for a couple months now as they are 16-3-1 ATS in their last 20 games.  Oregon State is 12-0 ATS in their last 12 games after playing 3 straight games as underdogs.  They won outright as underdogs over UCLA, Oregon, Colorado and now Tennessee in their last 4 games.  Take Oregon State.

7* NCAAB 1st Round Game of the Year on Connecticut -3

The Key: Maryland somehow made the NCAA Tournament with a 16-13 record this season.  They lost 3 of their final 4 games this season with 2 upset losses to Northwestern and Penn State.  Now they have to take on a UConn team playing its best ball since the return of leading scorer James Bouknight, who gets over 20 PPG.  He leads an underrated Huskies team that ranks in the Top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season.  The Huskies are 7-2 SU & 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games with their only losses coming on the road to a healthy Villanova team by 8 and to Creighton by 3 in the Big East Tournament.  The Huskies are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games against teams that force 12 or fewer turnovers per game.  The Terrapins are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 NCAA Tournament games.  The Huskies are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games off a loss.  UConn is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 NCAA Tournament games.  The Huskies are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall.  UConn is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games as a favorite.  The Huskies are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games as favorites.  Take UConn.

7* Utah State/Texas Tech NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Texas Tech -4

The Key: I like the price we are getting on Texas Tech now after losing their final 2 games of the season to Baylor and Texas.  Now the Red Raiders are refocused and ready to go.  Chris Beard is one of the best head coaches in the country and took the Red Raiders on a deep NCAA Tournament run a few years back.  Utah State was blasted by 11 points by San Diego State in the MWC Championship Game and doesn't stand much of a chance of keeping this game competitive against Texas Tech, which played a much tougher schedule than the Aggies did this season.  Utah State is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games after playing its last game as an underdog.  The Aggies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games.  The Red Raiders are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games.  Take Texas Tech.

7* UCLA/Michigan State NCAAB *BAILOUT* on Michigan State -2

The Key: The Michigan State Spartans went 5-3 SU in their final 8 games this season with upset wins over Illinois, Michigan and Ohio State.  Thats 3 wins against Top 2 seeds and it proves that the Spartans can play with anyone.  Now they take a step down in class here against the UCLA Bruins, who have lost 4 straight games to close out the season and are going in the other direction.  It's worth noting that the Bruins also lost to the lone Big Ten team they faced this season in Ohio State.  The Bruins are now 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games overall.  Take Michigan State.

7* Iowa/Illinois Big Ten *HEAVY HITTER* on Illinois -3.5

The Key: The Illini Fighting Illini have won 12 of their last 13 games overall and are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games.  They have the rest advantage here after playing the earlier game than Iowa yesterday and cruising to a 22-point win over Rutgers.  Iowa had to play its starters big minutes in a 5-point win over Wisconsin late last night.  And the Hawkeyes are already dealing with injuries to Fredrick and Wieskamp that are going to make this back-to-back situation even tougher on them.  The Fighting Illini are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games against a team with a winning record.  Take Illinois

7* UNC/Florida State ACC *HEAVY HITTER* on Florida State -2

The Key: Florida State has had the last couple days off while North Carolina has had to play each of the last 2 days.  So the Tar Heels will be playing for a 3rd consecutive day here and that's a big disadvantage for them.  The Tar Heels are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games off 3 or more consecutive wins.  Take Florida State.

7* Iowa State/Oklahoma Big 12 *HEAVY HITTER* on Iowa State +11.5

The Key: Iowa State played Oklahoma tough in covering both matchups this season with a 7-point road loss and a 10-point home loss.  The Cyclones get their best player in Rasir Bolton and his 15.4 PPG back in the lineup after missing most of the last 4 games with an ankle injury.  They face an Oklahoma team that has lost 4 straight including an upset loss to Kansas State.  The Sooners are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.  The Sooners are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as favorites.  Take Iowa State.