The Bum's March Madness All You Need To Know And Best Bets !

[StarDust Bum]

Cyclones Meet Top-Ranked Kentucky In Louisville

All four higher seeds in the Louisville pod dominated their opponents in Thursday’s second-round action of the NCAA tournament. Each won by double digits at the KFC Yum! Center, and three of the four easily covered the spread.

The exception was the top-ranked and top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats, who were outscored 40-36 in the second half of an 81-66 win over No. 16 seed Western Kentucky in the South Region.

Following are Saturday’s third-round pairings, with the winners advancing to the Sweet 16.

No. 6 Murray State Racers vs. No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles (-4½, 142)
5:15 p.m. (ET) – CBS

The Golden Eagles (-4) had no problems forgetting an 84-71 loss to Louisville in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament last week, blowing out No. 14 BYU 88-68 on Thursday following a strong start. They got a game-high 25 points and a career-high 16 rebounds from Big East Player of the Year Jae Crowder while Darius Johnson-Odom scored 20 to help them to a 49-34 halftime lead. Marquette covered the 5-point spread to improve to 7-2 against the number in its last nine games overall, and the ‘over’ improved to 8-2 in the team’s past 10.

There could be a sharp contrast in styles when the Golden Eagles face the Racers, who have seen their last four games go ‘under’ the total. Murray State has been much better than Marquette defensively over the past five games, limiting opponents to an average of 55.4 points after topping No. 11 Colorado State 58-41. None of the last three teams the Racers have played have reached 60 points and only six have reached the 70-point mark in 32 games.

Murray State is riding an eight-game winning streak into the third round and has gone 7-1 against the spread during that stretch after suffering its only loss of the season 72-68 at home to Tennessee State on February 9.

Saturday's victor will play the winner between Friday’s West Region winners from the Omaha pod at US Airways Center in Phoenix next Thursday (March 22).

No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 8 Iowa State Cyclones (+10½, 140)
7:45 p.m. (ET) – CBS

The Wildcats may have not covered the 26½-point spread in their second-round victory against the Hilltoppers, but they made their run when they needed to late in the first half, scoring 27 of the last 36 points to take a 45-26 halftime lead. Terrence Jones led Kentucky with 22 points while Anthony Davis and Doron Lamb each added 16 for a balanced offensive attack. Failing to cover is nothing new for the Wildcats, who are 2-7 against the spread in their last nine games and 12-21-1 overall this year.

The Cyclones are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games and will look to contend with Kentucky on the glass, as they have outrebounded 10 straight opponents. They held a 40-21 rebounding advantage over No. 9 UConn in a 77-64 victory on Thursday. None of the defending national champion Huskies grabbed more than five rebounds against Iowa State while Royce White and Chris Baab totaled 20 between them for the winners.

The ‘over’ improved to 20-7-1 for the Cyclones in their last 28 neutral site games, and they have outrebounded their opponents by nearly seven per game over their past five while shooting nearly 77 percent from the free-throw line.

The winner moves on to face the winner of Saturday’s matchup between No. 12 VCU and No. 4 Indiana at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta next Friday (March 23).

ALBUQUERQUE POD - PITTSBURGH POD - PORTLAND POD

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Gonzaga Moves On To Battle Ohio State Buckeyes

Jim Boeheim doesn't think his Syracuse Orange caught any lucky breaks in Thursday's win over UNC-Asheville. It's not the first time this year that Boeheim missed something happening right under his nose (cough*Bernie Fine*cough).

On a day that saw just two lower seeds advance – (12) VCU over (5) Wichita State and (11) Colorado taking down (6) UNLV – Syracuse's near upset defeat to the Bulldogs of the Big South became the top story. UNC-Asheville was trying to become the first 16-seed to beat a No. 1, and might have pulled it off if not for having to play 5-on-8 in the closing minutes.

Two controversial calls by the officiating crew (Glenn Tuitt, Ed Corbett and Eric Curry) at the end of the contest brought down a chorus of boos from the packed crowd at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Despite the close call, and the fortunate calls, Boeheim found a few statistical references to point to his team's victory coming by pure skill during the postgame press conference.

"I don't think luck had anything to do with this game today," the Syracuse coach said, "and I think the better team won."

It's hard to disagree with the second half of Boeheim's statement. While the Selection Committee has made a few boo-boos in the past, they have never made the mistake of seeding the better team lower in a 1-16 matchup.

What's done is done, and the Orange will move on in the Pittsburgh pod where Saturday's action will determine a couple of Sweet 16 entries in the East Regional.

'Cuse & 'Cats Tip Saturday Slate

Boeheim was just as adamant that Thursday's struggles against UNC-Asheville had nothing to do with the absence of Fab Melo as he was about his team not catching any lucky breaks. We'll see if the Orange don't miss their 7-footer again on Saturday when top-seeded Syracuse meets No. 8 seed Kansas State in a 12:15 p.m. (ET) tip on CBS.

Syracuse opened as a 5-point favorite on the Don Best odds screen with the total in the 134-134½ area.

Kansas State had just enough to get past (9) Southern Miss on Thursday, grabbing the cover as 5½-point chalk in the 70-64 victory over the Golden Eagles. Rodney McGruder's 30 points highlighted the Wildcats' late push that was aided by freshman Angel Rodriguez scoring 10 of his 13 points in the final minutes to help KSU pull away.

Syracuse frustrated Asheville's leading scorer Matt Dickey (16.1 PPG) who was held to 1-for-13 from the field, and 1-for-9 from outside the arc. The Orange will now turn their attention to McGruder on Saturday, and the lack of a proven 3-point threat could really hurt the Wildcats if they are unable to get inside the Syracuse zone.

Bulldogs, Buckeyes Battle For Trip To Boston

So much for the advantage West Virginia was supposed to have playing so close to home while Gonzaga traveled a couple thousand miles to get to Pittsburgh. Mark Few's Bulldogs smoked the Mountaineers by a 77-54 count in a game that closed with Gonzaga getting 1½-2 points on the college basketball betting board.

The Bulldogs now set their sights on returning to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009, and they'll need just as physical an effort as they had in spanking West Virginia when they go up against Ohio State in a 2:45 p.m. (ET) broadcast on CBS. The 2-7 matchup opened with Ohio State laying seven, and the total has shot up two points since starting at 134½.

Ohio State is seeking its third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance after throttling Loyola (MD) on Thursday, 78-59. The Buckeyes got a career-high 31 points from Deshaun Thomas and doubled the Greyhounds up on the glass with a 46-23 rebounding margin.

The Buckeyes figure to face a little more resistance inside against the Bulldogs than what Loyola (MD) put up. Robert Sacre led Gonzaga's physical play in the win over WVU, and the post battle between the Bulldogs' 7-footer and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger should be a good one. Another key matchup will be Kevin Pangos of Gonzaga against OSU's Aaron Craft at the point.

ALBUQUERQUE POD - LOUISVILLE POD - PORTLAND POD

[StarDust Bum]

Lobos And Cardinals Collide In Portland

Shaka Smart and the Virginia Commonwealth Rams are at it again.

One of just two lower seeds to win on Thursday, VCU appears to relish the underdog role. Last year's Cinderella will get a chance to perform in that role once again on Saturday at Portland's Rose Garden where a pair of third-round matchups will get prime-time treatment.

The Rams advanced with a 62-59 upset of 5th-seeded Wichita State. Up next for VCU will be the 4th-seeded Indiana Hoosiers who never trailed in their 79-66 triumph against New Mexico State. Indiana and Virginia Commonwealth will tip at 7:10 p.m. (ET) on TBS.

Saturday's third round is capped off with a tremendous 4/5 battle between the Louisville Cardinals and New Mexico Lobos (9:40 p.m. ET, TBS). Louisville brushed back Davidson, 69-62, on Thursday while New Mexico rallied in the final five minutes to get past a pesky Long Beach State, 75-68.

Here's a quick look at Saturday's schedule that will provide Sweet 16 contestants for the South and West Regions. The VCU-Indiana winner heads to Atlanta for a potential clash with top overall seed Kentucky next Friday. Louisville and New Mexico are playing for a spot in Phoenix next Thursday where the winner could run into West No. 1 Michigan State.

Zeller, Hoosiers Present Big Challenge For VCU

A big key for Virginia Commonwealth on Thursday was limiting Shockers center Garrett Stutz to just four points. The 7-footer got into some foul trouble, never could find the net (2-for-11 FG) and spent just 17 minutes on the floor. Though Carl Hall helped Wichita State make up for some of his absence in both the scoring and rebounding columns, not having to deal with Stutz was crucial in VCU's victory.

The Rams will now have to deal with another big man in the middle when they take on Indiana's Cody Zeller. The 6-foot-11 freshman is a big part of why the Hoosiers are 6-point favorites on Saturday, with the Don Best odds screen showing 139 for the scoreboard hurdle.

Zeller packed the box score in Indiana's win over New Mexico State, scoring 14 points, pulling down six boards, dishing four assists and adding six steals. The Hoosiers should have and even bigger height advantage against the Rams than they did vs. the Aggies.

Virginia Commonwealth will try and turn that around with a quicker lineup focused more on defense. The Rams stymied the Shockers into just 24-of-62 shooting (38.7%), and that defense will come in handy against a Hoosiers team that sank nearly 60 percent of their field goal attempts (32-of-54), including 7-of-13 from long-range.

Gordon & Lobos Meet Streaking Louisville

About the only thing that could make this matchup better would be if New Mexico and Steve Alford were playing the other 4th-seed in Portland and his Indiana alma mater. Still, we're not complaining about the Lobos' clash with Rick Pitino and Louisville.

Oddsmakers started this one out with the Cardinals laying a point against New Mexico. Saturday's total opened at 128.

Both teams will hit the floor riding solid streaks. New Mexico is on a 6-0 run, going 6-0 against the spread in the process, while Louisville has won and covered each of its last five games. Perimeter defense has been key to the Cardinals during their 5-0 stretch, with their opponents just 14-of-82 (17.0%) from 3-point range. The Lobos have shot 38 percent from outside the arc (48-of-126) in their 6-game streak.

New Mexico and Louisville have also been money for totals bettors lately, though on different sides of the equation. Seven of the Lobos' last eight have gone 'over' the number; the Cardinals are 8-1 to the 'under' in their last nine.

ALBUQUERQUE POD - LOUISVILLE POD - PITTSBURGH POD

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday Third Round Games

March 16, 2012

The field has been cut down to 32 teams after Thursday and Friday's action. Sixteen squads have the right to play in next week's Sweet Sixteen, including a pair of top seeds in Kentucky and Syracuse taking the court on Saturday. We'll start in Pittsburgh with the Orange trying to put a second round scare behind them against upstart Kansas State.

[8] Kansas State vs. [1] Syracuse (-5, 134 ½) - 12:15 PM EST

Both these teams needed to play all 40 minutes in their opening games on Thursday to advance to the round of 32. The Orange staved off 16th seed UNC-Asheville, 72-65, as Syracuse failed to cover as 15 ½-point favorites. Syracuse continues to play without center Fab Melo, who is sidelined with eligibility issues. The Wildcats trailed Southern Miss in the second half, but K-State rallied for a 70-64 triumph, while cashing barely as 5 ½-point 'chalk.'

Syracuse has lost only two games all season, but Jim Boeheim's squad owns a dreadful 1-7 ATS mark the previous eight contests. Five of those non-covers came as favorites of seven points or more, as the Orange failed to cash in two victories as 'chalk' of less than five points against Louisville and UConn. Kansas State is just 6-5 ATS as an underdog this season, but the Wildcats picked up three outright 'dog wins against Missouri twice and Baylor.

[7] Gonzaga vs. [2] Ohio State (-7 ½, 136 ½) - 2:45 PM EST

The Buckeyes look for a return to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season if OSU can get by Gonzaga. The Bulldogs picked up an impressive victory over West Virginia, 77-54 as short favorites, despite traveling cross-country for the second time in three seasons in their opening tournament game. Mark Few's club is 9-2 the last 11 contests, as the two losses came in overtime to St. Mary's and by one point at San Francisco.

Ohio State knocked off Loyola (MD), 78-59 as 17 ½-point favorites, while limiting the Greyhounds to 35% shooting from the floor. Out of their seven losses this season, only one defeat for the Buckeyes came against a non-tournament team (Illinois). Thad Matta's team is 3-5 ATS the last eight games as a single-digit favorite, while going 4-4 SU. The 'Zags were one of the top 'under' squads in the country, as Gonzaga is riding an 8-1 'under' run the last nine games.

[6] Murray State vs. [3] Marquette (-5, 142) - 5:15 PM EST

This matchup showcases plenty of intrigue with a top Big East squad battling an Ohio Valley team that lost just one game this season. Murray State overcame a slow start in routing Colorado State, 58-41 as five-point favorites to win their first tournament game since upsetting Vanderbilt in 2010. The Racers take on a Marquette club that cruised past BYU, 88-68 as five point 'chalk.'

The Golden Eagles have won 14 of 17 games since a two-game skid in early January, while cashing in 14 of the last 19 contests overall. Buzz Williams' group is 7-3 ATS the previous 10 games when laying points, as Marquette has sailed 'over' the total eight times in the last 10 contests. Murray State is red-hot from the covering perspective, going 7-1 ATS the last eight games, while the Racers are 2-0 SU/ATS in the underdog role.

[8] Iowa State vs. [1] Kentucky (-11 ½, 140) - 7:45 PM EST

The Wildcats began their run at the Final Four by dumping Western Kentucky, 81-66, but Kentucky failed to cover as hefty 26 ½-point favorites. John Calipari's team will no doubt be tested on Saturday as UK takes on Iowa State, as the Cyclones eliminated defending champion UConn, 77-64 as short underdogs. ISU has been overshadowed all season in the Big 12 by Kansas, Missouri, and Baylor, but the Cyclones can make a huge name for themselves and the conference with an upset over Kentucky.

Fred Hoiberg's squad is in the midst of a 12-2-1 ATS run, while cashing as double-digit underdogs at Kansas and Missouri. The Cyclones compiled a 9-4-1 ATS record as a 'dog, even though ISU's best non-conference win came on Thursday over UConn. Kentucky hasn't helped backers this season with a 14-game stretch of non-covers from November through mid-January, while riding a 2-7 ATS stretch the last nine contests. The Wildcats have compiled a 6-4 ATS record in the tournament under Calipari, but two of those non-covers came as large favorites in the opening round.

[StarDust Bum]

Ohio State takes on Gonzaga Saturday

7 seed GONZAGA BULLDOGS (26-6)

vs. 7 seed OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (28-7)


NCAA Tournament - Third Round
Tip-off: Saturday, 2:45 p.m. EDT – Pittsburgh, PA
Line: Ohio State -7½, Total: 136½

Two teams that breezed by their second-round opponents meet with a trip to the Sweet 16 at stake when Ohio State and Gonzaga tussle in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.

Big Ten teams are an incredible 46-3 SU and 32-12-5 ATS (73%) when favored by at least 6½ points in the past 13 NCAA Tournaments, a trend that obviously favors the Buckeyes. But the Zags have been a great bet as an NCAA underdog. Since 1999, Gonzaga is 10-6-1 ATS (63%) as a lesser seed in the tourney. Can the Buckeyes cover the big spread over the Bulldogs? For the answer, check out the College Basketball Three at Three Pass for picks covering all the big games in college basketball each weekday. CBB Pass finished 18-14 ATS (56.3%) for the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Despite their prowess as an underdog in the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs are 5-10 ATS in the big tourney since 2005, and are just 5-9-1 ATS (36%) in non-home games this season. But Gonzaga is coming off a 77-54 pounding of West Virginia on Thursday in a game that it controlled from the opening tip. The Zags held the Mountaineers scoreless for six minutes in the first half to open up an insurmountable 27-10 lead. Four Gonzaga players scored in double-figures as C Robert Sacre and freshman G Gary Bell Jr. each had 14 points, freshman G Kevin Pangos added 13 and F Elias Harris had 10 in just 15 minutes of action. The Zags shot 56% FG (9-of-17 threes) while holding WVU to 33% FG and 3-of-17 threes. They have now shot 55% FG or better in three of the past four games, and are limiting opponents to 61.7 PPG on 37.7% FG in the past six contests (5-1 SU, 3-2 ATS). Ohio State is also an excellent defensive team (59.1 PPG, 40.5% FG), but Gonzaga has 13 turnovers or less (10.8 per game) in each of its past five games and the Buckeyes have forced 13 or fewer turnovers in eight of their past nine contests. This strong FoxSheets trend likes the Bulldogs to prevail ATS:

GONZAGA is 63-39 ATS (61.8%, +20.1 Units) in road games when playing their 2nd game in 3 days since 1997. The average score was GONZAGA 76.7, OPPONENT 69.9 - (Rating = 1*).

Ohio State is 8-0 ATS (10-0 SU) with one day of rest over the past four seasons, while Gonzaga is a subpar 3-6-1 ATS with one off day this year. The Buckeyes had little trouble with Loyola (MD) on Thursday, pulling away for a 78-59 win. The top three scorers of Jared Sullinger (17.6 PPG), Deshaun Thomas (15.8 PPG) and William Buford (14.8 PPG) combined for 60 of the team’s 78 points. Thomas led the way with 31 on 13-of-22 shooting, plus 12 rebounds. Buford had 17 points, but Sullinger was just 4-of-14 from the floor. The sophomore star was excellent on the defensive end though, with 11 rebounds and five blocks. Sullinger will certainly be challenged by the big bodies inside for Gonzaga, most notably the 7-foot Sacre. Although OSU dominated the smaller Greyhounds on the boards (49-34), it committed an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers. This strong FoxSheets trend also sides with the Buckeyes:

Thad Matta is 53-31 ATS (63.1%, +18.9 Units) versus excellent teams - shooting >=45% with a defense of <=42% as the coach of OHIO STATE. The average score was OHIO STATE 70.2, OPPONENT 65.5 - (Rating = 2*).

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Saturday, March 17

KANSAS ST vs. SYRACUSE, 12:15 PM - NCAA Tournament - Third Round - Consol Energy Ctr. - Pittsburgh, PA
KANSAS ST: 0-3 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 3.5 to 6 points
SYRACUSE: 6-1 Over as a neutral court favorite of 6 points or less

GONZAGA vs. OHIO ST, 2:45 PM - NCAA Tournament - Third Round - Consol Energy Ctr. - Pittsburgh, PA
GONZAGA: 22-6 Under this season
OHIO ST: 9-1 ATS playing 2nd time in 3 days

MURRAY ST vs. MARQUETTE, 5:15 PM - NCAA Tournament - Third Round - KFC Center - Louisville, KY
MURRAY ST: 3-0 ATS as an underdog
MARQUETTE: 17-7 Over as favorite

IOWA ST vs. KENTUCKY, 7:45 PM - NCAA Tournament - Third Round - KFC Center - Louisville, KY
IOWA ST: 8-1 ATS in March
KENTUCKY: 4-16 ATS off ATS loss

VANDERBILT vs. WISCONSIN, 6:10 PM - NCAA Tournament - Third Round - The Pit - Albuquerque, NM
VANDERBILT: 2-7 ATS as neutral court fave of 3 pts or less
WISCONSIN: 8-1 ATS off win by 15+ points

COLORADO vs. BAYLOR, 8:40 PM - NCAA Tournament - Third Round - The Pit - Albuquerque, NM
COLORADO: 7-1 ATS off 3+ wins
BAYLOR: 6-1 Over playing 2nd game in 3 days

NEW MEXICO vs. LOUISVILLE, 9:40 PM - NCAA Tournament - Third Round - Rose Garden - Portland, OR
NEW MEXICO: 14-2 ATS off BB covers as a favorite
LOUISVILLE: 6-0 ATS off BB wins

VA COMMONWEALTH vs. INDIANA, 7:10 PM - NCAA Tournament - Third Round - Rose Garden - Portland, OR
VA COMMONWEALTH: 10-1 ATS in NCAA Tournament
INDIANA: 8-0 ATS vs. non-conference

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

03/16/12 19-*14-*0 57.58% +*1800 Detail
03/15/12 16-*10-*0 61.54% +*2500 Detail
03/14/12 27-*19-*0 58.70% +*3050 Detail
03/13/12 21-*18-*1 53.85% +*600 Detail

Totals 83-*61-*1 57.64% +7950

[StarDust Bum]

First 4 Early Best Bets:


03/17/2012 @ 09:15 AM

CBB

[517] KANSAS STATE +4½ 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 09:15 AM

CBB

[517] TOTAL o133½ 1.91
(KANSAS STATE vrs SYRACUSE)



03/17/2012 @ 08:00 AM

CBB

[534] SETON HALL -7 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 08:00 AM

CBB

[534] TOTAL u150 1.91
(MASSACHUSETTS vrs SETON HALL)



03/17/2012 @ 11:00 AM

CBB

[541] TOTAL o166 1.91
(BUFFALO vrs OAKLAND)



03/17/2012 @ 11:00 AM

CBB

[542] OAKLAND -3 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 11:00 AM

CBB

[543] ROBERT MORRIS -2½ 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 11:00 AM

CBB

[543] TOTAL o138 1.91
(ROBERT MORRIS vrs TOLEDO)

[StarDust Bum]

Sorry am late....Just got back from the grandkids volleyball games:


03/17/2012 @ 12:10 PM

CBB

[519] TOTAL o137 1.91
(GONZAGA vrs OHIO ST)



03/17/2012 @ 12:10 PM

CBB

[520] OHIO ST -7½ 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 02:15 PM

CBB

[521] TOTAL o142½ 1.91
(MURRAY ST vrs MARQUETTE)



03/17/2012 @ 02:15 PM

CBB

[522] MARQUETTE -5½ 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 03:10 PM

CBB

[526] WISCONSIN +1 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 03:10 PM

CBB

[526] TOTAL u121½ 1.91
(VANDERBILT vrs WISCONSIN)



03/17/2012 @ 01:00 PM

CBB

[540] MERCER +2 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 01:00 PM

CBB

[540] TOTAL u126 1.91
(GEORGIA ST vrs MERCER)



03/17/2012 @ 11:10 AM

CBB

[543] ROBERT MORRIS -2½ 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 11:10 AM

CBB

[543] TOTAL o138 1.91
(ROBERT MORRIS vrs TOLEDO)

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Best Bets:


03/17/2012 @ 04:45 PM

CBB

[523] IOWA ST +11 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 04:45 PM

CBB

[524] TOTAL u140 1.91
(IOWA ST vrs KENTUCKY)



03/17/2012 @ 05:40 PM

CBB

[527] COLORADO +8 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 05:40 PM

CBB

[528] TOTAL u133½ 1.91
(COLORADO vrs BAYLOR)



03/17/2012 @ 06:40 PM

CBB

[529] NEW MEXICO +1½ 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 06:40 PM

CBB

[530] TOTAL u129 1.91
(NEW MEXICO vrs LOUISVILLE)



03/17/2012 @ 04:10 PM

CBB

[532] INDIANA U -6 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 04:10 PM

CBB

[532] TOTAL u140 1.91
(VA COMMON vrs INDIANA U)



03/17/2012 @ 05:00 PM

CBB

[546] RICE -5 1.91



03/17/2012 @ 05:00 PM

CBB

[546] TOTAL u136½ 1.91
(DRAKE vrs RICE)



03/17/2012 @ 06:00 PM

CBB

[547] IDAHO U +6 1.91

[StarDust Bum]

Seminoles And Bearcats Collide In Nashville

How fortunate do you think Leonard Hamilton and Mick Cronin are feeling today? And by fortunate, I don't mean "the better team won" variety a la Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, I mean truly blessed to still be in the Big Dance.

On a Friday that saw a pair of 15's drop 2-seeds – as well as a 10, 11, 12 and 13 advance – Hamilton's Florida State Seminoles and Cronin's Cincinnati Bearcats just survived being tossed on the upset heap. The ACC and Big East powers, seeded third and sixth in the East Regional respectively, will cap the first week of the NCAA Tournament when they meet Sunday in a 9:40 p.m. (ET) telecast by TBS from Nashville.

Bloody Friday took its toll on a lot of brackets with lower seeds going 8-8 outright and underdogs 8-7-1 against the spread. Among those pulling off upsets were the (12) South Florida Bulls and (13) Ohio Bobcats who will square off at Bridgestone Arena (7:10 p.m. ET) in the lead-in to the Seminoles-Bearcats battle. The contest between Florida State and Cincinnati is one of only two on Sunday that pits higher-seeded teams who won their Friday tilts, the other being a Midwest Regional collision between (1) North Carolina and (8) Creighton.

Spreads and totals are slowly but surely creeping out for all eight games on Sunday, so keep an eye on the Don Best odds screen to catch all of the opening numbers plus the ensuing movement. Here's an early preview of the final two dances in the Nashville pod.

Bulls & Bobcats Battle For Sweet 16
While fans enjoy seeing underdogs win, this is definitely not the matchup TBS was hoping for to preface the Bearcats and Seminoles. It's safe to say that 90 percent of those who are in one bracket contest or another can't name two players from the South Florida or Ohio rosters.

Two Bobcats who played a key role in their 65-60 upset of (4) Michigan on Friday were DJ Cooper and Reggie Keely. Cooper netted a game-high 21 points for Ohio who was getting 5½-6 from the oddsmakers, while Keely came off the bench to score 10 and went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Those free throws were critical for a Bobcats team that made 15-of-17 of their foul shots and outscored the Wolverines by six from the free-throw line.

South Florida opened as a 6-point underdog to (5) Temple before the line closed at 3-3½. The Bulls didn't need any points as it turned out, grounding the Owls with a 58-44 decision in a game that saw the teams combine for just 34 first-half points. Anthony Collins and Victor Rudd Jr. each tallied 17 for South Florida who held Temple to 2-of-12 from beyond the arc.

College basketball betting lines have yet to be released for Sunday's contest, but expect the total to be the lowest on the 8-game NCAA Tournament schedule. Both Friday contests for South Florida and Ohio paid off for 'under' bettors, and they are a combined 40-20 to the low side of totals this season.

Big East Meets ACC In Nashville Nightcap
The bad news was Florida State didn't get a single point from its leading scorer vs. St. Bonaventure. The good news was the Seminoles still managed to get the dubya over the Bonnies.

Michael Snaer was the biggest beneficiary of FSU's rally from a 10-point deficit to beat (14) St. Bonaventure, 66-63. Snaer missed all seven of his field goal attempts (0-for-5 from 3-point range). Fortunately for Snaer and the 'Noles, Bernard James scored a season-high 19 and Luke Loucks had a solid all-around effort with 13 points, seven boards, six assists and three steals.

While Florida State was busy recovering to get past the Bonnies, Cincinnati was doing its best to quell a rally by (11) Texas. The Bearcats stormed out of the gate to a 16-2 lead over the Longhorns, then held on for the 65-59 victory as 3-point favorites. Yancy Gates posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Cincy attack.

Sunday's game opened with FSU favored by 2½; the total should be released shortly.

At the risk of looking ahead following such a carnage-filled Friday, we can't help it. The winner will head to Boston for next week's East Regional where they'll take on the victor from Saturday's Gonzaga-Ohio State contest. The Sweet 16 clash will take place at TD Garden on Thursday (March 22), and it sets up to be a Don Best grudge match between Pat Williams' Buckeyes and Kenny White's Seminoles.

COLUMBUS POD - GREENSBORO POD - OMAHA POD

[StarDust Bum]

Spartans And Hoyas Favored In Columbus Pod

The second round of the NCAA Tournament is now in the books, and though there have been a number of surprises that have taken place throughout the rest of the field, chalk has been holding up in the Columbus pod.

The Michigan State Spartans are the top seed in the West Regional, and they have to be thrilled to know that the No. 2 Missouri Tigers were bounced on Friday. Michigan State was able to get the job done in a big way past its Friday opponent, blasting the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds in the second half to dismiss the No. 16 seed in this region, 89-67.

The win was good enough to cover the 18-point spread, making the Spartans one of the two top seeds in the NCAA Tournament that covered against No. 16 seeds. The North Carolina Tar Heels also covered against the Vermont Catamounts in the Midwest Regional bracket.

Michigan State is going to have its work cut out for it against the Saint Louis Billikens out of the Atlantic 10. The Billikens play stout defense and shoot the ball quite well, and that's why they are ranked No. 13 in the Ken Pomeroy rankings coming into the weekend.

The Billikens knocked off the Memphis Tigers in an 8/9 matchup on Friday, 61-54, pulling off the mild upset as 2½-point underdogs. They did so thanks to a defense which held the Conference USA champs to just 38.9 percent shooting from the field and 13.3 percent from beyond the arc. Kwamain Mitchell also put up 22 points to lead Saint Louis into the third round of the tourney.

The Spartans are laying six points on the opening NCAA Tournament odds, while the total has been set at 123. The tip from Nationwide Arena is slated for 2:45 p.m. (ET) on Sunday afternoon.

The entire day of college basketball betting action gets started at 12:15 p.m. (ET) here in Columbus with action in the Midwest Regional. The upstart North Carolina State Wolfpack will duke it out with the Georgetown Hoyas.

By bracket definition, NC State was an upset winner over the San Diego State Aztecs on Friday, but the Wolfpack closed as 2½-point favorites and were easy 79-65 victors.

North Carolina State was blistering from the field, shooting 58.5 percent, a far cry from the 37.7 percent that the Aztecs shot from the floor. The difference makers for the Wolfpack were Lorenzo Brown and Richard Howell. Brown, who played all 40 minutes, had 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while Howell put up 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting in just 28 minutes on the court.

Georgetown was on big time upset alert in a number of brackets this year, and for good reason. The oddsmakers only installed the Midwest No. 3 seed as 3-point favorites against the Atlantic Sun champ Belmont, and many figured the Bruins would be able to hang around. This was especially notable when you consider the last two trips to the NCAA Tournament for the Hoyas. They were beaten by the VCU Rams as a No. 5 seed last year and by the Ohio Bobcats as a No. 3 seed in 2010. Both games featured double-digit margins of defeat.

Belmont managed to hang around all of 70 seconds with an early 2-0 lead before Georgetown skated to a 74-59 triumph.

There is at least a bit of recent history between NC State and Georgetown. The Hoyas won 82-67 when these two met last season in the finale of the Charleston Classic. Still, NC State comes into this game on a roll, going 5-2 SU and 6-0-1 ATS in its last seven games.

As interesting as it is, Georgetown is favored by 4½-points against the Wolfpack, a point and a half more than it was favored by over Belmont. The total has opened at 132 for Sunday afternoon's showdown.

GREENSBORO POD - NASHVILLE POD - OMAHA POD

[StarDust Bum]

Tar Heels & Bluejays Battle For Sweet 16 Spot

The Greensboro pod of March Madness was turned on its head Friday night with the stunning upset by No. 15 Lehigh over Duke. Play continues on Sunday with two Sweet Sixteen berths to be decided.

The underdogs went 2-1-1 ATS in Greensboro and 8-7-1 ATS in total on Friday. The ‘under’ was 3-1 as part of a big 12-4 mark overall on the day.

Here’s a preview of the two games, with the state of North Carolina still having one team to root for in the Tar Heels. That contest starts things off.

(1) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (8) Creighton Bluejays
TIP-OFF: 5:15 p.m. (ET) CBS
SPREAD: North Carolina -9
TOTAL: 160

North Carolina is a 9-point favorite and part of the biggest total in the tourney-to-date at 160. The winner heads to St. Louis and only No. 12 seed South Florida or No. 13 Ohio will stand in the way of the Elite Eight.

North Carolina (30-5 SU, 19-15 ATS) got a win and cover against No. 16 Vermont, 77-58 as a 16-point favorite. Forward John Henson missed his third game in a row with a wrist injury (team 1-1 SU and 0-2 ATS in the first two), but freshman James McAdoo had 17 points starting in his place and big man Tyler Zeller added 17 more plus 15 boards.

The Tar Heels are now 30-1 SU in their last 31 NCAA Tournament games played in-state. They’re 5-2 SU and 4-3 ATS in the Round of 32 since Roy Williams came aboard in the 2003-2004 season. Williams and company beat Washington 86-83 in this round last year, failing to cover the modest 4-point spread.

Creighton (29-5 SU, 15-14-1 ATS) was involved in the only ‘push’ of the tourney so far, 58-57 as a 1-point favorite over SEC Alabama. That required a comeback of 11 points in the second half. Sophomore forward Doug McDermott, son of the coach, led the way with 16 points and averages 23 PPG on the year.

The Bluejays are the only remaining team from the Missouri Valley Conference as Wichita State got upset by VCU. They have an 8-game winning streak after taking the conference tourney, but are just 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 overall.

Henson is listed as questionable and that’s a huge factor in covering this spread and meeting the total. He averages 13.8 PPG and North Carolina is only 6-deep without him. Fatigue could set in late in what’s projected as a track meet with two of the nation’s highest scoring teams.

(10) Xavier Musketeers vs. (15) Lehigh Mountain Hawks
TIP-OFF: 7:45 p.m. (ET) truTV
SPREAD: Xavier -3½
TOTAL: 139½

Xavier opened as 2½-point favorites before quickly jumping to 3½. The total has remained steady at 139½. The winner goes on to Atlanta to face No. 3 Baylor or No. 11 Colorado.

Lehigh (27-7 SU, 8-1 ATS) made history with its 75-70 win over Duke. The team became just the sixth No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2 since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Even more incredibly, it also happened earlier that day with Norfolk State upsetting Missouri, 86-84 as 21-point 'dogs.

The Mountain Hawks didn’t even win the Patriot League regular season crown, but upset Bucknell in the conference tourney final to get the automatic berth. Junior guard C.J. McCollum (22.1 PPG) is one of the nation’s most unsung players and Mike Krzyzewski called him the best player on the court after ringing up 30 on Duke, including drawing 16 free throw attempts.

Lehigh was 11-point ‘dogs last game and is now 8-1 ATS on the year, 4-0 ATS as an underdog with tough Michigan State one of the foes.

Atlantic 10 Xavier (22-12 SU, 12-18-2 ATS) pulled off a milder upset, beating fellow Midwest school Notre Dame 67-63 as a 2-point underdog. There were some controversial calls down the stretch in what’s becoming a bad theme overall, but it was still impressive coming back from a double-digit deficit with 12 minutes left.

The Musketeers are now 4-1 SU (2-3 ATS) in their last five games and not allowing any team to reach 70 points over that span. Their leading scorers come from the backcourt with senior Tu Holloway (17.3 PPG) and junior Mark Lyons (15.3 PPG). Holloway had 25 against the Irish and is averaging 21.6 PPG over the last five.

One injury note is Musketeers forward Andre Walker listed as probable with a neck injury. They must find a way to keep McCollum from being a ‘pain in the neck,’ especially drawing fouls. Offensively, Xavier doesn’t rely on the 3-point shot like Duke does, and should be able to take advantage of enough mismatches to win.

COLUMBUS POD - NASHVILLE POD - OMAHA POD

[StarDust Bum]

Norfolk State Eyes Second Upset Over Florida

Brackets got you down? If so, you have plenty of company.

There is going to be plenty of crying into green beer today when folks take stock of their NCAA Tournament brackets. An upset-filled Friday saw eight lower seeds win outright, two of them from way down yonder in the 15-hole.

One of those 15-seed winners came here in Omaha where the Norfolk State Spartans wrecked (2) Missouri's excellent season. The Tigers were seen as a strong Final Four candidate after winning the Big 12 Tournament title en route to a 30-4 record entering March Madness, and seemingly played well enough to win the second-round matchup against the Spartans (52.7% shooting, 13 3's, 8 turnovers). Breakdowns on defense and a poor game offensively by Kim English proved to be Mizzou's downfall.

It might be small consolation for Missouri, but at least the Tigers have some company to commiserate their early exit with. Shortly after third-ranked Missouri became just the fifth No. 2 seed to fall in its tourney opener, the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils became the sixth No. 2 seed to do so in a 75-70 loss to the Lehigh Mountain Hawks.

The four survivors in Omaha move on to Sunday's third round starting at 6:10 p.m. (ET) on TNT when (7) Florida meets giant-killer Norfolk State. That game will be followed by (2) Kansas facing (10) Purdue at approximately 8:40 p.m. (ET). Spreads and totals listed below came from the Don Best odds screen around midday Saturday.

Florida Presents Similar Matchup As Mizzou For Norfolk State
There was some very quick movement on both the side and total when the college basketball betting lines for this game first appeared. Florida opened as 15-point chalk vs. Norfolk State, but that spread has since dropped to 14-14½. Conversely, the total jumped a bucket to 143 after beginning at 141.

Billy Donovan's Gators pulled away from Virginia with a big second half in Friday's second round. Florida took an 8-point lead over the Cavaliers into the locker room, and closed the second half on a 26-13 push for the 71-45 victory as slight 2½-point favorites. Shortly after the end of that game, Donovan made his way back into CenturyLink Center, presumably to jot down some notes on Missouri.

He can throw those scouting reports away now with Norfolk State the Gators' next opponent. The Spartans used a dominant big man inside, Kyle O'Quinn (26 points, 14 rebounds), plus 20-point efforts from Chris McEachin and Pendarvis Williams to shock Mizzou 86-84 as 21-point underdogs. The upset was reportedly picked by just two of the nearly 6.5 million bracket entries in ESPN's contest.

Norfolk State head coach Anthony Evans didn't spend much time scouting opponents past Missouri, so he'll be catching up on the Gators Saturday. What he'll find is another guard-heavy lineup that likes to shoot the three, much like the Tigers presented.

Boilermakers Collide With Jayhawks In Prime-Time
Purdue and Kansas will be meeting for the third time in the NCAA Tournament, and fifth time ever, when they take the floor in Omaha. The previous four matchups and two tourney games have been split – the Boilermakers winning in the '94 Sweet 16 and Jayhawks prevailing in the '97 Round of 32 – and the oddsmakers like KU to take the overall series lead in Sunday's game after installing Bill Self's squad as 8-point chalk. The total has been set at 141.

Matt Painter's Boilermakers just about choked away their chance to get to this game when they coughed up a 10-point advantage over (7) Saint Mary's in the final six minutes on Friday. The Gaels clawed back to take a 69-68 lead with under a minute to play before late free throws by Lewis Jackson and Robbie Hummel helped Purdue to the mild 72-69 upset as a 2-point 'dog.

Depending when you bought your ticket in the SMC-Purdue match, it was either the eighth consecutive 'over' for a Boilermakers contest or just missed reaching the 141½-point closing barrier. Purdue was 20-10 to the high side entering Friday's tilt.

The 'over' had been trending in Kansas games coming into the tourney, with five of the previous seven jumping the mark. Friday's 65-50 victory vs. Detroit never came close to the 143-point total, however, and the final margin had just enough to cover the 13½-point spread Jayhawks backers were giving up.

COLUMBUS POD - GREENSBORO POD - NASHVILLE POD

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Early Tips

March 17, 2012


These games will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.

**North Carolina State vs. Georgetown**

--As of late Saturday afternoon, most betting shops were listing third-seeded Georgetown (24-8 straight up, 16-11 against the spread) as a four-point favorite with a total of 132. The Wolfpack were on the money line for a plus-170 payout (risk $100 to win $170).

--John Thompson III’s team knocked off Belmont 74-59 as a three-point favorite in Thursday’s showdown. Jason Clark scored a game-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. He drained 3-of-5 attempts from 3-point range. Otto Porter and Henry Sims added 16 and 15 points, respectively.

--North Carolina St. (23-12 SU, 16-14-1 ATS) got hot at the right time, winning four of its last five games in the regular season and ACC Tourney to get an at-large bid to the NCAAs. The Wolfpack carried that momentum into its opener, pulling away from sixth-seeded San Diego St. for a 79-65 win as a 2 ½-point ‘chalk.’ Richard Howell scored a team-high 22 points, while Lorenzo Brown flirted with a triple-double by producing 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

--Georgetown owns a 9-6 spread record in 15 previous single-digit favorite situations. Meanwhile, N.C. St. has a 9-4 spread record with five outright victories.

--The ‘over’ is 19-12 overall for N.C. St., 8-2 in its last 10 games.

--The ‘under’ is 14-13 overall for the Hoyas, 4-2 in their last six outings.

--Tip-off is slated for 12:15 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

**Saint Louis vs. Michigan State**

--Most books are listing top-seeded Michigan State (28-7 SU, 22-10 ATS) as a six-point favorite with a total of 123. Gamblers can take the Billikens to win outright for a plus-240 return (risk $100 to win $140).

--Tom Izzo’s squad advanced by pounding LIU Brooklyn by an 89-67 count as a 19-point favorite. As usual, Draymond Green was the catalyst for the Spartans. The senior power forward had a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Derrick Nix added 18 points and eight boards.

--Saint Louis (26-7 SU, 17-10-2 ATS) won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1998 by beating Memphis 61-54 as a 2 ½-point underdog Thursday night. Kwamain Mitchell led the way with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Mitchell buried 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.

--Rick Majerus’s team has been an underdog only three times this season, compiling a 3-0 ATS record with a pair of outright wins.

--Michigan St. has posted a 9-6 spread record as a single-digit ‘chalk.’

--The ‘under’ is 16-15-1 overall for the Spartans, 5-3 in their last eight games.

--The ‘over’ is 15-13-1 overall for Saint Louis, 4-1 in its last five games.

--This is easily the best head-coaching matchup of Sunday’s set of games.

--This game will come off the board approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Georgetown-N.C. St. CBS will have the telecast.

The following games will be played in Greensboro, NC.

**North Carolina vs. Creighton**

--Most books are listing North Carolina (30-5 SU, 19-15 ATS) as an 8 ½-point favorite with the total in the 159-160 range. The Bluejays are plus-350 on the money line (risk $100 to win $350).

--Creighton (29-5 SU, 15-14-1 ATS) won its eighth consecutive game and advanced with a 58-57 victory over Alabama as a one-point favorite. Bettors who got on the Bluejays early in the week were winners, as they were short underdogs Monday through Thursday.

--Doug McDermott led the way against the Crimson Tide with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Grant Gibbs added 10 points, six boards and four assists, while Ethan Wragge came off the bench to knock down three critical treys.

--UNC won a 77-58 decision over Vermont on Friday night to hook up its backers as 16-point ‘chalk.’ Tyler Zeller was the catalyst with 17 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots. James Michael McAdoo also scored 17 points.

--UNC junior center John Henson missed his second straight game against Vermont due to a wrist injury sustained in the ACC Tournament semifinals. Henson averages 14.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game. His status for Sunday remains a question mark.

--Creighton has won outright in all four underdog spots – at Wichita St., at San Diego St., vs. Iowa (on a neutral court) and at UAB.

--The ‘over’ is 15-13-2 overall for Creighton, 6-3 in its last nine games.

--Totals have been an overall wash for UNC (17-17), but we should note a 4-2 run for the ‘over’ in its last six games.

--CBS will provide television coverage at 5:15 p.m. Eastern.

**Lehigh vs. Xavier**

--Most books are listing Xavier (22-12 SU, 12-18-2 ATS) as a 3 ½-point favorite with a total of 139 ½. The Mountain Hawks are plus-145 on the money line.

--Lehigh (27-7 SU, 8-1 ATS) won its ninth straight game Friday night when it stunned second-seeded Duke 75-70 as an 11-point underdog. C.J. McCollum torched the Blue Devils with a spectacular performance, finishing with 30 points, six rebounds and six assists. Gabe Knutson added 17 points and eight boards, making all five of his shots from the field.

--After playing like one of the nation’s most disappointing teams for most of January and February, Xavier played just good enough to get in the tourney as a No. 10 seed. Then on Friday night, the Musketeers won for the fourth time in five games, clipping Notre Dame, 67-63. They hooked up their backers as two-point underdogs, paying money-line players a plus-115 payout.

--Tu Holloway made up for his abysmal performance in last year’s loss to Marquette by exploding against the Irish. Holloway was sensational, scoring 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor. Dezmine Wells added 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Mark Lyons dished out six assists and had three steals.

--In non-conference play, Lehigh faced three teams from power conferences. The Mountain Hawks lost 90-81 at Michigan St. but took the cash as 15-point hounds. They lost 86-77 at Iowa St. and 78-73 at St. John’s.

--Lehigh owns a 4-0 spread record in four ‘dog situations.

--This game will be on TruTV 30 minutes after UNC and Creighton conclude.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Not that it means much at this point because the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft is April 29, but Florida sophomore center Patric Young told reporters in Omaha on Thursday that he’s be returning to the Gators for his junior year. Young has the size and strength to compete in The Association right now, but his back-to-the-basket moves in the post need improving. Young also needs to improve his mid-range jumper, free-throw shooting and dribbling skills. All that said, he’s going to be a beast on the glass in the NBA.

--As for UF’s Bradley Beal, he’s currently listed as the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft at NBADraft.net. There’s no word on his future plans. If Beal and Young come back, the Gators would only lose Erving Walker and would easily be a preseason top-10 team, maybe a top-five squad.

--Even though Gonzaga failed to get to the Sweet 16 again this year, at least the Bulldogs went down fighting. They dropped a 73-66 decision to Ohio St. on Saturday but took the money as 7 ½-point underdogs. Too many times in recent years, Gonzaga has been completely blown away without showing much fight in its exit game of the Tournament.

--After sneaking past UNC-Asheville, Syracuse looked more like itself in handling Kansas St. rather easily in Saturday’s 75-59 victory as a 5 ½-point ‘chalk.’ The Wildcats played without senior forward Jamar Samuels, who was suspended because his former AAU coach for the DC Assault sent him money before the tournament. The scenario brought Frank Martin to tears when asked about it at the post-game presser.