I never typically do really well picking a bracket in March Madness. The best I ever did was in 2010 when I actually picked Butler to make it to the championship against Duke. I did have a little bias in picking Butler because I wanted to see Homewood’s own, Ronald Nored, make it that far. It’s like picking Alabama, Auburn, or UAB to go way further than they ever have or will go.
However, in 2010, I was in a pool through the an association at school where the winner got a new Wii and TV, and I lost to a girl who picked according to mascots and jersey colors (and admitted to it). Oh well.
So here is another edition of the NCAA Tournament, and I feel like I know less this year than ever. I haven’t been working in sports this basketball season, so outside of Alabama, I haven’t paid attention as much as I used to. Either way – you should take everything I say as gospel and bet the farm on it.
I’ll give lines and ATS/Straight-up picks for the round of 64 (really the first round, but what they call the second round). The straight-up picks are the bracket picks obviously so I’ll move on with just my straight up picks after the round of 64.
All round of 64 lines are as of Wednesday, March 18 at noon. I won’t both picking lines for the rest of the games because I don’t know if I’ll be able to get to them. So the picks are really only the round of 64, and then my bracket the rest of the way just for fun.
After day one, most people are probably doing this, including the Jox Roundtable.
Straight-up Record: 24-8
Against the Spread Record: 23-9
Round of 64, Day One Record: 11-5
Round of 64, Day Two Record: 13-3
Midwest
Round of 64
#1 Kentucky (-32.5) #16 Hampton
#9 Purdue (-1.5) #8 Cincinnati
#5 West Virginia (-4.5) #12 Buffalo
#4 Maryland (-4.5) #13 Valparaiso (missed line)
#11 Texas (-1) #6 Butler
#3 Notre Dame (-12) #14 Northeastern
#7 Wichita State (-5.5) #10 Indiana (missed line)
#2 Kansas (-10.5) #15 New Mexico State
Round of 32
Kentucky vs. Cincinnati
Buffalo West Virginia vs. Maryland
Butler vs. Notre Dame
Wichita State vs. Kansas
Sweet 16
Kentucky vs. Maryland
Notre Dame vs. Kansas
Elite 8
Kentucky vs. Notre Dame
West
Round of 64
#1 Wisconsin (-19.5) #16 Coastal Carolina
#8 Oregon (-1.5) #9 Oklahoma State
#5 Arkansas (-7.5) #12 Wofford
#4 North Carolina (-10.5) #13 Harvard
#6 Xavier (-3) #11 Ole Miss
#3 Baylor (-8.5) #14 Georgia State
#10 Ohio State (-4) #7 VCU (missed line)
#2 Arizona (-23.5) #15 Texas Southern
Round of 32
Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Arkansas vs. North Carolina
Xavier vs. Baylor Georgia State
Ohio State vs. Arizona
Sweet 16
Wisconsin vs. North Carolina
Baylor vs. Arizona
Elite 8
Wisconsin vs. Arizona
East
Round of 64
#1 Villanova (-23) #16 Lafayette
#8 NC State (-2) #9 LSU (missed line)
#5 Northern Iowa (-6) #12 Wyoming
#4 Louisville (-8) #13 UC Irvine
#6 Providence (-2.5) #11 Dayton
#3 Oklahoma (-13) #14 Albany
#7 Michigan State (-5.5) #10 Georgia
#2 Virginia (-16.5) #15 Belmont
Round of 32
Villanova vs. NC State
Northern Iowa vs. Louisville
Providence Dayton vs. Oklahoma
Michigan State vs. Virginia
Sweet 16
Villanova NC State vs. Northern Iowa
Providence vs. Virginia
Elite 8
Villanova vs. Providence
South
Round of 64
#1 Duke (-23) #16 Robert Morris
#8 San Diego State (-3.5) #9 St. John’s
#5 Utah (-6.5) #12 Stephen F. Austin
#4 Georgetown (-7.5) #13 Eastern Washington
#6 Southern Methodist (-4) #11 UCLA
#3 Iowa State (-13.5) #14 UAB
#7 Iowa (-2.5) #10 Davidson
#2 Gonzaga (-18) #15 North Dakota State
Round of 32
Duke vs. San Diego State
Stephen F. Austin Utah vs. Eastern Washington Georgetown
Southern Methodist UCLA vs. Iowa State UAB
Davidson Iowa vs. Gonzaga
Sweet 16
Duke vs. Stephen F. Austin
Southern Methodist vs. Gonzaga
Elite 8
Duke vs. Gonzaga