Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 NCAA Tournament Final 4 Picks

And then there were 4. North Carolina. Syracuse. Villanova. Oklahoma. Who will prevail? Nobody knows … except for me, and I’m about to tell you down below:

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Syracuse Orange
Spread: NC -9

About 53% of the bets are coming in on the underdog Syracuse. I warned you during football season to beware of the public underdog, and the same applies here. The relatively high 9-point spread seems like Vegas is goading us into taking ‘Cuse, without them having to give up double digit points. North Carolina is 11-0, and has an average margin of victory of 15.8 points when playing on a neutral court this season. They have firmly established themselves as the best team in college basketball during this tournament.

Syracuse has enjoyed an exciting tournament run themselves, with great comeback victories vs. Gonzaga and Virginia. But I don’t see the same heroic effort happening vs. North Carolina tomorrow night.

The Pick: Take North Carolina -9, and bank on the double digit victory like Vegas is.

Villanova Wildcats vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Spread: NOVA -2

This should be one hell of a game. National fan favorite Buddy Hield leads the way for Oklahoma, and he has more than lived up to the hype in the tourney so far. But strong play from his supporting cast is the reason the Sooners have made it this far, and they will need to continue to play well in order to beat a strong Villanova squad.

Nova has been slept on for most of this tournament after several years of disappointing early exits, and they’ve made us all regret it in the form of our busted brackets (thanks Kansas). They have played like they were deserving of a #1 seed, and it is going to take a heck of an effort to knock them off.

The pick: I can’t deny I am a fan of Buddy Hield, and I have Oklahoma going all the way in my (3rd) bracket. I wouldn’t bet on this game, but if I did, I wouldn’t bet against Hield. Give me Oklahoma plus the 2 points.

*If these picks turn out wrong … April Fool’s!

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

How to Bet Day 2 of the Sweet 16: March Madness Survivor and ATS

Last night’s smooth sailing with all of the favorites winning by double figures might have just been the calm before the storm, because tonight’s slate of games looks much more treacherous. But there is no room for fear in sports gambling, so I’ll look to avenge my Duke loss and even up my ATS record, and more importantly, survive to fight another day in March Madness Survivor.

Survivor Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs

My bracket buster pick coming out of the Midwest region has lived up to their billing, and with Michigan St. getting knocked off, the opportunity presents itself to use Gonzaga as a survivor pick as well. The tremendous play of their talented frontcourt duo, Sabonis and Wiltjer, plus the surprisingly good guard play they have received in the first two rounds, has only hardened my belief that Gonzaga was being underrated coming into the tournament. Their opponent, Syracuse, has also played very well in the first two rounds, but wins against Dayton and Middle Tennessee doesn’t exactly have me running to jump on the ‘Cuse bandwagon. I’m going to live or die with the Bulldogs tonight.

ATS Pick: North Carolina Tar Heels -5

It looks like the cream might finally be rising to the top in this “no clear favorite” tourney, as North Carolina has absolutely rolled so far. They come into this game vs. Indiana on a seven game winning streak, and a 9-0 record when playing games on a neutral court this season. I don’t love giving the 5 points, as Indiana is a good team that is not just going to lie down, but I’ll stick with my Tobacco road picks, and hope the luck evens out for me with the Tar Heels tonight.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@ImaginaryBrickW)