We’re back and I just want to remind everyone I went 5-1 on picks that I didn’t have an agenda in. I picked Maryland and Colorado solely on my ego and my disdain for the SEC/making up for my PAC-12 hate during the regular season. That brought our total to 8-8; 27-20 overall in the tournament. I love the board this weekend, so let’s get into Saturday’s action.
Saturday
12 Oregon State vs 8 Loyola Chicago(-7) (125)
Vegas really wants us to pick the over in this game, but I’m not going to fall for it. Loyola Chicago absolutely beat the piss out of Illinois, the hottest team coming into the tournament. Sister Jean doesn’t get the Sunday boost though, and Saturday has got to be Bill Walton’s favorite day to take shrooms and talk about the “Conference of Champions”. I’m done picking against Oregon State (for now), I like them to cover +7 and potentially win outright.
5 Villanova vs 1 Baylor(-7.5) (142)
Villanova has the ability to run the floor with Baylor, but it’ll be interesting if Jay Wright tries to slow Baylor down and muddy up the game a bit. Regardless, I still think Baylor gets theirs and Villanova will have to speed up to keep pace. I love over 142 here.
15 Oral (lol) Roberts vs 3 Arkansas(-11) (157.5)
Usually when you see these cinderella teams make a run in the tourney, they’re slowing down the game and muddying it up to keep the game close…but not Oral Roberts. They scored 75 in their first game and 81 in a track meet vs Florida. All of the talk around this team revolved around the nation’s leading scorer Max Abmas, but Kevin Obanor has been even more jaw-dropping in their first two games. I reeeeeaaallly want to take the over here, but I’ll take the Hogs -11 instead (sprinkle the over still, this game will be fun).
11 Syracuse vs 2 Houston(-6.5) (141)In a world full of uncertainty and change, we’ve had one constant in this tournament: Jim Boeheim doin’ Jim Boeheim shit in March. This team was inexcusably left for dead after losing on a buzzer beater to Virginia in the ACC tournament, but all they’ve done is slobberknock a really good SDSU team and slow down one of the Big12’s best offenses. The zone is back and Buddy Boeheim, Marek Dolezaj and this rag tag group are really good. Houston has struggled against quality opponents this year, they should’ve lost to Rutgers last round, and Syracuse is the best team they’ve played all year. Hammer the Orange +6.5, don’t just sprinkle the moneyline either, hammer that as well.
The Morning Flush 