The Truth

Money's prediction for College Hoops 2009-2010

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:28:00 +0000

Here we are again, on the brink of another season of college basketball. It seems like yesterday that I held your hand and walked you through the exact scenario of March Madness. Well, it was not yesterday and I was pretty much wrong on all my predictions except for getting the last few games of the season right.

This brings us to this year and my thoughts. What did we learn from last year? I think the main takeaway for me was to not fight the rankings of the teams at the top. I always like to pick dark horses, or home dogs, usually to a fault, but the good teams were a lot better than everyone else last year and I see the same thing happening this year too. I think there are a few really good teams at the top, but then I think there will be a quick drop-off. Kansas, Texas and Kentucky have the most talent. After them the drop off starts. This year’s final four will have three really dominant teams and then one head scratcher. Let’s start with the AP Pre-season Top 25 for this year.

1) Kansas
2) Michigan State
3) Texas
4) Kentucky
5) Villanova
6) North Carolina
7) Purdue
8) West Virginia
9) Duke
10) Tennessee

This is a good top 10, but not dominant. I see Kansas as the clear cut #1 option and the most reasonable choice to cut down the nets in April. They have good leaders, role players, a point guard, coach and incoming talent. They are totally legit and in my eyes the team to beat. Michigan State returns a lot of talent, could find themselves in the championship game again. Izzo always seems to get to the Final Four, so a return trip seems likely. However, I don’t see them going much further. Last year was an emotional run fueled by the down economy in Detroit. I don’t see the same energy or run coming from these guys again. With that the drop-off has officially started. I look at the number two team in the country and say they can’t/won’t win a national title.

Texas has great talent, maybe the best in the country, but they always find a way to let everyone down come tournament time. Kentucky is similar to Texas, talent-wise, but I do believe in Calipari and I do expect this team will be there in the end. Villanova is small again and a guard led team won’t win the National Championship. Dismissed. UNC is up there on name. They are big. Too big in fact. But they will suffer in guard play and Lawson is what made that motor run. Dismissed. Purdue will now have the same core for the third year now, so a deep run by them is likely if they can stay healthy. I am buying them, at least for a final four run. West Virginia is a team that B. Anthony likes and there is reason for optimism. They will be talented and make a good run, but I am leaving them out of my final four. Duke is no longer Duke and gets a good ranking because of their name. Not buying them. Tennessee is the same team as Villanova; talented guards running and shooting all over the court. Not a final four team.

So, these are the best teams in the country? Pretty weak if you ask me. Where are the teams we expect to see year after year? Where is Uconn, Florida, UCLA?

Well, Uconn is 12, but that is very generous. They lost the best defensive player in the country and their fantastic point guard. This ranking is based on name and they will not be a top 10 team this year. Florida? I don’t know anything about them. Where did they go? UCLA? They lost a lot of talent to the NBA over the last 2 years. They will still get it done this year, by defense, but this will be a down year for them.

One thing that really sticks out to me is Cal being ranked #13. They return all starters from last year and are very deep, but they are not the #13 best team in the country. No way. It is great to be recognized, but they rely too much on the 3 point shot and will get outrebounded regularly. A #13 ranking just shows you how diluted the talent is this year.

So who wins it all this year? KANSAS. Sorry, obvious pick, but it is the right choice. They will meet Kentucky in the final game.

Final Four
Kansas
Kentucky
Purdue
Georgia Tech

Dark horse teams: USC, Seton Hall, Siena, Fresno State

Best conference: Big East again

PAC 10 thoughts: This will be a down year. ASU lost major talent. Arizona is reloading. Stanford is horrible. UCLA is down (for them). Cal is up, so is Oregon State. I expect Washington to win the regular season, followed by Cal and then UCLA and USC. Oregon to win the conference tournament. Cal shoots its way into the sweet 16 this year. Jerome Randle is my hero!

Money

2009-2010 NCAA Season Preview

noreply@blogger.com (B. Anthony) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:14:00 +0000

Randomly writing a college preseason preview on a blank sheet of paper

A few ideas are popping into my head. The NCAA with its attempt to clean up the recruiting is going to catch some really stupid and obvious cheaters. However, I think they should just put it out in the open and really punish and expose the leeches that are trying to make money off of 15 year olds. Really, why do this people who know nothing about the game and care nothing about teaching the game, want to work a basketball camp in July? They want a free hand-out!!!

Okay, on to basketball. B. Anthony will predictably follow the Calipari train and will likely tout Kentucky for most of the year. I am not a Kansas fan, but I can’t help but be impressed with their squad. I have been on Aldrich since his Freshman year, and think he may be the next “Gerry Cooney”. GWH (great white hope) for you slow folks.

My only concern with Kentucky is that I am not sure all these players are going to be committed to Calipari’s style of defense. They are supremely talented, but if they don’t defend, they won’t get all the way to the Final Four.

John Wall will be fantastic and will have some great highlights as he becomes another #1 pick point guard for Calipari. I am not nearly as impressed with Xavier Henry for Kansas. He is very skilled, but has a lack of foot speed that will be exposed at the college game. Mark my words, he is not an NBA player and will be a journey-man shooter for Kansas by the time his career is over. The reason he didn’t end up with Calipari, is that Calipari didn’t want his slow feet!!!!

Avery Bradley from Texas is going to be a fantastic freshman and fun to watch! He will play hard nosed defense, attack the rim on every occasion, and make a ton of free-throws. Texas will be a final four team this year, and I generally do not like Texas.

My dark horse team for the final four will be Butler. They are not a huge reach, as they will be top 10-15 all year, and will likely venture towards the top 5 because of the win total. They return every starter and non starter from a 26 win team. Throw in the summer trip to Italy when they were able to bond, and you have a still young, but very seasoned team that will win 31 games in the regular season. They may run into a team with too many horses in the elite 8, but they will have a great year.

Big East will be lacking the talent from last year, but look for Villanova and West Virginia to lead the way, and the UConn guards will have a great year. Harangody will have good numbers, but without the great shooting back court, he will face double teams all year. Notre Dame is no longer a power in any sport other than Women’s soccer!!!!

Local Flavor- Cal will not win the Pac-10, and will not advance to the Sweet 16. They just don’t rebound the ball well enough. The Pac-10 will be a wide open race, and considering the lack of real NBA talent and the parity in the league, I think anyone who gets to 10 or 11 wins may win the league. I see Oregon, Washington, Oregon St, and Cal all somewhere around 10-8 and the first one to 11 wins will be the regular season champion. You will notice that UCLA is not included here. They have had a myriad of injuries and they will be just a notch below, about 9-9, along with Washington St, which will ugly its way to some wins, and Arizona St who will play great zone defense. USC and Stanford will be the cellar dwellers, but they will win some home games and each will have at least one marquee win.

The WCC will again be dominated by Gonzaga who may be better with a little less hype. They don’t have the same marquee names, but Bouldin is a winner and they will play better as a team. Portland will win some games, but the rest of the league, particularly San Diego and St. Mary’s are down. Santa Clara will continue to suck, lack of size and talent, and USF will be scrappy but under 500 as well.

Quick Recap-
Final Four Prediction-
South-Kentucky. They will be the class of the south. Tennessee will look like a challenger, but since I hate Bruce Pearl (see years of torment in previous postings) I can’t pick the Vols. Dark horse could be Mississippi St with two legit pro’s on the team.

West-Texas, there is no real challenger in the West. Gonzaga possible, but no other teams in the region. Duke or UNC will be shipped west as a #2 seed.

East- West Virginia or Villanova, I am going with Dirty Huggins here!

Midwest- Butler or Kansas- It is just impossible to leave Kansas off this list. They will be dominant in a weak Big 12 and will battle Texas until the league championship game on Selection Sunday. Both will get #1 seeds. Only the upset bug keeps them possibly out. Butler will be the 2 or 3 seed so they will meet in the elite 8 if they both remain unscathed.

Kentucky and West Virginia will meet in the final. Kentucky will squeak out a victory on a made free throw by John Wall with 3 seconds to play, final score 81-80.
On a side note, within five years both teams will be deemed ineligible based on improper benefits received by coaches and players. In 20 years, there will be no official listing of a National Champion in 2010!

All- American Team-
John Wall, Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich, Da’sean Butler, Robbie Hummell.

All Cover teams.
Butler, early and often because of experience and weak league.
Texas, Big twelve is down and their defense will be great!
Indiana, expectations are low, and they will be getting a lot of points and will be over .500 this year!

Good Luck,

B. Anthony

College/Pro

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:07:00 +0000

I rotate every week from sucking and then doing well. I spared you the sucking last week, but will deliver the goods for you this week.

College:

UCONN +7.5 @ West Va
The huskies will be ready to play inspired ball in memory of their fallen player.

ARKANSAS +6.5 @ Mississippi
Not impressed with Snead and Co.

WASHINGTON +10 vs. Oregon
Huskies are in every game they play.

WASHINGTON STATE +35.5 @ Cal
One game does not mean Cal is "back". They still suck at QB.

ARIZONA -7.5 vs. Ucla
The best team I know nothing about.

MISSISSIPPI State +22.5 vs. Florida
Stop waitig for Florida to wake up and start spanking people. Just not going to happen.

OREGON STATE +21.5 vs. Usc
USC coming off the big Notre Dame game and looking ahead to Oregon next week. They never play well versus the little guys.

PROS:

CHIEFS +5 vs. San Diego
? - San Diego is not worthy of getting points on the road.

PITTSBURGH -5.5 vs Minn
The Favre magic stops here against a physical defense. Hair Palamalu is back.

MIAMI +7 vs. Saints
I read somewhere that the saints have never won in Miami. Never!

Good luck!

I like the dogs this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:08:00 +0000

College
UCLA +3.5 vs. Oregon
Let down for Oregon. Masoli is out, UCLA QB is back

WASHINGTON +3.5 vs. Arizona
Not convinced that anyone in the Pac 10 can win on the road.

MICHIGAN +8.5 vs. Iowa
I love Forcier. He finds a way to win or be in every game. Not convinced that Iowa is as good as ranking.

OREGON STATE +1 vs. Stanford
No way Stanford is going up to Corvalis and beating the Beavers. Stanford is good, but not this good.

LSU +8 vs. Florida
I don’t expect Tebow to play, or if he does to play well. Myers should not play him. If they lose, they get a pass because Tebow is out. They lose this game and still play in the title game (vs. USC)

Pros
CHEFS +9 vs. Cowboys
KC won’t win, but they will play hard. The cowboys are not an elite team deserving 9 points on the road. Never bet on Wade Phillips.
RAMS +10 vs. Vikings
The rams are a horrible team and the packers are coming off a Monday night high. Taking the lowest of lows vs. the highest of highs. I love it.

Good luck
Money

Fire Tedford

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:32:00 +0000

I think I am in the minority here, but I am sick of Tedford and have been for several years. There is no question that Tedford has put Cal football on the map and made them a competitive team. Prior to Tedford, Cal football was meaningless. Now most games are filled to capacity and there is a lot of excitement prior to the games. But they should be doing better than 8-4 and a trip to the emerald bowl. This is Cal football and I expect more.

They have had talented players. There are currently 26 players from Cal in the NFL now. That is pretty good. Look at the players from 2006 that played for Cal. The result was 7-4 and beating BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Desmond Bishop, Thomas DeCoud, Justin Forsett, Lavelle Hawkins, DeSean Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, Alex Mack, Cameron Morrah, Craig Stevens

Really? Is this the best we can expect?

A coach is responsible for recruiting, preparation and discipline. Tedford has done a pretty good job of recruiting based on the players in the NFL that have come through Cal, but he clearly was not getting everything out of them. They underachieved. That is bad coaching. Additionally, Tedford is known as a QB guru working to develop a long list of QBs in the NFL; Trent Dilfer, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller, Aaron Rodgers to name a few. Where are the good quarterbacks over the last couple of years? Longshore was horrible and Riley is worse. Bring in the backup? Is there a QB waiting in the wings? The cupboard is bare. Ok, so go out and look locally in bring in Joe Montana’s kid from DeLaSalle. What’s that? He went to Washington? Oh that makes sense. More on that later.

Was this team prepared to play Oregon last week? No. And to make matters worse, they quit. In the biggest game of the year versus USC, they laid another egg. That is bad coaching. I know that the stadium needs work and that the academic standards are high, but there are loopholes and ways to get around this; see Marshawn Lynch.

Tedford lacks that killer instinct that Pete Carroll has. In a close game where Cal feels they still have a chance, USC will slice their opponent’s neck and then take their wallet for good measure. Tedford doesn’t have this. Tedford has never won the big game, and I am not talking about Stanford.

Fire Tedford

How will they end up this year? Let’s look at the schedule. They are 3-2 now.
@ UCLA – Loss
Washington State – Win
@ ASU
Oregon State
Arizona (they should win 2 of the above three games. Not sure which one they lose)
@ Stanford –Loss
@ Washington – Loss

6-6 and another trip to the Las Vegas bowl to play Utah sounds about right.

Fire Tedford

Ok, Mr. Fancy pants whom would you replace him with? Well it is too late now, but I would much rather have Steve Sarkisian than Tedford. Washington and Cal have the same level of talent, but Washington is playing with more energy and discipline. The huskies will have a better season than Cal this year and will be back in the Rose Bowl within 5 years. Can we say that about Cal? Obviously Sarkisian can recruit bringing in Montana. I don’t know if Junior will be good, but that is clearly a good sign for your program and head coach. Sarkisian is gone, but my point is get a Pete Carroll clone. Pete Carroll is the king that Tedford will never dethrone. Get one of the understudies. Ken Norton the defensive coordinator? Maybe he becomes the next Mike Singletary. I don’t even know who the current offensive coordinator is, but I want him.

Go out and make a change, be proactive and find the next great college coach. Don’t sit around and be content with what we have. The Bears deserve more.

Fire Tedford

On another note, please remove the Cialis commercials during football games, so I don’t have to explain to my son what a “four hour erection” is.

Money

Retired?

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:06:00 +0000

The recession is hitting us all. I just paid off my cable bills so I am back on line. I set a goal that I would "get back out there" in time for opening night. There is no better thrill than hearing Igor Stravinsky scoring from the blue ice in the fourth quarter to win the game! Hockey sucks. I can't believe I just referenced it. I guess I just wanted everyone to keep coming back and seeing my old post of the NCAA championship game and I how I nailed it!

I apologize to my 3 regular visitors; myself, B and the Hawk. Julian reads it too, so this is for you guys.

College:
WASHINGTON +13 @ Notre Dame
I have been on Washington all season. Love their energy and always enjoy betting against the golden domers.

GEORGIA -3.5 vs. Lsu
Both teams are a shell of themselves from last year. LSU is really not very good.

ILLINOIS +7.5 vs. Penn state
I am not buying Penn State, even in a bounce back opportunity.

STANFURD -5.5 vs. Ucla
I hate to say it, but the other team I have liked this year is the Cardinal. No problem beating the Bruins.

U$C -4.5 @ Cal
If there was ever a year that Cal could beat usc, it would be this year. But until Tedhead proves he can beat the Almighty Pete, I am not buying. Win a real big game Tedford!

NFL:
Titans -3 @ Jax
Too much talent to go 0-4

BROWNS +6.5 vs Cincy
New QB for the browns and a letdown for the bengals.

SAINTS -7 vs. Sanchize
Sanchez has played 14 games at usc and 3 in the nfl. I like him, but his world collaspes this weekend.

Stay tuned for my Baseball predictions: I am Money in the playoffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Typing from an internet cafe. Does that make me sound worldly?

Money

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:03:00 +0000

I hate to say it, but tonite’s game is going to suck, unless you take UNC and the points and don’t want the stress of a close game. I am really impressed with Michigan State’s run through the tournament, and even more impressed with B. Anthony’s preseason pick to win it all this year. Yes, he took Michigan State.

I think there are a couple of ways that MSU can beat UNC and I will get to those in a minute. But I totally agree with Izzo. If UNC and MSU both play well, UNC will win. Yes, this is a ploy from Izzo to get the most out of his players, but it is also true. MSU has taken people out of their game and ultimately those teams have played poorly throughout this tournament. Did you see how many times MSU ran the ball up the court sprinting past Thabeet? They got to the basket before he was even under it. MSU could still disrupt UNC’s style tonite, but I don’t think it will happen. In fact, I think the air comes out of the balloon quickly in this one. Has there been a close competitive game involving UNC in this tournament yet? Not really. The LSU game was the only one that was close and UNC still won by 14.

Here is how MSU can pull off the upset;
1) Use their big men to get Tyler and the rest of the frontcourt in foul trouble. UNC is not a very deep team. They basically play 7, maybe 8 people. This has to be the focus of Izzo; get UNC in foul trouble. This is their only chance.
2) Shoot the ball well. This goes without saying, but MSU has to have a good shooting night from the 3 point line. This is something they did not do well on Saturday and did not do well the last time these two teams met.
3) Home crowd. All the UConn and Villanova tickets have likely gone to locals, so the home crowd will be like no other in an NCAA championship game.
Will any of this matter? No. North Carolina is a far superior team who is clicking on all cylinders right now. I would love to see an MSU victory, but I see absolutely no way that MSU can go “toe to toe” with UNC. This game will be one of the most boring championship games we have seen in a while.

NORTH CAROLINA -7.5 vs. Michigan State
UNC is a far superior team than MSU. They have a great team, with few flaws and are healthy now. They have had a great year and have had a target on their back all year. Everyone's pick to win it all this year, will be cutting the nets down tonite.

Final score UNC 85 MSU 67
I guess that means I like the under too. I hate taking totals, especially unders.

Good luck!
Money

Final Four musings

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:36:00 +0000

We have good teams reaching the Final Four, with a lot of experienced coaches. Something is missing though and I can’t my finger on it. Yes, I am bummed that Pitt is out, but I do like this Villanova team. I was not really sold on this Louisville team. I picked them to win it all at the beginning of the year, then changed my mind, and then got back on board. That sums up Louisville; talented but inconsistent. Still I would have liked to have seen that high energy style play on. I am not a fan of Michigan State and they have proven me wrong all year. I just don’t like big 10 basketball and teams that rely heavily on defense. It is a good strategy to win, just does not make for good TV viewing. But, I like Izzo and they deserve to be there so I won’t complain.

Of course, I will be watching and have planned my day accordingly. I am taking the kids to the park at 5:45am for some good quality time and then I am “checking out”. Here are my thoughts on the game.

MICHIGAN STATE +4 vs. Uconn

The kiss of death. I have been a hater all year, and now I am on them? Here is why.
1) Izzo. This guy is the best coach in the land. He constantly gets his underachieving teams to the final four. Calhoun is great too, but I have more faith in Izzo.
2) Home game. The crowd will no doubt be a benefit to MSU
3) Sutton. He can and will shoot the 3 and likely pull Thabeet away from the basket. This will be a benefit to the rest of the Spartans.
4) Defense. As I stated above, it is boring, but effective. Uconn will surely have an advantage inside, but MSU has a deep bench and they will be prepared for this. Uconn however is not that great of a shooting team, outside of Price.

I think Michigan State wins. I will take the points and the MONEYline. I hate totals, but since there are only a couple of games, I will make a pick. Give me the under of 133.5.
Final score 65- 60 Michigan state

NORTH CAROLINA -7 vs. Villanova

The easy bet is to take Villanova and assume this is way too many points. But, like all other UNC games, unless the opponent wins, North Carolina is going to cover. They are too talented and can score too quickly. The only way they don’t cover, is if UNC is down over 10 at half time, and even then I would not put it past them to still hit the original number. Villanova will have to shoot great, which they have shown they can do. They are tougher than UNC and they possess the guard speed that will give UNC fits. However, UNC will have its way with Nova inside. I think this will be a close game throughout and it would not surprise me to see Nova up at halftime, but when it is all said and done, UNC will be meeting MSU in the final game. I will take the over in this game 158.5

Final score UNC 88 Villanova 78

Good luck!
Money

Biased

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:23:00 +0000

I am still thinking about that Pitt game last night. I really liked them. They were my Memphis team similar to B. Anthony's feelings last year. However, I could still see that they were not the right pick and took Nova. I am a big fan of SI.com Seth Davis and he picked Pitt to win it all as well. He picked Pitt to win the game last night and picked them again at half. You think I am bummed. Read what he had to say.

“It's just a shame one of them had to lose in the end, and that's a rough way to go out for Pitt. In an earlier game today, Missouri lost to UConn and walks away taking solace in the year and in the tournament that they had --- they went further than anyone would have guessed. Pitt, on the other hand, walks away heartbroken --- they did everything but make the final play. But if you go 22 from 23 from foul line like Villanova did, you deserve to win.”

All he was talking about is how heartbroken Pitt (and himself) is. That was an incredible game, with a shot that will be remembered each and every year. Hats off to Nova and the Big East for making this a great tournament.

Sunday picks:
LOUISVILLE -6.5 vs. Michigan State
MSU has traditionally played well when Raymar Morgan has done well, and he is not playing well. They need a good game from him and this aint going to happen. MSU has depth, but not good enough depth, just people like you and me. They won’t be able to handle the press and Louisville will beat them rather easily.

UNC -7 vs. Oklahoma
I think this is another easy game. I am not a fan of Oklahoma. I have not been buying them all year. If they beat UNC then I will admit how wrong I was, which I seem to be doing a lot lately. I don’t see it happening with a healthy Lawson now.

Good luck!
Money

So good, then so bad

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:08:00 +0000

I was perfect on Thursday, hitting all the games and then turning around and missing all on Friday. That sucks. UNC, Louisville, Villanova and Uconn look like they are heading to the final four, but we still have to see how this plays out.

Picks for today (not doing tomorrow yet)

MISSOURI +5.5 vs. Uconn
I think this game will be won by the team who controls the tempo of the game. Mizzou will want to run and Uconn will want to slow it down and play a half court game. I think Missouri's style will win out, effectively eliminating Uconn's strength; their frontcourt. I do think Uconn will win, but this will be a battle that will be really close. This a game that Uconn really misses Dyson. They don't have enough guards to run away with this.

VILLANOVA +2 vs. Pitt
I hate to do this, but this is the right call. I love Fields and this Pitt team but they are not playing a full 40 minutes, which Nova is and what is absolutely necessary to win this game. If Pitt plays poorly in the first half and is down, like their previous three games, they will lose this game. However, if they come out strong and play the way they did 4 weeks ago, they win. Pitt is the better team, but there is no reason to believe that they can just turn it on now. Nova wins.

Good luck!

Money

Thursday/Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:39:00 +0000

We have games again today, finally. I am very impressed with the lineup over the next couple of days and am looking forward to seeing who ends up in Detroit for the Final Four.
Quick thoughts on my all Big East final four vs. what I think now after 32 games.

Originally, I picked Pitt over Louisville in the finals with UConn and Syracuse joining them in the final four. I did not go with UNC because I did not think Lawson would be effective. He is hurt, but he will be effective and in my eyes, they are the team to beat. With that said, they have the toughest 2, 3, 4 teams to get through. Uconn has been playing great, but at some point all of these off the court distractions catch up with them. Louisville is one bad shooting night from getting eliminated. You could say that about any team, but I feel it is more relevant because Louisville is not a great shooting team to begin with. You could say Pitt has struggled because they have had a tough time in their first two games. However, they won and OSU was a good team. I agree with B. Anthony on this and that they do enough to win and keep advancing.

I hope my final four is correct, but my gut says UNC over Uconn with Pitt and Kansas joining them in Detroit.

Thursday:

UCONN -6.5 vs. Purdue
I really like this game. Purdue has no size and will get killed inside. Hummel will absolutely disappear in this game.

VILLANOVA +2.5 vs. Duke
Both teams are playing well right now, specifically Duke with the insertion of Williams into the starting lineup and moving Scheyer to the point. I feel these teams are very similar; not a lot of size and a lot of guards that can hit the shots. I believe Villanova has better guards/shooters and the better inside post player in Dante Cunningham.

XAVIER +7 vs. Pitt
I think Pitt will put together a solid all around game and make a championship run, but it won’t happen here (next game vs. Nova). Xavier is very similar to Pitt, but Pitt does everything better. This game will be close, but Pitt wins. Fields is the difference in this game.

MIZZOU +4.5 vs. Memphis
This is tough game to handicap. I could see a Memphis win and cover, more likely than I can see a Missouri victory. But, I look at three things that point me to Mizzou.
1) Tyreke Evans. He is a freshman. Is he Derek Rose and somebody who can lead your team to the Finals? I don’t believe so. He is talented, but not lottery pick talented. He needs to be flawless in this game and I don’t think he will.
2) Memphis has struggled to score. They got a huge game from Sallie off the bench in their first game. He went for 35 and his average is 7. Without that, they were dead. The next game, Mack was hitting the three. Missouri plays good defense and Memphis will struggle to score.
3) Mike Anderson (coach of Missouri) is very familiar with Memphis from his days at UAB where he competed against them well.

Friday:

SYRACUSE +1 vs. Oklahoma
The orange win this game. The zone and their size down low will give Griffin trouble. Syracuse is on a roll now and will upset the best player in basketball.

GONZAGA +8.5 vs. Unc
Gonzaga has the players to run with Unc and will likely try. If they make their shots, they can win this game. Regardless of the outcome, I believe the game will be close.

KANSAS +1.5 vs. Michigan State
MSU beat up the Jayhawks earlier this season by guarding Collins and Cole and making the rest of their team beat them, which they could not. MSU has size and depth down low to challenge KU. However, Bill Self has shown tremendous resiliency against teams that previously beat him in the past. He won’t let Izzo get the best of him this time.

ARIZONA +9 vs. Louisville
Arizona has no depth and needs a near perfect game and 22+ points each from the big three to beat Louisville. They have little room for error. But as gamblers, we are not asking them to win, just cover. Arizona has shown that their offense is not the issue. They will be able to keep the game under double digits.

Good luck!
Money

Sweet Sixteen

noreply@blogger.com (B. Anthony) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:54:00 +0000

The tournament has been devoid of major upsets and the difference between dogs and favorites covering, has been minimal. The first round saw a 17-14-1 advantage to the dogs, and the second round was 11-5 in favorite of the chalk. So 25-22 is the slim margin that the favorites hold. I think they will keep this advantage through the round of 16 here on Thursday and Friday, but the dogs will inch closer covering 5 of the 8 games.

Thursday's plays, listed in order of value.

UConn -6.5 (on my line) vs Purdue has gone down to a point where this is the best play on the board. Huskies are playing like they did mid-season when they dominated everyone. Adrien is hitting from the free throw line, and Thabeet really doesn't need to score very much with Price and Robinson knocking down perimeter shots. Kemba Walker's speed and scoring off the bench make this a double digit victory.

Villanova +2 vs Duke. Do you remember when Duke lost to Uconn in the finals with Khalid El Amin and Richard Hamilton? I do. The offense for Uconn was "spread em and drive em." Duke continued to pressure everywhere and provide no help-side defense. It was lay-up city for the Huskies. Villanova will have the same advantage. Duke is just so thick headed they won't change what they do. They are Duke, you know.

Xavier +7 vs Pitt. I like the balance of Xavier and think that Pitt is simply playing good enough to only win, and not cover. They could lose this game is they sleep walk again.

Memphis -4.5 vs Missouri. This has all the makings of an up and down, but sloppy basketball game. There will likely be more blocked shots, and steals than there will be made 3 pointers. However, if anyone is going to run away and hide it is Memphis. They do have the offensive firepower to score 8-10 straight and just pull away from Missouri. As Missouri gambles to get back in Memphis should be able to throw over the press with Evans and dunk on the other end.

Friday's Plays.

Syracuse +1 vs Oklahoma. Johnny Flynn will be the best player on the court, despite some monster dunks by Blake Griffin. The ability to knock down the 3 will prove the difference as Oklahoma will clank away and Devendorf and others will combine to make about 9 3's for the Orange. I don't like the Orange, and I hate Devendorf, but they win outright, and maybe even going away.

Gonzaga +8.5 vs UNC. UNC is just not the same without Lawson at full speed. He will very likely have a gritty effort to pull it out. But the combination of Pargo's size and strength and the quickness of Demetri Goodsen on the ball will wear him out enough to limit his 3 point shooting. This will be a high scoring game, and at times it may look like UNC wins big, but Gonzaga will make this game close and it won't be decided until the final 90 seconds.

Michigan St -1.5 vs Kansas. The Spartans are finally playing up to potential, and just in time. They will use their strength and depth to wear down the young Chickenhawks as Collins will do all he can to single-handedly win the game. Aldrich will not have enough muscle to win the boards battle and the Spartans win by 5.

Arizona +9 vs Louisville. This is a bit of wishful thinking on B. Anthony's part. I happen to have only one bracket left with a chance to win, but need Louisville to sputter in order to have it happen. The Cardinals are the best team physically left in the tournament. However, this Arizona team, who I despise by the way, is playing great ball. Dunlap is the coach of this team and he does own 2 NCAA division II crowns. They will junk up the defense and confuse Louisville. Pitino may have to change his White Suit again at half time. He will rant and rave and the Cardinals will win, but not by double digits. Like Pitt, they have not shown the ability to play 40 minutes. Realistically, they only need to play 30 to cover this game. But my guess is that they have at least two 7 minute lapses. 25 minutes of good ball is enough to beat Arizona, but not going away!

Good Luck

B. Anthony

Sunday plays

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:37:00 +0000

Here is a quick rundown on the plays for today;

SYRACUSE-2.5 vs. ASU
I am selling the Pac 10 now.

CLEVELAND STATE +2.5 vs. Arizona
CSU wins outright. Rookie coach for UofA going against a tough defensive minded team that can match athletes of the Wildcats.

MIZZOU -3.5 vs. Marquette
Dominic James is back. Nice to hear, but he won't help.

LOUISVILLE -11.5 vs. Siena
I would love to pick Siena, but their run will end today.

MICHIGAN STATE -4 vs. Usc
The trojans have been playing great and over their heads. MSU is better defensively and has more depth, which will be a big factor today when Taj gets in foul trouble.

WISCONSIN +4 vs. Xavier
Ugly and slow, which is the way Wisconsin likes it. Wisconsin wins.

KANSAS -7.5 vs. Dayton
Not totally confident on this one, but I think the better team here (Kansas) puts a full game together and wins by double digits.

PITT -8 vs. Oklahoma state
I expect a Memphis type game today, where Pitt will play like a number one team and roll over OSU.

Good luck!

Money

Money’s Tournament thoughts and predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:56:00 +0000

This has been a unique year. At the beginning of the year UNC was the clear cut favorite. I acknowledged this, but picked against them. Halfway through the season I changed my tune again. One would think that after the brackets came out, I would have picked my final four and champion. It was not that easy. I can find fault in all of the top seeds and see all of them winning, but I can also see how they can fall down too.

UConn: All you need to know is that ever since Dyson went down with a season ending injury they are 4-3. That is not a resume of a champion.

UNC: Lawson has a bad toe and will likely miss the first game. If he is 100% healthy, these guys win it all. They have the best talent. But with a hobbled Lawson at 80% they are a different team; a half court team. A very beatable team. But, they should still be able to win 3 games without him being at full strength. After that, things change, and I can’t put UNC in the Final Four. If I knew Lawson was OK, they win it all.

Pitt: If Blair gets in foul trouble, they likely lose. That is a pretty simple game plan and the refs will be calling a tighter game than what they are used to in a physical Big East.

Louisville: Down by 1, 20 seconds to go. Who gets the ball? Who takes the big shot? They don’t have a player who can do this. Williams likely has the ball and his shot is running straight to the hoop. Earl Clark could be that guy, but this team is not a great shooting team.

Memphis: Too young at the point, and not good enough offensively to win it all.

Michigan State: The worst of the four #2 seeds.

Duke: Better now will Williams in, but not big or tough enough to get to the final four or beyond.

Oklahoma: They won’t make it to the sweet 16.

So who is my final four? I have to pick somebody. I am going with an all Big East Final Four.

Midwest: Louisville
West: UConn
East: Pitt
South: Syracuse

Champion: Pitt over Louisville

Opening round bets: Not picking them all, just my favorites
3/19
Duke -22 vs. Binghamton
Duke is playing well and these guys will not be a challenge to them.

VCU +7 vs. Ucla
I am really bothered by how this is everyone’s pick now. This will ensure UCLA is focused and not taking them likely. I have now changed my pick to UCLA to win the game, but I still think it will be close.

Memphis -19.5 vs. CS Northridge
Memphis will run these guys out of the gym

Morgan State +16.5 vs. Oklahoma
Played a nice out of conference schedule with wins at Maryland and over DePaul. They won’t be intimidated.

Michigan +5.5 vs. Clemson
Clemson coach is a loser and Michigan’s coach is not.

Washington -5.5 vs. Mississippi State
Washington is well rested and staying close to home and MSU is not.

Western Kentucky +4.5 vs. Illinois
No Frazier for Illinois. No chance. WKU wins.

3/20
Cleveland state +8 vs. Wake Forest
I like this Wake Forest team. They have a lot of stars, but they can’t shoot. Cleveland state loves to play defense.

Stephen Austin +12 vs. Syracuse
Typical Syracuse collapse here. They win though.

Siena +3 vs. Ohio State
This will be tough for Siena as this is virtually a home game for OSU. Siena is better though and beat Vanderbilt last year in the first round with the same starting five.

Pitt -20 vs. East Tennessee State
Blowout

Robert Morris +16.5 vs. Michigan State
Very similar to MSU, but not as big or deep. Plays tough defense and a better shooting team.

USC -2 vs. Boston College
Derozan is playing himself into the lottery now and won’t slow down.

North Dakota State +10 vs. Kansas
Kansas won’t take these guys seriously and they should.

West Virginia -8.5 vs. Dayton
West Virginia may be the best team outside of the top 8.

Wisconsin +2.5 vs. Florida State
Getting off the FSU horse.

Portland state +10 vs. Xavier
Xavier is overrated and has no backcourt. Portland state will press the whole game.

Good luck!
Money

Day 2- Friday's 16

noreply@blogger.com (B. Anthony) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:35:00 +0000

I have not yet made a final analysis if Thursday or Friday as better options. But keep some of your bank available for Friday. Here are the predictions for Friday!

(all times are Vegas time, as that is what matters)
Morning Session 9:15-9:30am

9:15 Stephen F. Austin +13 vs Syracuse. I can't remember my last week long hangover, but Syracuse will have one. Their zone will be effective, but Austin can shoot the 3 well. This will be a game that Syracuse will win, but they will take a long time to get out of their funk, I like the points. (2*, mayb e 3* if line gets closer to 15)

9:25 Tennessee +2 vs Oklahoma St. I will not be playing this game, because I am never on the right side of Tennessee. That being said, once I am off them, they will play great and roll. I like the Over in this game, no matter how high it goes! (1*)

9:30 Kansas -10 vs North Dakota St. This is a nice story, and North Dakota has a "Paulson look-alike" named Woodside who will light it up early. Eventually Kansas will wear them down and win by double digits. May be a lean to ND St. in first half, but Kansas for the game. (2*)

9:30 Marquette -4 vs Utah St. This will be a good game for a while, but Marquette is still a much faster, stronger, and angrier team. They want to prove they can still win with out James. They did lose 5 of 6, but who would have done better vs Pitt, Uconn, Louiville, Syracuse, Nova. They still advance. McNeal is still one of my favorites. (3*)

11:45-12:00 Mid-day!

11:45- Temple +5 vs Arizona St. This Sun Devil team knows how to play close games. They have no problem going up by 15 and then letting their opponent back in. I think Harden is best player on the court, so ASU advances, but this will be a close game. (2*)

11:55 Pitt -20.5 vs East Tennessee St. Pit will flex their muscles early in this game, and when they create some space, Sam Young will look the part of a future NBA all-star. I see this as a good chance for them to get some swagger back. (3*)

12:00 Dayton +8.5 vs West Virginia. Two very solid teams. The Big East experience will give W. VA the win, but this is too many points. This game will seldom be in double digits. (2*)

12:00 Missouri -13 vs Cornell. The pressure that Missouri will bring will be too much for the Big Red. You just can't simulate this, and the turnovers will add up in the final 10 minutes. Missouri by 18-25 points. ( 3*)

Afternoon 4:00-4:25

4:10. Utah+1 vs Arizona. Arizona cannot play a complete game and execute when it counts. Utah wins this one. And the complaining goes on, why are they in the tournament? Why are they favored! (3*)

4:25-Portland St. +11.5 vs Xavier. Portland St. has beaten Gonzaga this year, and Xavier does not overwhelm athletically. This will be a good game, decided by Portland St. 's ability to clean up the defensive glass. I like the points a lot. This will be decided by less than 5. ( 3*)

4:20 USC +2.5 vs Boston College. USC is finally healthy and playing up to the potential they have. Many great athletes on the court, but Derozan if finally attacking the rim and scoring in mid-range. If he stays away from the 3-point line, Trojans win handily. (4*)

Louisville- No line as of now, I will take the Cards up to -27. Too much defense and too many weapons. Plus their bench will build on the lead!

Night Games- 6:40pm-6:55pm

6:40- Siena +3.5 vs Ohio St. Anti- Big ten play. Siena is experience and solid all around. They have a good chance to win this outright. (2*)

6:40pm Cleveland St. +8.5 vs Wake Forest. I like the defense and the experience of the Vikings vs the incredible athleticism and youth of Wake. If Cleveland St. can stay away from that one big spurt they may win this game. But they will cover even if the spurt comes! (3*)

6:50 Michigan St -17 vs Robert Morris. Spartans are due to blow someone out. They are slightly underrated going into this tourney and they know how win big when they are stronger athletically.

6:55 Florida St. -3 vs Wisconsin. Too much Tony Douglas. I see him going for 30 despite Wisconsin's best efforts. Another example of ACC dominating the Big Ten. (3*)

Good Luck,

B. Anthony

Round 1 Let the Games Begin!!

noreply@blogger.com (B. Anthony) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:56:00 +0000

B. Anthony is working on breathing slowly and deeply. The hyper-ventilating began on Saturday and has not subsided. As previously noted, conference tourney time was a good place to make money. The kitty has grown significantly and now it is time to enjoy the fruits of our leisure!!!

By the way, Louisville in the 2nd Half vs Syracuse was probably the best play of the year. The famous gamer, Superman, took advantage big, and B. Anthony also won his biggest play of the day, but in reality, B. Anthony is small beans in his wagering amounts.

Ok, Let's get to the games and commentary: Thursday today, Friday Tomorrow

Key: 4 *- Bet this game and don't be afraid to double up! And Triple up if Half-time line value!
3*- Bet this game.
2*- Put this in parlays and don't kill yourself here, but it's March madness, so you are probably on it!
1*- Just an opinion, take it or leave it, Maybe even go Opposite!

THURSDAY AM:

9:20-10:00am PST Tips:

Butler +3 vs LSU. Butler has played better as a team and overachieved all year. They shoot the ball well, and will make the extra pass vs LSU. Mitchell will be a handful inside for Butler, but I take the points here. LSU was only successful because they are in a very watered down SEC. (2 *)

Memphis -19.5 vs Cal. St. Northridge: Northridge is most famous as the first home to Coach Rosie on the hill. Since then, they have been a solid program, but they are in for a long morning vs Memphis. Get this game before it goes over 20. Calipari again has ammunition to motivate his team, and their defense is smothering, fantastic, and simply just plain solid! 73-42 will be the final here, and I don't think there will be much doubt on the cover after the 1st 15 minutes of the game!. (4*)

Byu -2 vs Texas A&M. Really don't have a strong feel on this one. Rematch from last year. BYU has had a great year, and I see them pulling off one more victory before they bow out on Saturday. The Mormon experience will help them down the stretch. (1*) I will not bet on this game, out of respect for Joseph Smith & Lincoln Westcott.

11:3o-1:00 pm PST

Northern Iowa +8.5 vs Purdue. Missouri Valley conference got little respect this year, but Northern Iowa will open some eyes. They are a solid team defensively and shoot the ball well. This is a good match-up for them as they will not be overwhelmed physically. Purdue may pull it out down the stretch, but it will take some big shots from Hummell and some offensive rebounds to finally do it. Simply too many points for an even match up! (3*)

North Carolina -27 vs Radford. Heels will roll here, and likely they will have no guilt about running the score up! Lay the points and watch for an early cover. (3*) I have never liked the fact that Roy Williams plays his starters in the last 5 minutes of these games, except when I am on them !

California -1 vs Maryland: Guard play wins in the tournament. This game is really too close to call with Vasquez doing it all for Maryland, but I think the Trio of guards at Cal and Montgomery's experience will be the difference as Cal junks up their defense to slow down Vasquez. (1-2*)

Chattanooga +21 vs UConn. I really like Chattanooga! They are a 16 seed because of their record, 18-16, but they started the season, 0-7 while one of their better players was out with injury. UConn is the least powerful offensive team of the # 1 seeds, and when Chattanooga keeps this close, I will be laughing my way to the bank! (4*)

2:00pm PST

Washington -5.5 vs Mississippi: Huskies will pull this off, but I don't have a strong feeling on this one. Mississippi St. has too many unpredictable athletes. I like the Brockman and Thomas to make the difference. (1*)

4:00-4:30 pm PST

Clemson -5 vs Michigan: Clemson's pressure will be too much. This is the game where the difference between the ACC and Big Ten becomes evident. (3*)

Akron +12 vs Gonzaga. Zags are going deep this year, but they will be a bit nervous as a heavy favorite in the first round. I have no doubt they win the game, but Akron is tough on the boards and will keep it in single digits. After this game I expect Gonzaga to hit their stride and really play well all the way to or close to the final four! (3*)

Villanova -17 vs American. Too many scoring options and too much speed out of Villanova. Jay Wright has been scared before as a high seed, and his team will pull this one out early. I am looking for a 15-20 point 1st half lead, and will bet it accordingly! (4*)

Minnesota +5 vs Texas: Texas has been underachieving all year, and they are just not that good. Tubby Smith's team is great at playing ugly ball and keeping it close. Gophers are Big inside and they will turn this game into an ugly Big Ten type of contest. I like the points, but Texas advances. (2*)

Night games: 6:40 Pm- 7:30 PST

Duke -22 vs Binghampton. I am not a Blue Devil fan, but they have the type of team that scores in bunches and really dominates teams that are not as physically gifted. I see an early dose of pressure and 3-pointers. Lay the chalk (3*)

VCU +8.5 vs UCLA. VCU has more pro's on their team. They may not win outright because of Howland's experience, but this is a great game in the making and I love the points. (4*)

W. Kentucky +5 vs Illinois. I am starting to realize that the night session will be a place to get healthy. I love this Western Kentucky team, and I really am not that impressed with Illinois. I will bet this money line and with the points! (4*)

Morgan St +16.5 vs Oklahoma. I think Bozeman will junk this up and be able to keep it close. Not a big opinion on this one. (1*). However, Griffin will make some highlights, so worth watching early.

Good Luck,

B. Anthony.

Back tomorrow with Friday's Picks!

I am falling in love with Syracuse

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:07:00 +0000

I really think that Syracuse can get to the Final Four and possibly win it all. They are big, they have guys that can hit the three and they have a great point guard in Flynn. Plus, they are battle-tested playing in the best conference the country. Pomeroy rates these guys very high. B. Anthony is not buying them and thinks this is Madison Square Garden magic, but if the brackets align themselves, Syracuse will be in one of my Final Four, and possibly win it all.

Picks for today;

AUBURN +4.5 vs. Tennessee – I am going to ride Auburn to the end

FLORIDA STATE +9 vs. North Carolina – Lawson likely out.

MARYLAND +9.5 vs. Duke – Too many points.

PURDUE -3.5 vs. Illinois – My favorite. No Frazier for Illinois

USC +1.5 vs. Arizona State - USC playing great now.

MISSOURI -5.5 vs. Baylor – The ride is over for Baylor

Good luck!
Money

OT Blowout

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:07:00 +0000

This is common term used in my circle of friends where we want to get to overtime and have the favorite blowout the team they are now tied with. Well if you had Syracuse +5.5, you had to feel like you picked the right side. It was a very close game that went into 6 overtimes! In each overtime a missed free throw or layup would have sealed the cover for the Orange. But, the game continued to progress and was tied at the end of an additional five minutes. It was not until the 5th overtime that Uconn had their largest lead of the game of 6 points. It was at that point that I thought the quintuple OT blowout was going into effect. Ultimately, Syracuse came back once again, tied the game and they went into a 6th and final OT. Heck of a game and a nice start to March Madness.

Picks for the day;

AUBURN +3.5 vs. Florida
This is my favorite bet of the day. Frankly, I don’t get the line. Nobody is playing better in the SEC right now than Auburn. Everyone knows the importance of this game for Florida, but this is big game for Auburn as well. The Tigers win easily.

LOUISVILLE -4 vs. Villanova
I think this game will be close and I expect Nova to play a lot of zone to force the Cardinal to hit their outside shots, which is not their forte. However, Louisville is playing too well right now to bet against.

WEST VIRGINIA -6 vs. Syracuse
Obvious pick. How do you set this line? I expect Syracuse to come out flat, eventually make a run to make it close and then run out of gas and lose by double digits.

WASHINGTON pk vs. Arizona state
Washington is too quick and has too many weapons for the one dimensional Sun Devils.

UCLA -6 vs. usc
The bruins are playing better defense right now, which is what make them great historically. Usc will be playing hard, but UCLA will prevail.

SAINT MARYS -21.5 vs. Eastern somethingerother
This is a write-in game. This is hugely important for Saint Mary’s. They were on national television and they laid an egg, Patty Mills laid an egg to be exact. If they expect to get into the tournament they have to trounce this low level team AND Mills has to go off and show he is healthy and a lottery player. This assumes Mills is healthy, which I believe he is now. I expect a romp here.

Good luck!
Money

Thursday favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Today has a March Madness feel to it. Tons of games, and the big boys are playing now. Should be fun.

Here are my three favorites for the day.

VILLANOVA -2.5 vs. Marquette
Nova is a better team in all aspects of the game

SYRACUSE +5 vs. Uconn
Great historical matchup. I don't expect the outside shooters to be affected by Thabeet.

WASHINGTON STATE +8.5 vs. Ucla
Wow. This is high, really high. WSU is playing great right now and could easily upset the Bruins.

If you are looking for some 9am thoughts.
Take Miami -3.5 or Northwestern +1.5

More to come.

Good luck!

Money

Conference tournament predictions and other thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:36:00 +0000

With the conference tournaments starting up today and tomorrow, we thought it would be a good idea for B. Anthony and Money to make some predictions on who will win these tournaments as well as throw in a few dark horse teams. You might find a team that pays some decent odds to win their championship and throw a few bucks down on them.
Here we go.

ACC (Georgia Dome)
B. Anthony Champ: Wake Forest – Sleeper: Florida State
Money Champ: UNC – Sleeper: Florida State – Super Sleeper: Miami

Big East (Madison Square Garden)
B. Anthony Champ: Pitt – Sleeper: Villanova – Super Sleeper: Syracuse
Money Champ: Louisville – Sleeper: Georgetown

Big 12 (Oklahoma City)
B. Anthony Champ: Oklahoma – Sleeper: Texas
Money Champ: Kansas – Sleeper: Oklahoma state

Big Ten (Conseco Field House)
B. Anthony Champ: Purdue – Sleeper: Wisconsin
Money Champ: Michigan State – Sleeper: Ohio State

SEC (St. Pete Times Forum)
B. Anthony Champ: Tennessee – Sleeper: Arkansas
Money Champ: Auburn – Sleeper: Florida

PAC 10 (Staples Center)
B. Anthony Champ: ASU – Sleeper: USC
Money Champ: Ucla – Sleeper Washington State

Money quick hitters
Everywhere I go, I am mobbed by adoring fans. “Who is your final four? Who are your dark horses picks?” Well everyone seems to have the same group of teams that can win it all; Pitt, Uconn, UNC, Oklahoma, Memphis, Louisville and Michigan State. Those are the obvious teams. What seems obvious to me as that we will likely have 2, at the most, of these teams fighting to cut the nets down in the Final Four. This tournament is going to be full of upsets and all of these teams have their flaws which will likely be exposed.
This is Money’s list of teams that will benefit and could land themselves in the Final Four with the right matchups and a few breaks.

Gonzaga
Duke
Kansas
Missouri
Wake Forest
Villanova

These next couple of weeks will be great!

Money

Championship Week

noreply@blogger.com (B. Anthony) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Almost as good, and possibly more lucrative than March Madness itself!!

Since Friday, their have been a plethora of conference tournament games, and many are proving to offer winning opportunities.

Here are some ideas:

Early leans

VCU and Western Kentucky to both cover the -3.5

Chattanooga +2.5 - Playing on home court, most people will like College of Charleston because they beat Davidson, that is fools gold! That is a good match-up for them, this is not!

Siena -3.5 vs Niagara. Best play here might be to wait until Halftime, as Niagara will ride momentum in first half, but legs will tire in 2^nd half and Siena will either come back, or pull away. Either way, I am taking Siena, Niagara was very lucky to get OT last night, then they choked a big lead away on the FT line to force it to double OT. They lose tonight, and probaly by 9 when Siena makes all their FT's

Getting nervous on St. Mary’s +7 , but will likely play them. Over under here is interesting. Everyone thinks it is low, but Gonzaga will play much tougher defense. Reality is they are a good defensive team when they need to be. Under 138. This may go up to 140, so wait to play the under!

Good Luck,

B. Anthony

Selection Sunday – One week away

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:17:00 +0000

This is fun now. Conference tournaments are in effect now. Pay attention to B. Anthony who has been on a roll with the smaller conference games. He has not been posting the victories, but he has been winning them.

There are a few games out there that I like, but nothing like the card yesterday. I feel the strongest about Portland and Michigan State.

MICHIGAN STATE -5.5 vs. Purdue
Sparty will look for revenge when Purdue hung the worst loss of the season on them. MSU is playing for a number 1 seed. I am still not sold on these guys, but they will beat Purdue by more than 6.

NORTH CAROLINA -8.5 vs. Duke
I am going to assume that Ty Lawson is healthy. I saw a report that he hurt his foot on Friday, but he should play. If he does, take UNC. If he is out, all bets are off as I am sure the line goes down. Either way, Duke won’t win though.

CLEMSON +5.5 @ Wake Forest
Both teams are good, and both teams are struggling a bit. Should probably take the home team here, but I will take Clemson whom this game means a bit more to in the conf tourney standings. This is more of a boredom bet if you are watching this game at 6pm. I don’t really like this game. It might be better to opposite of me here.

SANTA CLARA +14 vs. Gonzaga
This game will be close. SCU could pull off the upset. They are better than the odd makers think.

PORTLAND +7.5 vs. Saint Mary’s
I love Patty Mills and SMC, but this game is all about showcasing Mills and his health. Bennett will struggle with playing with his team without Mills and trying to insert his star back in there. Anybody who ever has played with a bad wrist knows how important it is. Mills won’t be ready, will be a distraction and SMC will lose to Portland. Easy bet.

Good luck!
Money

Short Memory

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:55:00 +0000

As a gambler, you have to have a short memory. Some team that f’d you one day will help you the next. You may also find that the team that just got you “caught up” and you are now eternally indebted to, will also have to bet against in the next game.

Don’t get married to any of these teams and have a very short memory. What was I saying? Oh yeah, gambling.

There are a ton of games today. I feel compelled to break them into three different groups; Favorite games, Opinion games and Bubble games. Take a look.

Favorite games

9am UCONN +3.5 @ Pitt
I think we all know the story here. Two great teams battling it out. Here is my take on this. I think Fields will be less than 100% since he banged his back in the last game. This will somehow play out and help UConn as they are quick and have more guards to throw at Fields. Also, Thabeet was embarrassed in the last game. I thought he played himself out of the lottery. He needs to play better and will. The last time these guys played was the Huskies first game without Dyson. They have had a lot of time to figure out how to play without him now.

11am TEXAS A&M +2 vs. Missouri
Missouri; my team. I predicted these guys in the final four a few months back and they were not even ranked. Now, let’s bet against them. Huge win at home vs. Oklahoma last week. Mizzu is great at home, haven’t lost, but the road is different. This is a must win game for A&M. Tigers take a cat nap in this one.

1pm KANSAS -8.5 vs. Texas
KU lost badly to Tech the other night. Chalk it up to a bad night. They rebound in a big way today and beat Texas by DD.

4:30 ARIZONA -6.5 vs. Stanford
Az has their backs against the wall. Stanford did well by winning their first road game in the Pac 10 on Thursday by beating ASU. Johnny Dawkins and Co. will be in Disneyland today celebrating their big victory from the other night.

Opinion games

11am SYRACUSE +5.5 @ Marquette
Emotional night for Marquette. Senior night. I am sure Dominic James will get a huge ovation, which may help them get out to an early lead. However, I am selling this puppy. Marquette is done.

1pm AUBURN -2 vs. Lsu
Auburn is going to make a deep run in their tournament to try and steal a big to the dance. The momentum starts now against a mediocre LSU team.

2:30 WASHINGTON -7 vs. Washington state
Regular season Pac 10 title on the line. The huskies rolled in Pullman and will do it again today.

5pm DAYTON -6 vs. Duquesne
Remember the short memory thing? I should get credit for just typing Ducane correctly.

Bubble games

9am MIAMI -8.5 vs. NC state
Dirty team that has to win. Going by B. Anthony’s theory, they have the best player on the court who won’t allow a loss.

9am MINNESOTA -4.5 vs. Michigan
I probably should not be posting this one as this is such a low level game, but a win is a win. Michigan is 2-8 on the road and will lose this important bubble game to the mighty Gopher.

11am FLORIDA -5.5 vs. Kentucky
Another game that we should run away from. Both teams are a mess right now, but Kentucky is worse. Both teams coming off bad losses. However, Florida has Calathes and he will make amends for the last game. I was tempted to put this game in my "Favorites" group but I needed more Bubble games. I like this game a lot.

You still with me?
How about this –
MONEYline parlay: UCONN, TEXAS A&M, SYRACUSE

Good luck!
Money

Careful Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (B. Anthony) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:28:00 +0000

This weekend will present many games, so try not to go overboard on Thursday and Friday leading up to the weekend.

The talk on the web is that dogs are the play in conference tournaments. They were 5-0 in the SunBelt conference yesterday, but I am not going there with my research or picks.

I still hate Texas Tech, but they got into my wallet yesterday!

Today's Winners

Early-

Providence +10.5 vs Nova. They will battle to the end, and they score on offensive glass enough to keep this in single digits.

Temple -7 vs St. Joseph's. Owls are good at home, even though they have burned me in the past.

South Carolina -1.5 vs Tennessee. Like the GameCocks to roll at home!

Dayton +10 at Xavier- Battle for league supremacy will make both teams tight. Should be down to the wire!

Later-

Oregon St.+ 18.5 vs UCLA. Too many points in a slow down game!

That is enough for now!

Good Luck

b. anthony

Getting them in early

noreply@blogger.com (Money) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:40:00 +0000

I have a good feeling about these three games. I don’t think the lines are going to change much, so there is no desperation here, but I do know that I like these three games tonite.

SOUTH CAROLINA -1.5 vs. Tennessee
The Gamecocks may be the best team in a very weak SEC. Tennessee is still living on their name. Carolina will win this game at home.

DAYTON +10 @ Xavier
Two very good teams here. Dayton has not won in Xavier for a long time, but is 6-5 on the road. Not asking for a win, just a close game, which Dayton usually delivers.

ARIZONA -4 vs. Cal
I think Cal gets blown out here and this game in the second half is not very competitive as Montgomery will try and rest his “big three.” This game means a lot more to Arizona than it does Cal and when the Cats pull away, Monty will throw in the towel.

Good luck!

Money