The Dish: Can a 16-seed top a #1?
This is it. This is the year. Princeton me no Princetons. Murray State me no Murray States. This year, for the first time ever, a 16-seed is going to topple a 1-seed. Mark it down. In a topsy-turvy world where the U.S. looks doomed in the World Baseball Classic, where George W. Bush's voodoo has apparently worn off on the nation, and where Michael Douglas has gone on record as saying he thinks Brangelina is a bad idea (hey, Mikey, where's your 36-year-old wife sleeping tonight?), this would be the final straw. Cats would sleep with dogs. Total chaos. It will happen. The Jaguars of Southern University have a tough 6-9 forward in Peter Cipriano who can give Shelden Williams all he can handle, and a 40% three-point shooter named Deforrest-Riley Smith. They will rise up and shock Duke on Thursday night. Or how about those Albany Great Danes? First of all, even the UConn mascot doesn't stand a chance. A husky against a Great Dane? As if. Sure, Albany may have lost to Harvard, but they kept UCLA close (figure that one out). They go eight-deep, and have a really good sophomore forward named Brent Wilson who can dominate a game. Connecticut is arrogant. They think they're all that. And don't forget about Oral Roberts. You think Memphis stands a chance against a university that was mandated by God? Remember back in the 1980s, when a televangelist named Oral Roberts told his viewership that if they didn't send money, God was going to "call him home"? Well, the American public responded, and the result was a huge financial empire and a university named after that televangelist. ("Televangelist U." just didn't have the same ring.) Jesus loves Ken Tutt and the Golden Eagles. And finally, the biggest lock of all, is Monmouth over Villanova. Did you see the Hawks absolutely crush hapless Hampton on Tuesday night? These guys are good. They're a really tight defensive squad, they've got a 6-10 center (more than the Wildcats can say), and they've been practicing their finger-in-the-eye routine for 48 straight hours. Can Allen Ray and Villanova stand up to that? No way. Mark it down. A 16 beats a 1. Or, y'know, not. What's your biggest surprise of the NCAA tournament seeding process? Greg Jorssen, BoDog.com: Where do I begin? How does George Washington, the #6 team in the nation, end up with a #8 seed? Now they will have to face Duke in Round 2, and what should be an early exit from the tournament. How does Cincinnati, a team with the fifth-hardest schedule in the nation and the 40th-highest RPI not get in, yet Air Force, a team that did not beat a team in the top 50 all season, gets in? How does the Missouri Valley get four entries, the same amount as the ACC? Are you telling me these two conferences are equal? Hofstra not making it despite beating George Mason twice in the final 10 days of the season? There are always questions on Selection Sunday; however, that said, this was the worst job by a Selection Committee that I have experienced in a very long time. Brian Gabrielle, BG Sports: As far as the selection process goes: I put nothing past this crooked old boys'club they refer to as the Selection Committee. I'm disappointed but not surprised that deserving teams like Hofstra and Western Kentucky were left out, and I find it laughable that programs like Arkansas and Alabama were included. As far as the seeding goes: how does Winthrop rank as a 15 seed? How does Tennessee garner a 2 seed? How does Connecticut get a red carpet rolled out to the Final Four with a bracket full of creampuffs? In short: same old same old for this time of year. What's the right way for our readers to pick their brackets? Should they aim for a certain number of upsets in each round? Should they lean heavily on the favorites under the assumption that most of the time, the favorites win out? BG, BG Sports: When looking for upsets, stay with teams who earned their way in as opposed to teams who were let in the back door. RG, BoDog.com: Chances are a 12-seed will beat a 5-seed. This has happened every year for the past five years. My upset special for Round 1 is Texas A&M defeating America's Cinderella team, Syracuse. Yes, Syracuse. The same team that was a Gerry McNamara missed three-pointer against Cincinnati away from missing the tournament altogether. The same team that last week I predicted would not make the tournament. The same team that must have read what I wrote, then proceeded to beat UConn, Georgetown, and Pitt to win the Big East. Well, I think their Cinderella story is coming to an end early and you can take that to the bank. The way I pick my bracket is predict my Final Four teams and work my way backwards. I never have more than two 1-seeded teams in the Finals, thus this year I am going with UConn and Duke. 'Nova is a question mark due to Ray's eye, and Memphis does not have the experience, nor were they tested in the regular season. I then pick a few upset specials early on, especially in the second round. One really interesting fact that I heard over the past 24 hours is that in even-numbered years since 1990, a top-seeded team has been eliminated in the second round. And that's only on even-numbered years, meaning that a top-seeded team has not lost in the second round during odd-numbered years. I don't think this year will be different: Memphis will be sent packing early! You should also keep in mind trends, such as a 16-seed never beating a top seed. I don't think you'll ever see that happen in your lifetime. As well, you should also leave your heart at the door. If you hate Duke, which I do, don't pick them to lose to George Washington in Round 2. Duke is a better team. Use your head at all times. What are some of the best wagering or parlay-type opportunities that come around on March Madness? BG, BG Sports: Moneyline parlay the #1 seeds is guaranteed money. Works like a charm. That ticket is 20-0 lifetime. RG, BoDog.com: A lot of bettors come to the sportsbook for the first time during March Madness, thus they are quick to throw money down on the favorites like Duke; however they don't do their homework on ATS records. Duke had a terrible year ATS, finishing at 13-17-1. Gonzaga finished 12-18. Teams like this are very popular for bettors, and those bettors simply drive the price up to a point where it's higher than the actual difference in ability between the two teams. Spending the extra effort will go a long way when you factor in the spread. The second thing to pay close attention to is who the Cinderella teams are, as lines tend to shift for the wrong reasons due to the media attention they receive. Another opportunity is with the Over/Under in the early rounds. Teams that are ranked highly tend to not play their starters as much when game is out of hand, thus scoring ismuch lower in earlier rounds compared to during the later rounds when the best players are called upon to perform for the entire game. Another thing is to try to ride the team that is hot as long as you can. Betting on them to end their run may not prove to be profitable in the long run. Syracuse is as hot as they get (although I did pick them to lose in the first round about two minutes ago). Finally, always have a look at where games are being played. Some teams will have home-court advantage due to game being played near their hometown. Ohio State has an opening round game in Dayton Arena. Texas is playing in Dallas. Having the backing of your hometown fans often makes the difference when it comes to picking against the spread. Christopher Harris is a featured writer for the Professional Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com |
Other Football Betting Articles
Cheating at Roulette - Can You Do It? Cheating at Roulette - Can you do it?If you are searching on the net, you will find many authors who claim "cheating at roulette" is possible and by doing it you can win consistent profits.The bad news is "cheating at roulette" is not possible. However, you can put the odds in your favour as much as possible without cheating or pay ...Deuces Wild Video Poker - Three Winning Tips In Video Poker games, only the ranking of the hands is the same as in table poker.Since you play the game on a machine, your only objective is to get the best-paying hand.The machine deals a five-card hand.You can keep or throw away as many cards as you like by activating the appropriate button underneath every card.A ...NFL Wagering There are some important points to consider in sports wagering, specifically in NFL wagering. One of them is NFL wagering picks. NFL picks are pieces of information which specialist on NFL make while analyzing games, teams, past games, players and all factors that can make an effect on the outcome of a game.Picks can be general or deep in ...NBA At the Break The NBA All Star break may not be the exact midpoint of the season, but it is the marking point of the start of the more important part of the season: the stretch run! While there is a lot of basketball left, it is still a key time for handicappers because many teams are focused on division titles and playoff seeding. And other teams know their ...Playing Online Poker For A Living Playing online poker for a living is absolutely doable, but it takes a combination of talent, dedication, patience, discipline and disposition to succeed.You must study and constantly work on the weak parts of your game. Reading a book like "Texas Holdem for Advanced Players" once, will not be good enough. You will have to read it over an ...Best Multiplayer Poker Have you been playing poker online for a while? Are you tired of just playing the computer and looking for a way to sharpen your skills? It’s time for you to find the best multiplayer poker and start increasing your fun.The best multiplayer poker will allow you to compete with players all over the world, all from the comfort of your own h ...Tips To Ponder Before Buying A Poker Table Poker tables come in al shapes, sizes and prices.Folding poker tables are reasonable priced and can easily be stored away or brought with you to the cottage or a friend's houseRacetrack poker tables are probably the most popular tables on the market. They are a great choice if you are buying a permanent piece of furniture for your ...Play Deuces Wild Video Poker – Have Fun and Make Money Playing Deuces Wild Video Poker and can bring you hours of entertainment, and some money if you follow the tips belowIn Video Poker games, only the ranking of the hands is the same as in table poker.When you play Deuces Wild video its fast fun!Lets look at the game, how to win and have some fun.Play Deuces Wild RulesY ...Las Vegas "Whales" What Las Vegas jargon names "whales" is in fact the creme of the high rollers species. They are a handful of people that in some opinions don't exceed 500 individuals in the world. Las Vegas hoteliers are nuts about them; some claim four or five of those whales bet much more than the rest of the thousands customers they receive daily. No wonder ...Sports Betting Tips: Why To Never Bet On A Hunch! Have you ever wondered how the sports betting "smart money" became the smart money? Do you wonder what the football betting smart money does differently than the amateurs? One of the most important things that sports betting pros do to make money is that they NEVER bet on games just on a hunch, or because they have a feeling a team will win. ...Best Online Poker Every internet casino in operation today claims to offer the best online poker. So, who is telling the truth and who is lying? That answer isn’t quite so cut and dried. What is the best poker to you might not be the best poker to your friend. Two of the biggest selling points of the online casinos are the security of the site and the bonuses the ...Best Sportsbook The interest in sports betting continues to grow, but many people still don’t know very much about it. They may know how to place a bet, but don’t know where to find the information that helps them to make the best decisions. On the other hand there are bettors who do their betting with a sportsbook and have that information at their fingertips. ...Learn To Play Blackjack – How to Win Big Consistently - Part 2 In part 1 we have looked at the basics of the game and how to learn to play blackjack, now its time to learn how to win.It’s easy to learn to play blackjack and the good news is, it’s easy to win, providing you follow the basic rules below.The oddsBy using computer simulations, it has been proved that certain cards are favor ...What Is The Winning Chances Of Sports Gambling? Gambling in general is considered to have brought certain level of ecstasy to some, however, inspires fear and mistrust in others. On one hand, it is defined as “to take risk hoping for good return” and on the other hand it is defined as “to lose by betting or risking”. With such definitions, it is just necessary to know that gambling depends ...Five Mistakes to Avoid When Betting Online When betting online there are five mistakes you can make that will cost you a lot of money. Therefore, by staying away from the following eight mistakes you can stand a better chance of making a profit from your online betting.The first mistake is to dismiss the use of betting banks. If you want to achieve a good and long-term profit from ...The Poker Odds If you’ve ever watched a poker tournament either in person, or on television you’ve heard a lot of discussion about poker odds. Calculating poker odds is a key element in winning at poker, but it’s not always easy. In fact some people claim that poker is not really gambling at all because there is more skill than luck involved. If you’re looking ...Manchester United's Wonder Kid: Wayne Rooney Wayne Rooney was born in Liverpool on 24th of October 1985. Wayne, at only 19, is the most expensive teenagers in world football. With the price tag of 27million pound Wayne Rooney is dubbed as the future hope of English football. The skillful striker fulfills his dream to play at Old Trafford on 31st of August 2004, minutes before the transfer ...MAC Championship Preview Akron Zips vs. Northern Illinois Huskies 7:30 PM ETThursday - MAC Championship – Ford Field - Detroit, MIAkron won the tiebreaker over Miami Ohio and Bowling Green to get to the MAC title game and the Zips will be looking for their first ever MAC Championship. For those who don’t know Akron very well, this is not that much of a sur ...Baseball Lines If you enjoy betting on baseball games you probably look at baseball lines to help you make your decision. But, do you know what is behind the baseball lines? Serious sports gamblers do because they rely on an expert to interpret them and provide the back-up information necessary to make an informed decision. After all, when you place a bet you ...If Anyone Is Cheating Please Raise Your Hand As the old saying goes, nobody likes a cheat. Depending on what the “cheat” in question is doing, forms of gambling dishonesty can be theft, lying, or other unpleasant titles associated with the practice of cheating.If this is so deceitful then why do people learn to count cards in blackjack, I hear you ask? The casinos consider this che ...Premiership Betting Review - 13 February 2006 Middlesbrough made a mockery of their 7/1 odds by crushing Chelsea 3-0 at the Riverside Stadium. Boro, with just one win in their last 11 Premiership matches, took the lead through Fabio Rochemback, while further strikes from Stuart Downing and Yakubu sealed a memorable victory. Chelsea, with just one win in their last five league matches, will ...Different Gambling Sites Today’s gambler likes a little variety. They will go to a casino or place bets online. With all the different and exciting sites out there, people who enjoy gambling will have no problems finding a site to suit their needs. Everything from online poker to betting on football, is available online.Sports betting has been around for a long t ...The Eight Blackjack Myths that Lose You Money If you believe any of the following blackjack myths, you will lose money. Don't make that error!Myth 1: The aim of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possibleThis is NOT the object of the game. The object is to beat the dealer's hand.Often, the best strategy is to stand depending on your hand and the dealer's up card. Man ...Poker Bluffing – A Novice Guide To Winning A well-timed bluff is the mark of the successful poker player, but most novices do not know how to do it correctly.Bluffing is one of the most important skills you can learn when you play poker and adds that touch of excitement that makes poker famous, but you need to know when to do it correctly and thats what this article is all about. ...
|
