Best Bets of the Day (March 22nd)
Drake made us wait until the midnight hour to break our hearts in the parlay yesterday. The UNC -24.5 spread and Oakland upset of the tournament had the parlay looking fantastic, but a late surge from Washington State crushed our dreams. We are heading in to the second day of the Round of 64 and I don’t like these matchups like I did the ones in the first day. Nevertheless, I think I have 3 good bets for you today. After today, I will go back to a mix of other sports, but it is fun to bet these tournament games, when they go in your favor. Ok, let’s see what we have today.
Zach Bland/ Auburn Athletics
- NCAA Tournament – Round of 64
Auburn (-12.5) (-112) vs. Yale
Vermont (+12) (-110) vs. Duke
James Madison (ML) (+180) vs. Wisconsin
First up, we have Auburn to win by at least 13 points against the Yale Bulldogs. I love this bet. Personally, I think Auburn may be the toughest team in the tournament aside from UCONN. They are getting hot at the perfect time and hitting on all cylinders. They’re an efficient offensive team and they play great, aggressive defense. As for Yale, they’re not bad, but the teams that they have played that are similar to Auburn, they have lost by double digits. Both of their losses to Gonzaga and Kansas were both by 15 points. Auburn is an aggressive team and to be fair, I could see them reaching the Final Four. They should handle Yale pretty easily this afternoon. It is also worth noting, they are 7-1 at neutral sites this season. Their wins at neutral sites, were at an average margin of 22 points.
I have followed Duke basketball my entire life. I know when they have the teams to move forward and I know when they have fraudulent teams. This team is a fraud. They don’t play well together and in big moments, it is apparent. This feels like a classic Duke team that is poised for an early exit. I don’t know if Vermont will deal them the blow, but I think they will definitely show their weaknesses for the next opponent. As a whole, the ACC was pretty weak this year and Duke didn’t exactly run through the competition. Vermont will face their first ranked opponent in Duke today and they have their work cut out for them, but I think their defense will step up to the challenge. I personally think Vermont could win today, but I will play it safe with the spread. I think they will definitely keep things within 12 points.
The Pardon My Take Invitational is my final pick. I think James Madison will clear Wisconsin today and embark on a cinderella run. The winner of this contest will go on to face the winner of the Duke/Vermont contest and I think the Dukes will prevail today and move on to the Sweet Sixteen. James Madison has had a crazy year for sports. Their football team was ranked, and their basketball team was at one point this season as well. I think as long as Appalachian State isn't the team in front of them, they are capable of beating anyone. They have a stout defense and a high-octane offense. Also, I can never take Big 10 teams in the tournament seriously. They always seem to fall early and often. I think JMU wins today and I think they will make a little run in the tournament.
Auburn -12.5; Vermont +12; James Madison ML
3-Bet Parlay: +911
The parlay that I have today is a pretty stout one. I think this one should have no issue hitting today. I really like all of these picks, but if you do parlays, then you know how these things go. Especially in the NCAA Tournament. Happy betting everyone. Gamble responsible and remember, this is for fun.
Yacs