Handicapper Profile

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Utah Jazz minus the points over Chicago.  The Jazz went into Atlanta on a 5-game SU/ATS win streak, but left with their tail between their legs after the Hawks upset them, 117-114, as a 7.5 point underdog.  I look for Quin Snyder's men to bounce back on this Saturday, as they're 19-9 ATS off a loss this season.  Meanwhile, Chicago's an awful 2-10 ATS at home off a win.  Lay the points with Utah.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Minnesota Wild.  The Wild pulled off an upset Friday night, beating the Defending Cup Champion Capitals in Washington by a 2-1 margin.  Now they head south to Raleigh to face a Canes team that is only two points out of third place in the Metropolitan -- the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  So Carolina's backs are against the wall heading into this game having lost its last one by a 6-3 tally on Thursday.  But losing to the Lightning almost doesn't count at this point as the team that has already clinched the President's Trophy is running over every other club in the league right now.  Prior to the loss to the Bolts, Carolina had won four of out five, including victories over the Penguins, Predators, and Avalanche.  The home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings of these two while the favorite is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings as well.  It's true that this is also a revenge situation for the Wild, as they lost 5-4 to Carolina back in October.  But they are just 8-15 in the last 23 (-10 games on the money line) avenging a same season loss.  Take the Canes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

Our 3 selections include Purdue, Florida State and Florida.<br><br>At 5:15 pm, our selection is on the Florida Gators + the points over Michigan.  The Gators upset a very good Nevada team on Thursday, as a 2-point underdog.  And they'll try to make it two-upsets-in-a-row vs. John Beilein's men this evening.  Florida's upset win over Nevada continued the SEC Conference's long success in this tournament as underdogs vs. top level foes with a win percentage greater than .765.  Dating back to 1992, SEC teams have gone 42-20-3 ATS in this role.  Take Florida.<br><br>At 6:10 pm, our selection is on the Florida State Seminoles minus the points over Murray State.  The Ohio Valley Conference champion Racers blew out Marquette, 83-64, on Thursday to stretch their win streak to 12 games.  Their last two wins were both upsets, and that doesn't bode well for them this evening.  Indeed, since 1991, Conference Champions have cashed just 23.8% in Round 2 off back to back upset wins!  Take Florida State minus the points.<br><br>At 9 pm, our selection is on the Purdue Boilermakers minus the points over Villanova.  The Big East Champion Wildcats have been installed as an underdog vs. Purdue, notwithstanding the fact they've won four straight games, and are the defending National Champs.  One of the things I like to do in the Tourney's second round is go against underdogs that won their Conference tourney, if they weren't off a point spread defeat in Round 1, provided they're playing an opponent off a double-digit win which did not win its Conference tourney.  Since 1990, this angle has clocked in at 63.4%.  With Purdue in off a 13-point blowout of Old Dominion, we'll lay the points with the Boilermakers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:40 pm, our selection is on the Kentucky Wildcats minus the points over Wofford.  The Terriers are on an impressive 20-game win streak, and have covered eight straight games.  Unfortunately, that should all come to a screeching halt this afternoon vs. John Calipari's Wildcats.  Kentucky has gone 41-14-2 ATS in the post-season vs. foes with an .750 (or better) win percentage, provided Kentucky wasn't on a 3-Game (or better) ATS win streak.  And underdogs of +5 or more points, seeded #4 (or worse) have cashed just 37% in the NCAA Tourney over the past 29 years.  Take Kentucky.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, in the NIT Tournament, our selection is on the Indiana Hoosiers minus the points over Arkansas.  The Razorbacks defeated the Hoosiers by a point earlier this season.  But that game was played in Fayetteville.  On the road, Arkansas has consistently burned money for bettors over the years.  Indeed, the Razorbacks are a miserable 16-33 on the road vs. revenge-minded foes, including 1-10 ATS vs. foes off a SU/ATS win.  Lay the points with Indiana.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:50 pm, our selection is on the Ohio State Buckeyes + the points over Iowa State.  The Cyclones were seeded 5th in their conference tournament, but upset Kansas in the Big 12 Conference title game, 78-66.  We played on Iowa State in that game, but will fade them tonight, as a big favorite, as they've covered just one of their last seven away from home when favored by 5+ points.  Moreover, teams that won their tourney as a #5 (or worse) seed have covered just 40% of NCAA Tournament openers vs. opponents off a SU loss.  Finally, the Cyclones come into this game on a 3-game SU/ATS win streak.  Unfortunately, Big 12 Conference teams have covered just 23 of 63 post season games when they've been on a 3-0 SU/ATS win streak.  Take the points with the Buckeyes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Central Florida Knights over Virginia Commonwealth.  Central Florida had covered eight straight games prior to losing its two final AAC Conference games.  But those two games were played on their opponent's home court.  When Central Florida has played at home, or on a neutral court, it's gone 40-13 straight-up, and 31-15-1 ATS, including 39-2 straight-up and 27-7-1 ATS when it wasn't an underdog of more than 2 points (and, then, 14-0 ATS within that 27-7 set if its opponent was off a point spread defeat).  Here, of course, 9th-seeded Central Florida's been installed as a 1-point favorite against the 8th-seeded Rams, who are off a 75-70 upset loss to Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 tournament.  We'll take Central Florida tonight, and go against VCU, as Atlantic 10 Tourney teams have gone 0-7 straight-up, and 0-6-1 ATS vs. in the NCAA Tourney vs. foes off back to back losses.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

Our 3 selections include Washington, Houston, and Southern Utah.<br><br>At 6:50 pm, our selection is on the Washington Huskies + the points over Utah State.  The Huskies were blown out in their Pac-12 Championship game, 68-48, by Oregon.  But off that blowout defeat, I look for the Huskies to rebound tonight.  Indeed, they fall into a super 65.9% ATS system of mine which plays on certain teams off 15-point (or worse) defeats.  Additionally, Pac-12 Conference teams have had success over the years vs. Mountain West Conference opposition.  And especially when our Pac-12 team was installed as an underdog away from home, as they've gone 21-9-1 ATS.  Take the Huskies + the points.<br><br>At 7:20 pm, our selection is on the Houston Cougars minus the points over Georgia State.  The Cougars were upset by Cincinnati in their Conference championship game.  But, in my opinion, they're in a great position to get to their first Final Four since the Guy Lewis era (Houston was my pick to win the Midwest Region).  They'll kick off their NCAA Tourney campaign against the Sun Belt champ.  Unfortunately for the Panthers, NCAA teams, seeded 14 or worse, off 8-point (or greater) wins, have cashed just 35.8% of NCAA Tourney games vs. foes off SU/ATS losses.  Take Houston minus the points.<br><br>At 8:30 pm, in the COLLEGE INSIDER TOURNAMENT, our selection is on the Southern Utah Thunderbirds + the points over Drake.  These two schools have met four previous times, with Drake taking the last two meetings by 13 and 19 points.  However, the one time these two teams met here, in Utah, the Thunderbirds won by 20.  Home underdogs have generally done well in the post-season tournaments, and especially when they lost the previous meeting to their opponent by 10+ points.  Since 1990, our home underdogs have gone 10-0 ATS in this situation.  That bodes well for Southern Utah tonight.  As does the fact that the Thunderbirds have gone 12-4 ATS their last 16 non-conference games.  Take Southern Utah + the points.<br><br>

At 3:10 pm, our selection is on the Virginia Cavaliers minus the points over Gardner Webb.  The Cavaliers were my preseason pick (at 22-1 odds) to win the National Championship.  The odds are lower today than that, of course, but I still favor Virginia to win it all this season.  This afternoon, Virginia will have to confront its demons from last season, when it became the first #1 seed to lose outright to a #16 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  I believe it will be successful in that regard.  The Cavaliers will take on Gardner Webb, which won the Big South Conference.  The Runnin' Bulldogs upset Radford in the Title game.  And Big South tourney teams that defeated higher-seeded foes in the title game have generally fallen flat in the NCAA Tourney, with a 1-7-1 ATS record (1-2-1 ATS in the First Four games; 0-5 ATS in the Round of 64 games).  That doesn't bode well for Gardner-Webb this afternoon.  And neither does the fact that -- notwithstanding its ignominious 74-54 loss to Maryland-Baltimore County, as a 20.5-point favorite, in last year's tournament -- Virginia is an awesome 14-3 ATS as a favorite of more than 17 points!  But that ignominy will serve as fuel for this team's Tourney run.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2 pm, on Friday afternoon, our selection is on the Kansas State Wildcats minus the points over Cal Irvine.  The Wildcats were seeded #1 in their Big 12 Conference tourney, but were bounced out by the Iowa State Cyclones.  They're now seeded 4th in this NCAA Tournament against a 13th-seeded Anteaters squad, which has won 16 straight games.  We'll lay the points with the Wildcats, as NCAA Tourney teams, seeded #4 or #3, that lost as a top 2-seeded team in either the quarter-finals or semi-finals of their conference tourney, have cashed 63.2% since 1990 vs. foes off SU/ATS wins.  Additionally, Kansas State falls into my favorite Tourney system which is 155-58 ATS since 1990.  Finally, Big West Conference teams are a horrid 23-52 ATS vs. Big 12 member schools, including 6-25 ATS when priced from -3 to +13 points.  Take Kansas State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.