Hello, friends. *extremely Jim Nance voice* I am Blakey Locks and I will be your guide this March. Every round I am going to traverse you through the trials and tribulations of betting your mortgage on 18-year-olds playing basketball. From Duke to Seton Hall to Gardner Webb, I will give you the knowledge necessary to conquer your bookie and feed your children. We will win together, lose together and laugh together. Let’s ride.
NCAA Tournament Record- (30-22)
Sweet Sixteen- Thursday 3/27
What a day on Sunday. We started the day on a 7-0 tear and THANK GOD lost our Anteaters bet to end the day. Everybody knows a perfect 8-0 day would have been bad luck and the rest of the tournament would have been Hell. Luckily, Oregon decided to show up so we finished the day at an exquisite 7-1.
It was fun.
The only hard part is instead of being able to keep rolling on that hot streak we have been subjected to a three-day tea break from the tournament (even though I’ve gone 4-1 in the NBA (not to brag)). Well, luckily you need to get hot when you stay hot so I have no doubt the winning will continue into the Sweet 16 as these games become more and more intense.
All lines as of 4:00 PM EST Wednesday via BetOnline
7:09 PM on CBS- (4) Florida State vs. (1) Gonzaga (-7.5) o/u 147
Florida State is a really good basketball team if you haven’t learned yet. I currently have futures on them to win their region and the whole damn thing and I am not hedging at all. Their senior guard Phil Cofer will not be playing in the game because of the recent loss of his father. It’s an absolutely tragic event and I wish him the best. This is also something you have to cap. The Noles have announced they’re dedicating the rest of their run to Phil and his father and that type of motivation really does make a difference. The Noles big guys are horrifying and I think Gonzaga will need to shoot the ball really well to win this game. Noles cover.
The Pick: Florida State +7.5
7:29 PM on TBS- (3) Purdue vs. (2) Tennessee (-1) o/u 146.5
If I could watch this game anywhere in America it would be at this household. I can’t even imagine the very passive aggressive jabs back and forth over an Anniversary dinner (assuming Dad is a real Vawls fan). This is also the hardest game of the round to pick for me. I think this game will reflect the 1-point line and be a literal coin flip. Last week’s coin flip game resulted in me taking Houston -6 who easily covered so I’m going back to the well here.
Coin Flip of the Day: Tennessee -1
9:39 PM on CBS- (3) Texas Tech vs. (2) Michigan (-2) o/u 125.5
This is going to a big time defensive battle as those stats reflect. Both coaches are also very very good. So naturally, it will come down to which offense is better. I am still not sold on Michigan. Teske has been able to dominate the first two round but will be challenged against the bigs from Texas Tech. Michigan also goes through these droughts where they just don’t score for 3-5 minutes at a time and against the Red Raiders that could get even worse. Finally, when in doubt of who to pick in March, go with the best player on the court. In this game, it is Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver by a lot. He leads his team in points, assists, and rebounds and will go get a bucket whenever his team needs one.
The Pick: Texas Tech +2
9:59 PM on TBS- (12) Oregon vs. (1) Virginia (-8.5) o/u 119
I love the Hoos this year. They were my pick to win the whole thing in my bracket, I have a future on them, and they covered the 1H and game for me on Sunday. Kyle Guy, who I used to despise, is now one of my favorite players in college basketball and I love how people hate UVA’s style of play. Watching a dominant UVA defensive possession is AWESOME and Texas Tech might be the only other team you see defensive possessions like that from. I think Oregon’s luck will run out as the above stat indicated is the norm in these situations. That sample size is enough for me to roll with the number already, on top of the fact that I love the Hoos.
The Pick: UVA -8.5
Let’s make this a tidy 4-0 and get some unbelievable basketball games.
Blakey Locks 