It may feel foolish to bet on March Madness.
Not only when you lose, but also when you realize you don’t need to step up for the biggest sports day of the year.
When you missed out on the magic of a Cinderella run by repeatedly betting on Jersey City’s 231st-ranked offense.
With that in mind, here is my gift to Staten Island…
North Carolina (-24.5) vs. Wagner
The Seahawks have already stung me once, when the No. 332 offense in the nation shot 47 percent from 3-point range.
Unlike two years ago, North Carolina now arrives long before the Elite Eight and features the same inside force (Armando Bacot) that crushed St. Peter’s with 20 points and 22 rebounds.
Wagner’s defensive strength means little against an offense that scored 100 points against the best team in the nation (Tennessee).
The only games the Seahawks played against power conference teams this season were losses to Seton Hall by 21 points and Providence by 34 points, long before Wagner was reduced to a six-man rotation.
Colorado State (+3) vs. Texas
The Longhorns, who advanced from the Elite Eight and added former tournament hero Max Abmas, have barely lived up to their potential this season.
Texas has not won more than two games in a row this calendar year and is the favorite with a 7-14 record against the spread, while Colorado State continues the momentum from its 25-point win over Virginia and is in the running for the title. He has the qualities of being a First Four darling.
Star guard Isaiah Stevens scored just five points in the blowout loss. The Rams haven’t reached their ceiling yet.
South Dakota State (+16.5) vs. Iowa State
The Cyclones are a Final Four contender.
They have the best defense in the country and have the seventh-highest scoring differential in the country.
They just lost to the No. 1 seed (Houston) by 28 points in the Big 12 title game.
But TJ Otzelberger has been to the NCAA Tournament four times with teams that averaged less than 55 points in six games.
Another roster suffering from an offensive drought will likely look to Round 2 but not embarrass the Jackrabbits.
Sanford (+7.5) Kansas
Bill Self hasn’t lost in the first round in 18 years, but Kansas is in jeopardy as leading scorer Kevin McCuller Jr. will miss the NCAA Tournament.
The Jayhawks have lost four of their past five games, losing the past two by a combined 50 points, and second-leading scorer Hunter Dickinson is back in less than two weeks after dislocating his shoulder. It’s planned.
Sanford’s 10-man depth and top-15 pace will be an issue for Kansas State’s undermanned team, which plays against an opponent that ranks No. 9 nationally in 3-point shooting percentage (39.3 percent). .
Do you want to bet on college basketball?
Duquesne (+9.5) vs. BYU
Three cougars have died, the second highest number in the United States. Their losses are interspersed with sub-30% performance.
The Dukes are 7-3 against the spread, but have held opponents to under 32 percent from deep this season and have held opponents to an average of less than 60 points against the spread with a top-30 defense for eight straight games. It is kept to a minimum. .
This season: 10th to 16th (Wednesday admission)
Records from 2011-23: 349-308-12
