You disappoint me, California. Kimmel and Colbert were sitting right there.
Arkansas on Texas Tech (+5.5)
The Red Raiders species have higher species. Razorback has more talent, momentum and belief. The only double digit seeds remaining on the field cannot look like that, far from months of achievement, clumsiness, and spinning of shorthand. John Calipari returns to his 16th Sweet 16, facing his coach (Grant Maccasland) with three career NCAA tournament wins. The pigs don't have ceilings due to the Boogie Fland's back and NBA-level size and athleticism. A third straight, complete upset could be included in the card.
Over Maryland (+6.5) Florida
The top seed barely survived his second matchup with UConn, allowing 14 offensive rebounds and 32 points to paint, committing 12 turnovers and missing 12 free throws. The Gators could face similar issues with TERPS, which has the size to force turnovers at a higher rate than all but one team in the tournament. Maryland made the headline with Derrick Queen's Buzzer Beater, which very quietly issued the biggest statement on defense, ranking sixth in the nation.
The Terps, which led the Big Ten in scoring margins, has only suffered two losses since February 7th. None of the eight losses this season have been more than six points. Terps' overreliance on starters may be downfall, but the Gators may not be able to take advantage of the weak bench, ranked 185th in the country by portraying Fouls.
Duke, Arizona (-9.5)
Ride the Blue Devils until they don't give you a reason (23-12 against the spread as a favorite). In a November matchup between teams, Duke shot less than 43% off the field, committed 14 turnovers and scored only two players. Yes, Duke has the Cooper Flag, but there are other lottery picks (Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach) where Duke is paced to win his first national championship in a decade.
Do you bet on college basketball?
BYU on Alabama (+5.5)
Two of the best attacks in the nation welcome shootouts. However, the Cougars have won 11 of their last 12 games, and Tide has lost five of nine to participate in the NCAA Tournament. The BYU is built for a 40-minute sprint and runs a rotation of 11 people. This is led by lead scorer/sharpshooter Richie Sanders with over 37% shooting and over 37%.
Egor Denin, the Cougars' top professional prospect, will benefit from the fast-paced game more than anything else. The Russian freshmen suffered pressure from the crawls against the elite's defense. In the second round of firefight against Wisconsin, Denim was extremely efficient, generating 11 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, and earning one turnover. Alabama's defenses don't bring much resistance.
This season: 20-21
Records 2011-24: 378-340-12
