I was looking at the lines yesterday and I immediately locked in on Syracuse versus Arizona State. I was shocked to see the Orange only giving 2.5 to the Sun Devils. I am going to give the Pat Sheehan guarantee on Syracuse this afternoon. For those of you who don't me, I don't throw that phrase around on just anything. Syracuse is the lock of the year.
Sure Arizona State looked great in the first round beating temple despite an off night from Harden, but Syracuse is just the better and hotter team. I laugh when I see things like can Syracuse recover from the 6 overtime game in the Big East tournament. Really? That was over a week ago and these are 20 year old men, I think they will manage.
The Orange outscore the Sun Devils by eleven points. They hold a +7 rebounding advantage. I have Cuse in the Elite Eight and they will cruise today while I cash in.
Syracuse -2.5 vs Arizona State
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Friday Locks
Butler let me down yesterday, but I had the money line for Western Kentucky and +5 so we had a positive day.
I wrote this when WKU was up 17 with a couple of minutes to go. I swear I am going to go into convulsions one of these days because I can never have an "easy" win. Short to the point right ups as I forgot to post this last night.
I love Portland State today at +10.5 versus Xavier:
The Xmen are turnover prone and that is never a team you want to back with a double digit spread.
Siena +3 vs Ohio State:
So maybe it is practically a home game for Ohio State, but it doesn't change the fact that they are bad at basketball. Siena is deeper, outscores the Buckeyes and has a rebounding advantage.
Temple +6 vs ASU:
Dionte Christmas is going to go off today. Play a zone against him and see what happens. ASU is a one man show in Harden and bunch of guys who watch him work.
I wrote this when WKU was up 17 with a couple of minutes to go. I swear I am going to go into convulsions one of these days because I can never have an "easy" win. Short to the point right ups as I forgot to post this last night.
I love Portland State today at +10.5 versus Xavier:
The Xmen are turnover prone and that is never a team you want to back with a double digit spread.
Siena +3 vs Ohio State:
So maybe it is practically a home game for Ohio State, but it doesn't change the fact that they are bad at basketball. Siena is deeper, outscores the Buckeyes and has a rebounding advantage.
Temple +6 vs ASU:
Dionte Christmas is going to go off today. Play a zone against him and see what happens. ASU is a one man show in Harden and bunch of guys who watch him work.
First Round Locks
Something really needs to be done about February as a sports month. After the Super Bowl, the world of sports completely shuts down and the agonizing wait for the Conference Tournaments begins. But the time has finally come, the greatest two weeks in sports is here. March Madness.
In case you care, my final four is Louisville, Mizzou, Pittsburgh and North Carolina. I have Louisville over North Carolina. But that is not why I am writing tonight, I am here to give the gambling locks of the first round.
If you follow my picks you are guaranteed a sweat no matter what, that is just how it works with me, I cannot control it. Tonight I had the Detroit Pistons at +8.5 and the game went into double overtime. Normally there would be no reason to watch the the finish getting 8 in overtime, but with two minutes to go sure enough, the Rockets are up 10. A quick 5-0 run ended up getting to 5 and within the number, but even a "sure thing" had to raise my blood pressure.
Follow with caution, but
Thursday:
12) Western Kentucky vs 5) Illinois: WKU +5
Sure the Hilltoppers lost Courtney Lee and two other starters from the squad that pulled off the most exciting upset of last year's first round, but WKU rolled through the conference and spanked Louisville during the season.
Illinois struggles to score and are going to be without guard Chester Frazier.
WKU fits the Giant Killer role, they are coming in hot, winning 9/10 and have a rebounding advantage over the Illini, while their opponent has lost 3 of 4.
+5 is a lock and give me that +190 straight up win as well.
9) Butler vs 8) LSU: Butler +2
Butler has that tournament experience and they continue to get it done on the defensive end. I had the great pleasure of watching this team play UIC and there is nothing spectacular about them. The SEC was bad this season, really bad. LSU lost 3 out of 4 going into the tournament and get more love than they should because they are full of athletes. When in doubt take the 9 seed (45-35 all time) and the better defense and Butler fills the bill here giving up 58 points per game.
Butler +2 is a lock.
We will have Friday's picks tomorrow.
In case you care, my final four is Louisville, Mizzou, Pittsburgh and North Carolina. I have Louisville over North Carolina. But that is not why I am writing tonight, I am here to give the gambling locks of the first round.
If you follow my picks you are guaranteed a sweat no matter what, that is just how it works with me, I cannot control it. Tonight I had the Detroit Pistons at +8.5 and the game went into double overtime. Normally there would be no reason to watch the the finish getting 8 in overtime, but with two minutes to go sure enough, the Rockets are up 10. A quick 5-0 run ended up getting to 5 and within the number, but even a "sure thing" had to raise my blood pressure.
Follow with caution, but
Thursday:
12) Western Kentucky vs 5) Illinois: WKU +5
Sure the Hilltoppers lost Courtney Lee and two other starters from the squad that pulled off the most exciting upset of last year's first round, but WKU rolled through the conference and spanked Louisville during the season.
Illinois struggles to score and are going to be without guard Chester Frazier.
WKU fits the Giant Killer role, they are coming in hot, winning 9/10 and have a rebounding advantage over the Illini, while their opponent has lost 3 of 4.
+5 is a lock and give me that +190 straight up win as well.
9) Butler vs 8) LSU: Butler +2
Butler has that tournament experience and they continue to get it done on the defensive end. I had the great pleasure of watching this team play UIC and there is nothing spectacular about them. The SEC was bad this season, really bad. LSU lost 3 out of 4 going into the tournament and get more love than they should because they are full of athletes. When in doubt take the 9 seed (45-35 all time) and the better defense and Butler fills the bill here giving up 58 points per game.
Butler +2 is a lock.
We will have Friday's picks tomorrow.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Boxing is dead?
I am sure you have seen the talking heads screaming that boxing is dead and will never recover. They tell you the heavyweight division is garbage and nobody cares anymore. While the first part of that may in fact be true, the second needs to be reevaluated. Part of the problem is the people talking and writing these things are not boxing fans, but just casual observers spewing out what everyone else is saying. MMA may be on the verge of taking over, but boxing isn't going down for the count. It is here to stay and after a thunderous 08, 2009 is trying to go punch for punch.
Case in point, Saturday night, Juan Manuel Marquez versus Juan Diaz for the lightweight title. A matchup that promised fireworks on paper, Number 1 and Number 2 inside the ring. A veteran counter puncher in the 16th year of his career and an up and coming young bull who loves to pressure. Sometimes when things appear too good on paper they end up disappointing on fight night.
This battle did no such thing.
Juan Diaz, fighting in front of his hometown in Houston, came out and applied the pressure from the opening bell. Marquez was back pedalling looking for that counter hook that he just could not find early. The first four rounds had Diaz backing Marquez into the ropes, looking like the stronger, faster fighter. Diaz even opened up Marquez in the fifth, but the tides would soon change.
This match had everything you could ask for, a fast pace, no clinching and blood. Oh yes there will be blood.
Marquez answered his 5th round cut, by opening up Diaz in the 8th in a similar fashion to the way Nate Campbell had the previous fight. The veteran was landing with the more flush and harder cleaner shots and Diaz was in trouble.
The middle rounds saw Marquez turn it on leading up to the climatic ending in the 9th. The blood was flowing into Diaz's eye and Marquez left was following right behind. Marquez hit him with a flurry that wobbled the "Baby Bull" and eventually put him down to the canvas.
The end was near. Diaz got back to his feet, but he was in trouble. There was no clinching to survive the round, he was going down swinging and Marquez hit him with a brutal uppercut that left Diaz crumpled in a heap, in the center of the ring.
The first time I noticed the ref in the ring was when he waved his arms to signal it was all over. That is when you know you are watching something special, when you forget the referee was even in the ring until the knockout. Fight of the year has already been decided, but if it hasn't I can't wait for the fight that tops this.
How close was this fight before the knockout? One judge had it a draw, one had Diaz up 77-75 and the third judge had Marquez up 77-75. In other words, this was one hell of a scrap.
Juan Manuel Marquez surprisingly did not call out Manny Pacquiao the man who he had two controversial battles with, but Floyd Mayweather, the retired pound for pound best in the business. With Pac Man already fighting Ricky Hatton, it makes sense. No one really believes Floyd is done fighting and after Saturday night, what a time for him to make his "comeback".
On this night, Marquez showed the world that Boxing is alive and well and so is his career.
Case in point, Saturday night, Juan Manuel Marquez versus Juan Diaz for the lightweight title. A matchup that promised fireworks on paper, Number 1 and Number 2 inside the ring. A veteran counter puncher in the 16th year of his career and an up and coming young bull who loves to pressure. Sometimes when things appear too good on paper they end up disappointing on fight night.
This battle did no such thing.
Juan Diaz, fighting in front of his hometown in Houston, came out and applied the pressure from the opening bell. Marquez was back pedalling looking for that counter hook that he just could not find early. The first four rounds had Diaz backing Marquez into the ropes, looking like the stronger, faster fighter. Diaz even opened up Marquez in the fifth, but the tides would soon change.
This match had everything you could ask for, a fast pace, no clinching and blood. Oh yes there will be blood.
Marquez answered his 5th round cut, by opening up Diaz in the 8th in a similar fashion to the way Nate Campbell had the previous fight. The veteran was landing with the more flush and harder cleaner shots and Diaz was in trouble.
The middle rounds saw Marquez turn it on leading up to the climatic ending in the 9th. The blood was flowing into Diaz's eye and Marquez left was following right behind. Marquez hit him with a flurry that wobbled the "Baby Bull" and eventually put him down to the canvas.
The end was near. Diaz got back to his feet, but he was in trouble. There was no clinching to survive the round, he was going down swinging and Marquez hit him with a brutal uppercut that left Diaz crumpled in a heap, in the center of the ring.
The first time I noticed the ref in the ring was when he waved his arms to signal it was all over. That is when you know you are watching something special, when you forget the referee was even in the ring until the knockout. Fight of the year has already been decided, but if it hasn't I can't wait for the fight that tops this.
How close was this fight before the knockout? One judge had it a draw, one had Diaz up 77-75 and the third judge had Marquez up 77-75. In other words, this was one hell of a scrap.
Juan Manuel Marquez surprisingly did not call out Manny Pacquiao the man who he had two controversial battles with, but Floyd Mayweather, the retired pound for pound best in the business. With Pac Man already fighting Ricky Hatton, it makes sense. No one really believes Floyd is done fighting and after Saturday night, what a time for him to make his "comeback".
On this night, Marquez showed the world that Boxing is alive and well and so is his career.
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