Football is over and there is just about a month to go til the college basketball conference tournaments begin. I guess that means it’s time for me to get serious. I’ve been playing the games for sometime now, but to be truthful, I haven’t been paying too much attention to detail. The college game is so much more enjoyable for me than the pros. I haven’t made a ton of money thus far, but I haven’t gotten killed either.
With March Madness fast approaching, it’s time for me to buckle down. For me, this is the most exciting part of the sports calendar, and I get straight religious about it. Since high school when I would skip school for the opening two days, I have always circled March Madness on my calendar as a time to go crazy.
By staying connected through my bets this season, I have a good idea of who the potential contenders are. I also have a small list of teams that I can not stand. Translation: I lost money on them. But not just that, losing money is part of the game. These teams performed so pitifully, that I swore that I would never back them again, even if they were facing a bunch of drunken fishermen. I’m talking to you Oregon and Vanderbilt. I’m getting cold sweats just thinking about it.
This is the time of year that I like to make a couple futures wagers on teams to win the NCAA Championship. Here are the top 10 favorites listed at The Greek.
UNC +250
UConn +500
Duke +1200
Pitt +1200
Oklahoma +1500
Louisville +1800
UCLA +1800
Wake Forest +2000
Memphis +2000
Gonzaga +2000
Once again, I have not been studying the game, so I am by no means an authority here, but there are three teams that immediately jump out at me.
Yes, the Tar Heels are a power house, and yes, they feature television-friendly, non-threatening superstar Tyler Hansbrough. They may just be the best team out there, but how can I lay 5/2 odds on them when the tournament is over a month away?? It would be one thing if they were undefeated, but they have shown vulnerability in losing to BC and the ever-dangerous Demon Deacons. They have also been injury prone. If they were sitting at +250 when the Elite Eight teams were set, I might consider it. Those odds are just silly right now.
The Huskies of Connecticut are another beast of a team, and +500 might be a decent price. They have a well balanced group, that has lost only once to Georgetown this year. Jeff Adrien is averaging a double-double (14.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG). I feel that they have a pretty decent shot of doing some damage in the Final Four. There could definitely be some money to be made on UConn.
Why Duke’s odds are so low, I don’t know. I’m a fan of the ACC, and I realize that Duke are media darlings. They will always be competitive under Coach ‘Shasheffskee’, but after UNC, the team to keep an eye on in this conference is Wake Forest.
The Deacons are currently ranked 7th in the AP with a record of 18-3. Their losses have come against tough ACC opponents (VT, GT & Miami). They boast wins over the double-headed monster of UNC and Duke, which always looks good on your resume. Guard Jeff Teague leads the Deacons, who are currently at +2000. They are my long long shot play right now.
So I have UConn as my conservative play, Wake as my long long shot. Then there is my team in between, who I actually like the most – Oklahoma at +1500. Forward Blake Griffin has a body that is ready for the NBA. He is 8th in the nation in scoring (22.3) and leads the country in rebounding (14.0). His college game reminds me of the late Hank Gathers or Rodney Rogers. He is a man among men and can take control of a game.
Complimenting Griffin are guards Willie Warren and Tony Crocker. Even Blake’s brother, Taylor contributes to the team’s success. Blake and Taylor are like Stanford’s brotherly duo of last year, Robin and Brook Lopez…just not as hot.
The Sooners have lost to only Arkansas this year. They should do some serious damage come March, and just might win the whole darn thing. It would take a lot to surpass the profits that I made on Kansas last year. Oklahoma at +1500 could definitely do the trick.
With March Madness fast approaching, it’s time for me to buckle down. For me, this is the most exciting part of the sports calendar, and I get straight religious about it. Since high school when I would skip school for the opening two days, I have always circled March Madness on my calendar as a time to go crazy.
By staying connected through my bets this season, I have a good idea of who the potential contenders are. I also have a small list of teams that I can not stand. Translation: I lost money on them. But not just that, losing money is part of the game. These teams performed so pitifully, that I swore that I would never back them again, even if they were facing a bunch of drunken fishermen. I’m talking to you Oregon and Vanderbilt. I’m getting cold sweats just thinking about it.
This is the time of year that I like to make a couple futures wagers on teams to win the NCAA Championship. Here are the top 10 favorites listed at The Greek.
UNC +250
UConn +500
Duke +1200
Pitt +1200
Oklahoma +1500
Louisville +1800
UCLA +1800
Wake Forest +2000
Memphis +2000
Gonzaga +2000
Once again, I have not been studying the game, so I am by no means an authority here, but there are three teams that immediately jump out at me.
Yes, the Tar Heels are a power house, and yes, they feature television-friendly, non-threatening superstar Tyler Hansbrough. They may just be the best team out there, but how can I lay 5/2 odds on them when the tournament is over a month away?? It would be one thing if they were undefeated, but they have shown vulnerability in losing to BC and the ever-dangerous Demon Deacons. They have also been injury prone. If they were sitting at +250 when the Elite Eight teams were set, I might consider it. Those odds are just silly right now.
The Huskies of Connecticut are another beast of a team, and +500 might be a decent price. They have a well balanced group, that has lost only once to Georgetown this year. Jeff Adrien is averaging a double-double (14.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG). I feel that they have a pretty decent shot of doing some damage in the Final Four. There could definitely be some money to be made on UConn.
Jeff Adrien
The Deacons are currently ranked 7th in the AP with a record of 18-3. Their losses have come against tough ACC opponents (VT, GT & Miami). They boast wins over the double-headed monster of UNC and Duke, which always looks good on your resume. Guard Jeff Teague leads the Deacons, who are currently at +2000. They are my long long shot play right now.
So I have UConn as my conservative play, Wake as my long long shot. Then there is my team in between, who I actually like the most – Oklahoma at +1500. Forward Blake Griffin has a body that is ready for the NBA. He is 8th in the nation in scoring (22.3) and leads the country in rebounding (14.0). His college game reminds me of the late Hank Gathers or Rodney Rogers. He is a man among men and can take control of a game.
Complimenting Griffin are guards Willie Warren and Tony Crocker. Even Blake’s brother, Taylor contributes to the team’s success. Blake and Taylor are like Stanford’s brotherly duo of last year, Robin and Brook Lopez…just not as hot.
Get it Griffins
