Free March Madness Bracket Picks - December 31, 2008

Four picks today on the college hardwood...

Today's NCAA Basketball Picks:

Game: Loyola Maryland at Duke (4:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 3 units on Game Total UNDER 150.5 -110 (risk 3 to win 2.7)

The fifth-ranked Blue Devils have won 65 straight here at home vs. non-conference foes. They are 10-1 this season and at home they are playing stifling defense holding foes to just 61.3 points per game. That spells trouble for Loyola Maryland who has struggled on the road all season. Duke is 20-6 UNDER in their last 26 games vs. losing teams. And under Coach-K, they are 72-58 UNDER in non-conference games. This one should come in UNDER the total.

This is a bigger mismatch than this line suggests. Bowling Green is just 2-5 on the road while Duquense is 4-2 at home. The Dukes are averaging 78 points per game and BG will have trouble keeping up with that. Duquense is coming off a beat down of Robert Morris in a game in which they shot 58% while holding R-M to under 31%. I like them to carry that momentum into this game. And, with the Falcons just 3-11 ATS the past three season vs. teams at .600 or better, Duquense gets the call here.

Number one North Carolina visits Nevada in a game that can be seen tonight on ESPN2. The Tarheels are 12-0 having won each game by at least 15 points. That includes wins over Rutgers, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Oregon and Michigan State. So, there's no doubt which team will win this game. But will the teams combine for 160+ points? I don't think so. Nevada has a very stout defense. They have held their 12 opponents to an average of 62.7 points per game. At home they are allowing just 58.6 per game. And, it's been improving as they've knocked a few points off that over their last five games. The Wolfpack are 8-2 to the UNDER this season. And, Roy Williams-coached teams have gone UNDER in 76 of 126 road games when facing a good opponent (those outscoring the competition by 4+ ppg). This total is high and I'll take the UNDER.

The Duel in the Desert concludes with Wyoming at Utah State. The Aggies are absolutely dominating opponents this season on way to an 11-1 record and perfect 7-0 home mark. They have beaten their seven foes here by an avaerage of nearly 20 points per game! Wyoming has been awesome at home going 8-0 but on the road they are just 3-2, giving up over 80 ppg. This is simply a big mismatch and Utah State should run away with it.

Results: 3-1

NCAA Basketball Picks Resources:

• Don't forget to visit our 2008 college basketball handicapping preivew.
• Check out our updated NCAA basketball betting.
• Take a look at our 2008 college basketball picks results here.
• Take a look at our NCAA basketball betting approach here.
• Here we show our NCAA basketball Game Analysis.
• Don't forget to visit our NCAA basketball picks blog.
• Take a look at our free NCAA basketball picks here.
• Check out our updated college basketball spreads.
• Check out ncaa bracket picks here.
• Read our NCAA basketball ATS records here.
• Take a look at our march madness pick here.
• View our updated NCAA basketball prior predictions.

Check out the last five NCAA Basketball Picks Newsletters:

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-December-30-2008
UMass is just 2-4 on the road this season where they have been outscored by 4.5 points per game. They are 1-4 ATS in those games. Houston is 4-1 at home, winning by 25 points per game. They have cover...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-December-29-2008
Both of these teams are anemic offensively, leading to a low total. But, I like the OVER here thanks to the fact that Fordham can't stop anyone on the road. While scoring just 62.6 per game, they ...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-December-28-2008
Indiana State limps into conference play with a 2-9 record. The Sycamores are averaging just 60 ppg on 40% shooting. The offense has actuall been declining as the season progresses. They must face a t...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-December-27-2008
The Cougars have had the reputation to slow games down to a screeching halt, but when they have played teams that are athletic and like to get up-and-down, like Gonzaga (74 points against the Cougars)...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-December-23-2008
Here we have a sub-.500 team that is 1-3 at home on the year, laying double digits. Delaware is the better team in this one, but this line is too large. Marist has a better defense and should be able ...