College Hoops Predictions - March 25, 2010

We missed on our lone college hoops play last night. Today we hit the college hoops floor with a trio of 5-unit plays for seven picks total from the opening round of the Sweet 16.

Our 5-unit NHL, CBB and NBA picks are 112-65 (63%) on the season.

WUNDERDOG 2010 RECENT RESULTS ($100/bet)
SPORT	WINS-LOSSES	%	NET
NFL	46-29 last 75 picks	61%	+$4060
CFB	25-10 last 35 picks	71%	+$6040
MLB	265-219 last 484 picks	55%	+$8370
NBA	22-8 last 30 picks	73%	+$3920
NHL	288-214 last 502 picks	57%	+$14460
WNBA	121-90 last 211 picks	57%	+$5490
TOTAL			+$42340

Today's NCAA Basketball Picks:

Game: Butler vs. Syracuse (7:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 5 units on Syracuse -280 (moneyline) (risk 5 to win 1.8)
Pick: 4 units on Game Total OVER 138.5 -110 (risk 4 to win 3.6)

Syracuse was supposed to drop back a bit in the Big East, but this team has some great chemistry.  The interior players such as Onuaku and Jackson have really stepped up and Wesley Johnson has been as good as advertised - if not better. This is a team that has gone for 80+ on 20 different occasions this season. They suffered two of their four losses to Louisville and won 12 games vs. NCAA Tournament teams. Butler has won 22 straight games, but none of them were against the likes of Syracuse. They had but four losses on the season but three of them were to the likes of Georgetown, Minnesota and Clemson. The Bulldogs have gone 25 games without allowing an opponent to reach 70, but that will change here. The three losses were against the power conferences described above and all of them got to 70, averaging 75 points per game. Syracuse will be closer to 80, so I'll back Syracuse and the OVER in this one.

I really like these two teams to win their games. The Cuse is 10-2 this season on the road vs. winning teams and 13-1 vs. teams that shoot 45%+ from the field. They are also 12-1 this season coming off a double-digit win and 10-1 on the road off any size win. Purdue has had a great run, but without Hummel, they have virtually no chance against Duke - a team that matches them defensively but has more offensive firepower. Duke has won 13 of their last 14 neutral-court games and 10-1 in tournament games. I give this parlay a about an 80% chance of winning, but we are laying odds as if it were closer to 67% - that's a nice overlay. NOTE: If Syracuse wins today, this parlay will not count towards today's win/losses at all as Duke plays tomorrow. It will be graded as part of tomorrow's picks. If Syracuse loses, it will be graded as a loss for today's picks.

The Washington Huskies are from a power conference that had a very bad year. That is true, but the Huskies have put it all together and have become one of the nation’s hottest teams. A team that went through a 2-5 stretch and appeared designed for also-ran status, elevated its play, finishing 14-2 and currently rides a nine game winning streak. West Virginia has not played particularly well down the stretch and will be further hampered as they lost the services of Darryl Bryant, their point guard, to a broken foot. Bryant's floor leadership and 10.6 points per game will be missed. The Mountaineers have not responded favorably in this situation as they are just 5-18 ATS in their last 23 as a favorite of 6.5 or less. The Huskies are surging and are a live dog here.  I'll side with Washington in this one.

West Virginia suffered a major blow when they learned PG Darryl Bryant will be lost for the rest of the season to a broken foot. He takes with him his floor leadership, and nearly 11 ppg. The Washington Huskies have become a major player down the stretch, closing at 14-2 with one of the two losses by just three points. They are on a nine game winning streak and will be a tough, live dog for the Mounties here without the services of Bryant. I'll go with Washington on the moneyline in this one.

The Appalachian State Mountaineers are a very solid offensive team, but where they have run into problems is when they face a team that can slow down the tempo and play some defense. That is exactly the style of the Pacific Tigers. This is a team that allowed opponents to touch 70 just five times this season, and three of the five are in the NCAA Tournament. Appalachian St. suffered seven of their losses on the season when they failed to reach 70 points. It will be a most difficult task to do so tonight. The Tigers are a perfect 7-0 ATS vs. teams with a home winning percentage of over .600, and I like them here tonight.

Xavier has become a fixture in the NCAA Tournament, but this is not the vintage Xavier team as they have done a good job getting to the Sweet Sixteen. This is a rematch of a game played back in December where Kansas State ruled 71-56. They held the Musketeers to 29% shooting in that one and the outcome was never in doubt. Kansas St. pounded them off the glass and this is a team that was lost in the Big-12 as Kansas stole all the headlines along with Texas and their 18-0 start and a No. 1 ranking. This team lost three games to Kansas, but just four others, and is primed to contend for a slot in the final four. The Wildcats have run the table outside of the Big-12 where they are a perfect 8-0 ATS.  They win and cover the games that they are supposed to as they are 16-4-1 ATS as a favorite in their last 21. I'll go with Kansas St. here.

The Cornell Big Red ended an Ivy League NCAA Tournament winless streak that dates back to the late 90s. Cornell won in impressive fashion vs. Wisconsin, and by far played their best game of the season. The Big Red knocked down 53% from beyond the arc, and shot over 61% for the game. It is unlikely for a repeat performance. The Wildcats are simply the most athletic, and talented team in the tournament. If anyone thought their talented freshman would wilt under the pressure of the tournament, they were wrong as Kentucky shot 60% themselves vs. Wake Forest and a repeat here means a blowout. Cornell is just 1-6-1 ATS as a 7-12.5 dog, while the Wildcats are 5-0 ATS in their last five as a tourney favorite. I'll go with Kentucky in this one.

Results: 3-5

NCAA Basketball Picks Resources:

• Don't forget to visit our free NCAA basketball predictions.
• Here we show our college basketball prior picks.
• Check out our updated ncaa march madness brackets .
• Hop over to our college basketball handicapping philosophy here.
• View college basketball spreads here.
• Don't forget to read our blog college basketball here.
• View our updated NCAA basketball sportsbooks.
• Don't forget to read our NCAA basketball Game-of-Day-Preview here.
• Read our march madness pick here.
• Take a look at our 2009 NCAA basketball prior pick season results here.
• Check out 2009 college basketball handicapping preivew here.
• Check out our updated college basketball ATS standings.

Check out the last five NCAA Basketball Picks Newsletters:

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-March-24-2010
The Terriors have been playing great basketball of late and have won eight of their last nine, losing only to Vermont who was in the dance. This is a team that beat Indiana and lost to Kansas St. by j...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-March-23-2010
The Tar Heels didn't make the NCAA tournament this year which is clearly a disaster for this team. They could have folded tent, thinking the NIT wasn't worth their effort. Many expected them t...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-March-22-2010
Once upon a time, the Thundering Herd were 15-2 and looking like a real threat to crash the Big Dance, but the wheels fell off in a disappointing 8-7 finish. This line made sense at mid-season, but th...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-March-21-2010
The oddsmakers have pumped this one up with No. 1 seed Syracuse as the public will look for an explosive scoring outing from one of the nation’s top teams. While the Cuse did run off five straig...

NCAA-Basketball-Picks-March-20-2010
The Tar Heels are not used to the NIT, but with a talented youthful team, it isn't a bad spot for them to get some experieince, and an 8 point win over a talented William & Mary team that beat...