NCAA Tournament opening round picks
College Basketball
1:40 PM EST
Rotation #824
Villanova -5 over Ohio State (win)
The 2021 March Madness Tournament has been unpredictable. It seems like every game has been an upset. Yesterday six of the eight dogs covered the spread. The key in this game is coaching. It’s obvious Jay Wright is the superior coach, but this game is all about who can protect the ball better. It comes down to who gets more possessions. Ohio State is sloppy with the ball while the Wildcats value it. Look for the Wildcats to advance. Take Villanova.
College Basketball
5:15 PM EST
Rotation #818
Duke -6.5 over Michigan State (win)
The next loss for Duke will be the final game for Coach K. I believe most basketball fans don’t want to see that today. Duke has a lot of media attention on them yet still has flown under the radar this year. Both teams have a lot of talent and have great coaching, but in this tournament, it usually comes down to the team that doesn’t give away the basketball. Michigan State gets sloppy at times while the Blue Devils protect the basketball. Take Duke.
College Basketball
6:10 PM EST
Rotation #822
Wisconsin -4.5 over Iowa State (loss)
This year, Iowa State has been impressive with new starters and a new coach. The Cyclones won 2 games last year but are 40 minutes from getting to the sweet sixteen. Wisconsin had better teams in the past, but it’s all about turnovers this late in March. The Badgers are the number one team in the nation when protecting the basketball and not giving their opponents extra chances to score. I don’t think Iowa State is ready to be a sweet sixteen team. Take Wisconsin.