Perusing the Lines: Championship Week 03/13/08

This is where it starts to get good, kids. NCAA basketball conference tourneys are now in full swing, and the action is aplenty. But what do the V-Boys have to offer to improve my record of 22-25-2? We're truly perusing the spreads, since there are some interesting variations between the various lines posted on the Vegas Insider site.

West Virginia vs. Connecticut (-2.0 MGM Mirage)

I'm using the closest spread available since I'm picking the favorite. UConn has been on a serious roll, winning 13 of their last 15, and is a hot sleeper to make a run to the Elite Eight. WVU has been the epitome of inconsistency this season, especially that 62-39 loss to my pathetic Bearcats. The Mountaineers have probably won enough to get a seat at the table (and get beat in the first round of the Tourney), but I guarantee Huggins isn't letting his team believe the hype. But motivation only gets you so far. The Huskies have superior talent, and you have to give Calhoun the nod as far as in-game adjustments. I hate betting against Huggy-Bear, but I think it's going to be next year, when his recruits show up, that the Mountaineers really make some noise.

Arizona vs. Stanford (-2.5 Ceasers)

I'm taking the favorite once again. Those two twins should make this game tough for the Wildcats underneath the boards, and unless Arizona makes some serious shots from the perimeter, this game could get ugly. The Cardinal had been playing with a chip on its beak, until they got swept by the LA institutions. UA lost a much needed game to the Ducks to remain squarely on the bubble despite their number one SOS. Hence both are hungry, I just gotta go with the bigs in this one.

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And let's pick the Ohiotucky match-up of the day. Wait, Xavier already defeated Dayton. So how about some MAC action...

Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (-1.5 LV Hilton)

Straight Gut Call. Both teams are as evenly matched as their conference records (9-7). The illustrious Pomeroy has the Redhawks 12 points higher in his rankings. But I like the Bobcats, and this is strickly based on their Bracketbuster performance I witnessed against George Mason, and the fact they have a skinny white boy named Bubba as their third leading scorer.

Talk to you all tomorrow-A.B.