Creighton or Cincinnati?
It's March Madness time again, and all across the country, gamblers are studying their bracket forms, hoping to win the office pool. From what we can gather, the experts think that it's going to be a particularly difficult year to pick winners.
We'll fill out a couple of sheets, hoping for the best, but we've never had much luck in the brackets. Advice from knowledgeable readers is welcome -- it's come in handy for us during football season. What's the best way to go about making all these picks? Are there any sure things this year? Will the Ducks be this year's winning 12-seed? Or will Cal take that honor?
| Posted at 11:42 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (6)
In the past 10 years, only in 2003 (Syracuse) did the champion not have the color blue in their uniform. Use the RPI as a guide, and pay attention to where the games are being played. Road record is a good indicator, too. Coach's tourney experience matters a lot, except for the one surprise team that turns into the biggest bracket buster. I look for the Champ to most likely come out of the Midwest Region, but it's even more wide open this year than ever among the top 16 teams (Seeds 1-4). My dark horse pick of last week is now the #1 overall seed (Louisville). Ay yi yi.
The Ducks? If they survive Okla. St., I can't see them getting past the Billikens in the next game. I like Belmont to upset Arizona in first round for an upset, and Bucknell can beat Butler, too. We'll see. I'm in a very competitive pool and won't reveal my Final Four picks here. I wonder who Pope Franny's pickin'?
Good luck!
Posted by Mojo | March 18, 2013 12:51 PM
*ting* *whooshwooshwoosh* *SLAP* Heads, Creighton.
Posted by Don Smith | March 18, 2013 1:24 PM
Louisville seems like a dangerous pick for champion since they don't have blue in their uniform, but a once a decade exception to the rule might be a wise move. A lot of the pundits are saying that the Ducks have a good shot at getting past Oklahoma State. Overall I think the best strategy is to lean towards the team that plays better defense when your having trouble deciding between two close opponents.
Posted by Usual Kevin | March 18, 2013 1:32 PM
Right, U.K. Worse for Louisville is that they have trouble scoring over 65, which made them my original dark horse (rather than a favorite) despite their top shelf intense defensive work. There's a lot of fun to be had in picking a team to win it all that's not a top 4 favorite going in. Take a look at Georgetown, Wisconsin, New Mexico, or Miami. And don't let the talking-head bad-mouthing of Gonzaga put you off if you want to pick one of the top 4 seeds, though Indiana is probably the strongest of the top 4 and will attract heavy betting action along with Duke. Lots of Jesuit schools in it this year, btw.
Posted by Mojo | March 18, 2013 3:15 PM
P.S.: UNLV favored over Cal by only 2-2.5 pts. in that first round game. OSU is favored over Oregon by 3-3.5 pts. Both games in San Jose, CA. Current lines, subject to change by tip-off.
Posted by Mojo | March 18, 2013 3:52 PM
Creighton. I predict a Jesuit final four. St. Louis University, Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Marquette.
The whole first Jesuit pope thing triggered it.
Posted by thor | March 18, 2013 4:51 PM