All the Picks for the Day: Read at your Own Risk.
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As a blogger on this site, I can impart knowledge onto the readers without much feedback (unless you guys and girls care to comment which I am all for.) Today, I will give you my choice for who will cover what spread in every Thursday Game. Will I have a winning record? If you are betting, then I hope so. Do I stand by these picks and make any sort of guarantees? Absolutely NOT. I have a couple buddies out in Vegas right now waking up on this Thursday morning about to feel the special kind of buzz and energy that goes on the first Thursday of March Madness at a swanky Vegas hotel Sportsbook. I have always been playing overseas, and have never been able to enjoy such an experience. And yes, while I am still in Japan and had some of the best Ramen in Tokyo today for lunch and a sushi dinner that has me in a euphoric horizontal fish coma right now, I still have an incredible sense of FOMO for those young men about to go to battle in front of 50-60 television screens clutching 5-7 pieces of small white paper yelling obscenities at screens and slapping high fives with complete strangers. That's why sports betting happens. That's why Vegas exists. It's the heartbroken trek to the bar with a fellow loser to buy a beer, the ecstatic group man hug between four old college buddies, or the "eh a push is really a win" lean back in your recliner: those are the moments that make this day is so special in that sinful desert town.
Drink Plenty of Water and Maintain Your Composure in the Sportsbook.
But I digress, here are my picks for the day: Good luck and I have no blowback on this, so don't bet your life on all of these and then send me a letter asking for any compensation you goons. Just suck it up and take my advice if you want it, or don't and when the winners start to pile up, tell your friends that CJ Wallace dude is the man.
Princeton vs. Notre Dame, Princeton +7. This one is obvious. First game of the Day and the most important game of the tournament by far. Princeton is small and the only thing that worries me is Notre Dame beating them up on the glass, but I think Princeton makes some shots and their coach Mitch Henderson is one of the true rising stars in college basketball. Princeton keeps this close and maybe pulls out the upset too! Go TIGERS!
UNCW vs. Virginia. UVA -7.5. UNCW has balled out this year, but the UVA defense is super sticky and I don't know if UNCW's schedule has prepared them to play the athletes and caliber of team UVA is. I think the Cavaliers win this one by double digits.
Winthrop vs. Butler. Winthrop +11. Honestly, Butler could win this game by 20-25, but I think the Eagles can keep this one close. They played FSU tough early on and beat Illinois away as well. Watch out Butler.
SDSU vs. Gonzaga. Gonzaga -22. I think the Zags roll here. Betting on #1 seeds is always tough because they jack the spread up so high, but SDSU is not an elite team and the Zags are gonna be hungry to show they are for real after living in the sneaky quiet Northwest all season long. Show us what you got Gonzaga and win this win by 35.
Bucknell vs. WVU. West Virginia -13.5. I don't feel great about this pick but WVU is my horse that I need to carry me into bracket success so we are backing them. Bucknell is pretty tough and 14 points seems like a lot, however, WVU pressing and creating turnovers could make this margin big fast so that's what we went with.
ETSU vs. Florida. ETSU +10.5. I haven't been impressed with this Florida team all year and ETSU is one of a bunch of small Tennessee schools that is surprising people this year in the tourney. I think this one is an upset alert television breaking news type deal that will come down to the wire. I'll take those 10.5 points and run to the bank.
MTSU vs. Minnesota. Minnesota +1.5. This one is a WTF game. Why is the 12 seed favored? People are lovey dovey on MTSU and super down on Minnesota but I think the ole Gophers have something up their sleeve. We played Minnesota when I was in school and Kris Humphries was up there and I actually sat on a stool that collapsed sending me rolling back off their elevated court to the floor below. It was during a shoot around and Coach John Thompson III gave me a "when it rains it pours 30" because I had just had a shitty game. I will never forget that and it goes to show how crafty the Minnesota team can be in stopping elite players. They will do that here and win the game outright.
Vanderbilt vs. Northwestern. NW +2.5. God this one is tough. NW was on a tear until laying a massive egg and getting spanked in the conference tourney against Wisconsin. Vandy has been playing well. I watched NW at the Barclay's center earlier this year when they beat up on Texas and they made me a believer. They are well coached and I'm on board. A battle of pretty smart schools and I'm gonna go with NW because Vandy has hotter girls which is a distraction to the players.
Xavier vs. Maryland. Xavier +2. I don't know much about these teams other than seeing them play once or twice this year. Melo Trimble is a beast but he misses the supporting cast he enjoyed last year and I think Xavier pulls this one out. I also have a buddy who goes by the name of Lenny who thinks Xavier is a lock. He knows nothing about basketball but I will give him a shout out and a show of support by picking Xavier here.
Mount St. Mary's vs. Villanova. Villanova -27. I don't think there is a high enough number here. Villanova rolls by 30+ and the only chance MSM has to cover is if Nova' rest's their starters too early. Sorry homies.
VCU vs. St. Mary's. VCU +4.5. St. Mary's is kind of a darling for a lot of people out there with a sexy KENPOM and a nice little 4 loss season, but they have played a schedule of pattycake's in a conference of confused Mormon surfer bros (minus Gonzaga). VCU is still super tough and I think they make this one a one possession game if not a win.
Vermont vs. Purdue. Purdue -10. This is another one I'm not super comfortable with. I just associate Vermont too much with Phish noodling and maple syrup to believe they can win a game in the tournament without Coppenrath and Rochestie and that grizzly old veteran coach whose name is escaping me. Go out there and bring this home Purdue.
Florida Gulf Coast vs. Florida State. FGCU +13. Dunk City. First of all, to the dudes on FGCU who want to "shed the Dunk City label and create our own identity," please just shut up. Stop. You have an incredible School nick name and just continue to uphold the tradition that was started in 2013. I know you are all individuals and seeking your own path of righteousness, but enough. Just cover this spread, lose by 5, and go back to the Okeefanokee and think about how dumb it sounded when you wanted to shed the coolest moniker in college basketball.
Virginia Tech vs. Wisconsin. Virginia Tech +5.5. This is purely an ACC conference play. I think that the ACC was way better than the Big 10 this year, and VA Tech will show that today. They have been tested by better teams and better players and will get it done.
North Dakota vs. Arizona. Arizona -17. Usually I poo poo on Arizona teams as soft come tourney time, and as this tourney progresses that might happen again. In general, the team performs just well enough for some of the stars to date a few of the Tempe 12 and then once that happens the squad flames out in the sweet 16 or earlier. That being said, those bleached blonde girlfriends with perfect tans have been Instagramming TBT's from Cabo and Miami about their boyfriends all week and the Zona' team has something legitimate to play for here. Look for them to come out and dominate if they want to keep good standing with the hotties crushing it as bottle girls back in Scottsdale.
Nevada vs. Iowa State. Nevada +6.5. I have Iowa State going pretty far in the tourney, but I think this Nevada team is good, and I think they keep it close. I hope they don't win for my own personal selfish gain, but a 4 point ISU victory seems like a good happy medium for everyone.
SO THOSE ARE THE PICKS. GOOD LUCK, take them for what they are worth, but don't do anything illegal and don't depend on my advice for anything other than a good laugh and a conversation starter with the hot chick at the end of the sports book bar. GOOD LUCK, GO TIGERS, and get out there today and make magic happen. Setting an early alarm over in Tokyo, CJ WALLACE out.
