Basketball picks – Tar Heels, Huskies in action on Saturday
The first day of March Madness odds yielded a couple basketball pick upsets, but those who bet sports know that the road for the Cinderella teams of the NCAA Tournament will only get more difficult. Does Saturday have a few magical upsets in store? Here’s a look at some of the best action coming tomorrow, and some basketball picks of who will prevail:
Basketball picks: Texas ready to upset Duke
- Carolina, UConn look to avoid upsets
- Wolverines, Hilltoppers continue to take on Goliaths
- Blue Devils first Top-2 seed to fall
UCLA vs Villanova odds (East, 1:05 PM ET)
The No. 3 Wildcats are 1.5-point favorites over the No. 6 Bruins, and Darren Collison looked very healthy in UCLA’s win over VCU, which was a concern coming into the Tournament. Villanova rode out a hot-shooting American team, but guard Scottie Reynolds will have to be much better against the Bruins’ Collison then he was against American. Basketball pick: Villanova
Maryland vs Memphis odds (West, 3:20 PM ET)
The No. 2 Tigers are nine-point favorites after surviving a scare from Cal-State Northridge, and the first half of that game may have been their worst defensive 20 minutes of the season. The matchup between Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez and Memphis’ Tyreke Evans could be the best of the second round. Basketball pick: Memphis
Texas A&M vs Connecticut odds (Midwest, 3:35 PM ET)
The top-seeded Huskies are 10-point sportsbook favorites against the No. 9 Aggies, who eliminated BYU for the second straight year. UConn could be without coach Jim Calhoun, who is ill, but the Huskies won’t let the Aggies shoot 57.7 percent like they did in the first round. Basketball pick: UConn
Purdue vs Washington odds (West, 5:40 PM ET)
This 4-5 matchup is a PICK’EM, and No. 5 Purdue’s tough defense has the upper hand over No. 4 Washington’s run-and-gun offense, which is susceptible to turnovers as proven by 16 in their first-round win over Mississippi State. The Boilermakers will shoot better from long range, as well. Basketball pick: Purdue
LSU vs North Carolina odds (South, 5:45 PM ET)
The top-seeded Tar Heels are 11-point favorites after destroying Radford by 43, but it’s still not known how big of a role Ty Lawson will play for UNC. Marcus Thornton dropped 30 over Butler, and he may need a similar performance to lift the Tigers to a March Madness betting upset. Basketball pick: North Carolina
Michigan vs Oklahoma odds (South, 5:50 PM ET)
The No. 2 Sooners are seven-point favorites after thumping Morgan State, but they’re facing a No. 10 Michigan team that hit 10 treys in its upset of Clemson. The Sooners’ long-distance gunners will have to hit early and often to open up the lane for Blake Griffin. Basketball pick: Oklahoma
Western Kentucky vs Gonzaga odds (South, 8:10 PM ET)
Many picked the No. 12 Hilltoppers to beat Illinois, and they now come in as 10-point underdogs against the No. 4 Bulldogs, who had their hands full with Akron. Western Kentucky will struggle to shoot over 48 percent from the field against the tough Gonzaga defense. Basketball pick: Gonzaga
Texas vs Duke odds (East, 8:15 PM ET)
The No. 2 Blue Devils are seven-point favorites, and they went to the line 25 times in their win over Binghampton, which visited the charity stripe only five times. A.J. Abrams led a three-point onslaught as the No. 7 Longhorns dropped Minnesota. Duke’s lack of interior defense will be its downfall, as you can expect Texas’ Damion Jones and Dexter Pittman to run wild in the post. This is today’s March Madness betting upset special. Basketball pick: Texas
For more sports betting lines on the road to the Final Four in Detroit, bookmark the Betting Edge at BetOnline.com.
Washington Tucker was practically raised at Rucker Park. Though a freak knee injury cost him a major college basketball scholarship, his “sixth-sense” on the hardwood has translated into a spectacular career in basketball handicapping. Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
