Larry’s NBA Power Ratings
Sixteen teams will begin the playoffs, but only five have anywhere close to a legitimate chance to win the championship.
Month: March 2013
Jazz vs Mavs NBA Handicapping
Left for dead in a gully by the side of Interstate 20 in Dallas, the Mavericks somehow have managed to play their way back into the Western Conference playoff conversation.
Illinois vs Miami March Madness Betting!
Illinois did not end the season well losing 3 of their last 4 games, but they beat Colorado in their opening Big Dance game. NCAAB lines have Miami as 7.5-point favorites with a total of 128.5.
Bluejays vs. Blue Devils NCAA Tourney Spread/Handicapping
The No. 7 Creighton Bluejays barely escaped their round 2 matchup against Cincinnati with a four-point win, and their reward is a battle with the second-seeded Duke Blue Devils. Duke is coming off a 12-point victory over the Albany Great Danes.
Ole Miss vs La Salle March Madness Betting!
Ole Miss continued their spirited play, upsetting the Badgers in their opening round game of the tournament.
Temple vs Indiana March Madness Betting!
Indiana had no problem winning their opening round game in the Big Dance and to advance to the Sweet 16 they will need to beat a Temple team that is coming off a great win over NC State.
Cyclones vs Buckeyes West Region Spread/Handicapping
The Buckeyes were happy to let Iona set the pace and beat them at their own game, winning by 25 while scoring 95 points in their opener. Don’t let that number fool you as they are far from an elite offensive team.
Pacers vs Bulls NBA Handicapping
Boston is down. The Bulls probably won’t get Derrick Rose back this season. The Knicks may or may not have patched things together for the stretch run.
Shockers vs. Bulldogs NCAA Tourney Spread/Handicapping
The No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs and the No. 9 Wichita State Shockers each took down their round 2 opponents on Thursday, and now they’re set to face off in Salt Lake City in round 3.
Bulldogs vs. Golden Eagles NCAA Tourney Spread/Handicapping
The No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles barely avoided being on the wrong end of a Cinderella story Thursday night. They survived a close Round 2 contest, and now they’ll have to face a former Cinderella in the No. 6 Butler Bulldogs.
Ducks vs. Billikens NCAA Tourney Spread/Handicapping
The No. 12 Oregon Ducks pulled a classic 12-5 upset in round 2, but now they’ll have to face a team that a lot of people have pegged to make a deep run far into the tournament. The St. Louis Billikens are ranked No. 4 in the Midwest Region, and their 20-point win over the New Mexico State Aggies was one of the more convincing wins Thursday.
NCAA Tourney – Midwest Bracket
No. 12 Oregon Ducks (27-8, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. No. 4 St. Louis Billikens (28-6, 13-3 A 10)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
7:10 PM ET
San Jose, CA
Spread: St. Louis -3.5 at WagerWeb
ML: Oregon (155), St. Louis (-175)
OU: 123.5
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Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks entered the NCAA Tournament with something to prove. They believed—along with most of the general media—that they deserved to be a higher seed than the 12-spot they were given. They went into round 2 with a chip on their shoulder, and they emerged victorious against No. 5 Oklahoma State.
One of the reasons this team is ranked a 12 seed and not higher is that they lost a bit of momentum during the season when guard Dominic Artis went down with an injury.
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The team didn’t look the same without him, and while he was back on the court in time of the tournament, people questioned how good his conditioning and mechanics would be.
If Oregon proved anything against Oklahoma State, it’s that Artis is fine. The guard pushed the tempo all game long, and that’s something he’ll look to do again on Saturday.
Along with pushing the tempo, Oregon has the size and toughness to force turnovers on defense. They have a great tandem inside in Arsalan Kazemi and Tony Woods, and the two of them will create extra opportunities, leading to fast-break situations.
St. Louis Billikens
The St. Louis Billikens have size, but their bigs are more equipped to play on the perimeter than they are in the post. This is a dangerous way to live life in the tournament, but it’s also a great way to avoid the low-post presence of the Ducks. [ad-6571516]
One of the benefits of playing the bigs outside is that it opens up lanes for cutters and isolation sets. This team can get into the paint with its guards for that reason, and against an Oregon team that plays a lot of man-to-man, keeping Kazemi and Woods away from the basket will be the plan of attack.
Despite staying away from the paint on offense, St. Louis’ bigs won’t be afraid to use their size defensively. This group knows how to attack the ball, and when it comes down to it, their big guys will make Oregon’s offense—one that struggles from the outside—uncomfortable.
The Ducks were able to rattle the backcourt of Oklahoma State, but they’ll have trouble doing the same thing against the Billikens. St. Louis is projected to go deep into the tournament for a reason, and that reason is their precision and patience on offense.
If Oregon has trouble interrupting the flow of the Billikens’ ball movement, St. Louis should be moving on.
Prediction: St. Louis 69 – Oregon 60
Rams vs Cardinals MidWest Region Spread/Handicapping
Louisville was Russdiculous in their tournament opener beating overmatched North Carolina A&T by 31 points.
Crimson vs Wildcats East Region Spread/Handicapping
Despite Belmont being a perennial Cinderella pick, the Arizona Wildcats had little trouble dispatching them in their opening round game.
Golden Bears vs Orange East Region Spread/Handicapping
The Orange barely broke a sweat in beating Montana on Thursday. They may be a number 4 seed but they played like a one.
Villanova vs North Carolina March Madness Betting!
In the 2nd round of the Big Dance and in the opening game for each of these teams the South Region’s 9th seed Villanova faces 8th seed North Carolina.
Iowa State vs Notre Dame March Madness Betting!
This West Region match up pits 10th seed Iowa State facing 7th seed Notre Dame. Notre Dame finished the season with 25 wins and had some solid wins and Iowa State ended the season well before losing to Kansas, for the 3rd time this season, in their conference tournament.
