Tigers vs Hurricanes East Region Spread/Handicapping
There has never been hoops expectations like there are in Miami this year. A team that was considered middle of the pack went on to win regular season and tournament ACC titles to earn a #2 seed.
NCAA Tournament – East Bracket
#2 Miami Hurricane (27-6) vs #15 Pacific Tigers (22-12)
Friday March 22
Frank Erwin Special Events Center – Austin, TX
2:10PM
Moneyline: Miami -900, Pacific +690 at SportsBettingOnline.ag
Spread: Miami -12
O/U: 125
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
Check out our in-house Handicapper!!! Buy Razor Ray’s CBB Picks Today!
Miami
They are sitting in the East bracket which I really think can be there’s for the taking.
They may have had a few hiccups over the course of the year but I don’t think this game will be an epic fail.
CLICK GRAB OUR BEST Expert CBB Hoops Picks for 2013 GAMBLING season!
It may not be a factor in beating Pacific but I love the balance of Miami. They have three players averaging between 13.2 and 14.6 points per game and get steady contributions from their top 7 players. They have size and decent shooting even if nobody has the reputation of being a sniper.
More than any team out there they have experience with seniors throughout their lineup and 4 returning starters. This team is ready to roll.
The Canes came through at the window too. Their better than expected success yielded a 20-7 ATS record including a very good 15-6 as a favourite. This program hasn’t been to the Tournament since 2008 though.
They should be using this game as a tuneup for a nice long run…all the way to the Final Four.
Pacific
The Pacific Tigers have some reasonable NCAA Tournament history, winning first round games in both 2004 and 2005 and qualifying in 2006. [ad-6571516]
This year they finished second in the Big West but avoided top seed Long Beach State on their way to a conference tournament title. I am not expecting them to put up much of a challenge to the Hurricanes in this bi-coastal battle though.
Their best win was against St. Mary’s this season.
Pacific does not have a dominant player. Their leading scorer is guard Lorenzo McCloud who averages only 11.4ppg. Scoring should be a challenge but if I am coach Bob Thomason I am more concerned about getting creamed on the boards because my team is not very big – not a single player averages more than 4 rebounds per game.
This is really not a good matchup for Pacific which is why it will be one and done.
I don’t see much value on the Pacific side of things. Even if Miami struggles I don’t think they have quite enough to really put a scare in them. They are 17-13 ATS this season.
They are a solid 11-7 ATS against winning teams but just 5-7 as an underdog.
If you like to get down on every game then take the over.
Spread Pick: Miami -12
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Miami 77 – Pacific 60
