Turning Tricks for the Tourney!!

B Catz is back bringing the noise with a fresh batch of hot tournament picks for you gambling fiends. Initially I didn't think I would watch more than 22 total minutes of this years installment due to a boring ass season and lack of NBA prospects participating...well boy howdy was I wrong. This has been a fantastic tournament!! Tons of great games, classic shots and incredible performances and we are only at the round of sixteen!! So let's roll up our sleeves and get our hands elbow deep in some tourney picks!

MIA +4 vs NOVA

Personally I've never been a fan of Villanova. I know all the experts argue that this years Nova team is different than the dozen or so teams they've had previously that always seem to underperform come tourney time.  They did a lot to dispel that notion in their first two contests definitely, but as they say, the third time is the charm. This will be a classic Nova letdown game as Miami comes out of the gates hot led by their Puerto Rican guards (I've never actually watched them, I just assume) and do just enough to secure a victory in the second half.

OKLA -2.5 vs TEXAS A &M

The comeback by A and M the other night was absolutely spectacular and a definite tournament classic. So why would I bet against a team that was good enough to come back from 12 down with 44 seconds left?? Because it happened against Northern Iowa and they shouldn't have been in the spot in the first place. You know who isn't going to let them come back from a 12 point deficit late in the game? Player of the year and future NBA player Buddy Hield and his teammates. This game won't even be competitive, Oklahoma wins by 15.

MARYLAND +5 vs KANSAS

Finally our contrarian pick of the day.  It's hard to talk yourself in to this hot and cold Maryland team especially against such a deep Kansas squad, and apparently the public bettors agree. 84% of bets have been placed on Kansas so far and the spread was hammered in favor of Kansas opening at -2 and moving all the way to -5. Still like Kansas to win the game in the end, but a tie game with 30 seconds left and Melo Tremble calling for an iso at the top of the key is definitely going to make the Jayhawk faithful nervous.

College Basketball Early Season Barn Burners

College basketball is officially back! As with every CBB season, the first couple weeks feature some of the biggest match ups we will see until March. Right off the bat we get to see perennial powerhouses Kentucky and Duke go head to head. Immediately following that Michigan State and Kansas will play on the same court. There’s a full slate of games to put some action on. Here’s the lines we like the most:


#2 Kentucky vs #5 Duke
Pick: Duke +2.5

Georgetown @ #3 Maryland
Pick: Maryland -7.5

#4 Kansas vs #13 Michigan State
Pick: Michigan State +6

#8 Oklahoma @ Memphis
Pick: Oklahoma -4.5

Nebraska @ #11 Villanova
Pick: Villanova -17

Wisconsin-Milwaukee @ #18 Notre Dame
Pick: Notre Dame -13

Stephen F. Austin @ Northern Iowa
Pick: Stephen F. Austin +3

Valparaiso @ Rhode Island
Pick: Valparaiso +1

North Dakota @ Wisconsin
Pick: North Dakota +24.5

Round 1 Picks

Northeastern (+12.5) vs. Norte Dame

When this game tips off we could seriously have more white dudes out there than a BYU/Harvard matchup in Provo! But, like all white dudes, these boys can shoot the lights out and think "defense" is just Spanish for "the fence". Look for NE to get hot from beyond the arc and put a little scare in ND, before the Irish pull away to win by 9-11.

GA state (+9) vs. Baylor

Texas Southern (+23) vs. Zona

Two teams that are much better than their seed would lead you to believe. Getting 23 points for Texas Southern in this game, is like Kate Upton walking up to you at bar asking if you live nearby and like old-fashioneds...in other words its a really good thing that will probably never happen in your lifetime. Not quite ready to go all the way on either of these and predict a straight up upset, but these games are going to be a lot closer than the general public expects them to.

Butler (+1.5) vs. Texas

VCU (+4) vs. Ohio State

Two small schools going up against established programs with big names that are favored purely on reputation and history, rather than the current state of affairs. Both Butler and VCU are tournament veterans that have gone on deep runs in recent years. These two teams know how to win, and don't care about the name on the front of the jersey. Don't be surprised if both of these teams win in these situations, and especially don't be shocked when Texas gets blown out because they are garbage.

NCAA March Madness

Dirty Picks March Madness Preview

THREE BOLD ASS TAKEZ ON THE TOURNEY!!!

Bobby Catz

1. Multiple high seeds will fall in the first round.

  Eastern Washington will absolutely beat Georgetown in Portland! GTown is notoriously overrated year after year and its going to take a loss to a team like this to finally get that across to the selection committee. Throw in the fact that the Hoyas have to travel across the US and Eastern is a mere 5 hour drive down to Rip City. Georgia State will absolutely beat Baylor!! 

  G-State is a solid ass squad going against a very overrated (based on seeding) Baylor team. Plus State has Kevin Ware who is known for having the grossest injury ever on live TV which means he has to be due for some good luck right?? Give the man a bone already!! Oh....shit that was gross. State's gonna win though. 

  BUT THE GRANDDADDY UPSET OF THEM ALL!! Arizona will lose in the first round to Texas Southern!! Southern has already played a brutal schedule (and got rocked a bunch) that prepared them for the crucible that is the NCAA tournament. Throw in huge road wins against Michigan State (I know, its not much) and Kansas State and you have a team that is primed for the upset!! Throw some serious money on this one and show off to your friends because this one is gonna be a shocker!!

2. Gonzaga will make the championship game!!!

Sure this pick is biased as shit because I happen to be an alum of this prestigious institution (I have the credit score to prove it). But this is easily Few's best team ever and first legitimate team that could actually contend for a national championship. Sure other teams might have had higher potential draft picks and what not, but this one is tall, deep and very talented. Now all bets are off once they get in to the final, especially because most likely they will play Kentucky, but its a huge step for this program even making one. Zags are going to open up a few eyes this tourney, don't be surprised if they get a couple of lucky bounces along the way, this is a team of destiny. 

3. NOT A single 12 seed will beat a 5!

This has become an annual tradition where as soon as the brackets are released people are picking what 12 seed (or seeds) will upset a 5 because it always happens right?? Well not this year. Sure people will try and sell you on Stephen F Austin beating Utah or maybe Buffalo over WVU gets your solider to half-salute? Well put it back in your pants because they ain't happening. This class of five seeds is appropriately rated, whereas all of the 12's would have trouble against 14's. Don't fall for the classic 5/12 trap this year because you will be bustin' a lot of brackets. For what feels like the first time in history, a 5 seed will not lose to a 12. 

Kentucky Will Not Win the Tournament

Mr. Nutz

By now most of you have filled out 10-100 brackets for the Men's NCAA Tournament and 0 for the women's tournament (you feel bad now don't you?). The biggest theme in college basketball this year has been Kentucky dominating the shit out of everyone. The Wildcats have technically dominated this season, but I think when you take a deep dive into this Kentucky team you can find some key weaknesses. Will Kentucky win this tournament? Probably, but that's not as fun and would never get on such scripted shows as First Take or WWE. So here are three reasons to bet against Kentucky in this year's tournament. 

1. They don't have a tournament "star"

The beginning of each tournament is always carried by star players. Whether it be Jimmer Fredette, Kemba Walker, Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Williams, Adreian Payne, or whatever future NBA player; the Cats don't have it! Do they have NBA players? Oh fuck yeah, absolutely. Towns is and Cauley-Stein will be top 10 picks,  but they are not dominant stars! Can they block shots and rebound? Yeah! They're damn near 7 feet tall playing against a bunch of 19 year olds! What the fuck would you expect? Don't get me started on the Harrisons. They came alive last tournament to the surprise of yours truly, but they are not the typical bad ass Calipari-caliber guards we have grown to see. They are NBA role players AT BEST, and not the type of "take over the game " guards you need in a tournament. Kentucky may be unselfish and talented across the board, but they don't have an ultra talented player that will own a tournament moment and that's a big problem.

2. Too much pressure from all angles

They went all out during the season and kept their streak intact. This is a phenomenal feat in itself and should be applauded. The problem is, the pressure has been mounting for a while. They have shown weakness throughout the season and, to their credit, they were able to overcome it. The problem is, the tournament is a different animal! Teams are literally fighting for their basketball lives! Some of these dudes are going to graduate and start working at T-Mobile the next week! Everyone wants to be the team to beat Kentucky and they will throw every trick in the book at the Wildcats until they crack. By the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, the 'Tucky will be mentally and physically drained and vulnerable. 

3. Their offense isn't good enough

So this one is probably the most offensive to Coach Cal and the 'Cats. They finished 29th in ppg at 74.9 this year which is not bad at all. The problem is, they don't have one thing they do at an elite level, nor do they have an elite scorer. Well, I guess they do have one thing going for them: Elite Size. Not sure if that is a thing or not, but it is really what they are best at. They are also 42nd in assists per game, probably due to the Harrison's lack of talent. They will probably put 120 on their first opponent, but when they get deeper in the tourney, shit's not going to be so easy. ESPECIALLY if teams pack the paint and hope for a bad shooting day.

Wednesday NHL and College Basketball Picks!

NHL with a side of College Ball

Ottawa (+155) @ Winnipeg

The Sens have outscored opponents 14-6 over their last 5 games.  They’re making teams work to get scoring chances and are finding success putting the puck in the net on the other end.  After the Evander Kane trade Winnipeg has been playing much better.  This should be a good game but I like the Sens here.  The Jets don’t create a lot of offense compared to some of the teams the Senators have been able to shut down lately.

NY Rangers @ Detroit (-130)

This game features two teams that could very easily cross paths in the playoffs this year.  On top of that, both teams have made some significant additions over the past week via trades.  Lastly, both teams are coming off wins against Nashville.  Detroit is always tough to beat at home, especially when they’re playing as well as they have been.  This should be a great game for any hockey fan to watch.  Detroit rolls at home.

Pittsburgh -1.5 (+175) @ Colorado

If you ask me, the Penguins look more like a contender every game they play.  They have won 4 straight and haven’t shown any signs of slowing down.  With Patrick Roy behind the bench for the Avs it’s safe to say that he will pull the goalie with 7 minutes left in the game if they're down at all.  He’s been a bit too aggressive this year when it comes to yanking the goalie and it has cost them more than it’s benefited them.  An empty net just means Cros or Malkin will bury another one.

Montreal @ Anaheim (-115)

Montreal got blown out by San Jose last game.  Tonight they continue their West Coast road trip by taking on the Ducks in the Honda Center.  The Ducks have own 4 of 5 and have been putting the haters to rest by blowing teams out.  I expect more of the same from them tonight.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS

Ohio State -5.5 (-115) @ Penn State

Penn State has been getting absolutely crushed lately.  They’ve been losing to everyone and losing by a lot.  Ohio State slipped up and dropped 2 road games at Michigan State and Michigan but have won 2 straight since.  They are fighting to increase their NCAA Tournament seeding while Penn State is just..losing.

Notre Dame @ Louisville -4

Notre Dame is coming off a 5 point home loss to Syracuse.  Louisville is not a fun place to be a visiting team in.  The Cards are solid per usual and still have a great coach.  Notre Dame has been up and down all year.  I don’t think they’re up to the task of facing a top notch program on the road just before the tournament.  

Wake Forest @ Duke -17.5

Usually I stay away from a line like this but Wake Forest is BAD.  They’re terrible.  Duke could win it all this year.  This is going to be a blood bath.

Nebraska +8 @ Illinois

Both of these teams are extremely hot and cold.  They both have some horrible losses and some great wins this year.  I think it will be a close game and the Huskers will cover.

Wednesday College Ball Teaser

Wednesday's College Ball Teaser
It's been a while since I've tossed some quality locks at you guys.  Today, the suns out and it's above -10 degrees here for the first time in weeks, I'm feeling 100% again.  Let's get things rolling with a classic college basketball teaser.

Starting with:
VCU -2.5
Detroit +4.5
Oregon +1
Massachusetts  -6
Oakland -10.5

All teased +4.5 points..

VCU +2
Detroit +9
Oregon +5.5
Massachusetts -1.5
Oakland -6

That's it.  There's the free money teaser of the day for you jabroni's.  Use it wisely.

Wednesday Night College Basketball Picks

College Bucketz Winners

Villanova -4 @ Providence

6th ranked ‘Nova is primed to roll tonight on the road.  They’ve only lost 2 games this season and have won most of their games by at least 4 points.  I don’t see this game being that close.

Syracuse @ Boston College +2.5

The ole BC vs ‘Cuse match up once again.  This Boston College team has been horrible this year but they always give Syracuse a run for their money.  Remember last year?  Boston beat an undefeated Syracuse team midway through the season.  Cuse will probably win by 1 or 2 tonight.

South Florida @ Central Florida -2.5

The marquee match up of the NIGHT!!! SOUTHIE VS CENTRAL, THE SHOWDOWN IN FLOTOWN!  Tune in and watch as the Central Florida Knightzzz go to WORK on those foreigners from down south!  

Bradley @ Drake -2
I’m not sure if this is a college basketball match up or just a line for 2 neighborhood bro’s playing 1 on 1.  Either way, Drizzake is the home team and I’m sure they (or he) will have a massive turn out for this pivotal match.  DRAKE FTW! ROLL IT!

Saturday Succubus Picks

Saturday NBA Picks

BK @ WAS (+3) (WINNER!)
I love that the media and the public are all over the Brooklyn Nets nowadays. Somebody pleases tell me why I should have any faith in a team that is barely floating above .500 in the Weakstern Conference? The Wiz are going through a rough patch right now and this is just what they need to get back into the late season swing. Washington has beat these guys twice already and with the opportunity to snap out of a funk, I see the Wiz going off tonight to the tune of 109 as they dominate the JKidd's. 

IND (-5.5) at DET (WINNER!)
The Pacers have really been struggling to put teams away lately and have failed to look like the team that appeared to be title favorites early in the season. Luckily for them a great confidence builder for any team is to play the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons have a really big front line in Smith, Drummond, and Monroe; unfortunately for them that means J Smoove plays the 3 and finds himself with the ball in his hands near the three point line consistently. Smoove is literally on pace to have one of the worst 3 point shooting seasons of all time. Look for the Pacers to pack the paint and force the Pistons into jumpers leading to open run outs for George and Stephenson helping them get a big lead early and cruise to a 15 point win.

DEN (+6) at ATL (WINNER!)
The Hawks are trying to lose their grip on the 8th seed in what is the most unappealing playoff race of all time. The Nugs are playing better lately and the return of Ty Lawson has turned a nonexistent offense into a barely serviceable one. Also recently Coach Shaw gave Chandler Wilson the green light to carry the team and he has responded well. Look for the Lawson-Chandler combo to keep this one close throughout with a decision coming by 2-4 points.

Conference Tourney Picks

ARIZ (-5.5) at UCLA (L)
The Wildcats are going to stomp out the Bruins in this game because of two factors. One, the Catz have lottery pick Aaron Gordon who has the potential to be an NBA star in the not so distant future, while the Bruins have surefire lottery bust Zach Lavine on theirs. Side note when I looked up on NBAdraft.net and saw the player comp for Lavine as Russell Westbrook I almost shit my pants, why do scouts love to overhype this prospects?!?!?(Also check out our upcoming article for more breakdowns of the prospects in this years drafts). The second factor contributing to tonight's Catz blowout is the recent play of Arizona against teams they have previously struggled with. Two blowouts of Utah, and Colorado have the Catz ready to roll tonight in Vegas against the Bruins.


UCONN (+7.5) at LVILLE (L)
This is the crazy Catz pick of the night!! Last time these two teams played the Huskies found themselves getting routed by the defending national champs in an embarrassing road loss. Well this Husky team not only has pride, but they are also on a bit of a hot streak lately. Couple that with the fact that Russ Smith went 7-9 from deep yesterday and you could see how he might come back down to earth tonight. Louisville probably wins this game, but I expect the Huskies to keep this one close well into the closing minutes losing by 3-4 points.

Barely Legal Picks: THE RETURN

Bobcats NCAA Basketball Winners

Syracuse at Virginia (-4) (WINNER!)
So far we have been very successful at betting on Syracuse, one win we picked up when Ennis hit a buzzer beater from half court, the other was despite the temper tantrum Jimmy Boeheim threw at the end of the Duke game. Tonight we try to keep the momentum going by heading in the other direction. Both teams struggle to score but look for Virginia to struggle a little less on the way to a five point victory.

ORE (-9) at USC (WINNER!)
These aren't your daddy's Trojans (unintentionally funny). In the words of a famous gambling sports advice blogger once put it, "THE DUCKS ARE ROLLIN" look for them to roll early and often against the Trojans.


IND (-7) at BOS (L)
This is a bonus NBA pick since I wasn't able to get my North Carolina college pick in on time. The Pacers have been on fire since picking up Evan Turner and the cancer formerly known as Andrew Bynum. Turner is trying his ass off to fit in, and his contributions have been huge to their bench unit. The only thing that would scare me is if this game was on ESPN or TNT because we know that rondo loves to show off in those contests. Good news I just checked it is not, so feel free to bet big on the Pacers here and watch them cruise to a twenty point victory.

Time to Get Upset!

Arizona @ Colorado (+4.5) (L)

The last time we bet Arizona, the "basketball players" from Utah went completely flaccid against the Wildcats and ruined our night. Not to worry. I am here to once again bet against Arizona's mediocrity. College Game Day is in town, the Buffs just beat Arizona St. (who beat the Cats) and have won 5 of their last 6 conference games, and have just 1 home loss. Arizona has not been consistent since they lost Brandon Ashley earlier in the season. Colorado will jump all over them to start the game, lose the lead and come back in the end to cover the spread (which will result in a court storming somehow...). Take the BUFFS!!!

BJ's Pick: Colorado +4.5 

Sugar’s “My Maple Syrup Tastes Like Jack Daniels” College Picks

#11 Louisville @  #7 Cincinnati (+3.5) (WINNER!)

Cincinnati has yet to lose at home this season.  Furthermore, on January 30^th they went into Louisville and beat the Cardinals 69-66.  If you haven’t heard, the new motto around here for college ball is “take the home team."  The Bearcats are 17-1 in their last 18 games; winning those 17 games by an average of 12.6 points.  Louisville is a good team, as always, that has been successful on the road this year with only 1 road loss.  However, after nailing yesterday's picks, I’m feeling Cinci on this one. If they don’t win, expect a close loss that will cover. 

Sugar’s Pick: Cincinnati +3.5

NCAA Basketball

Sugar’s “My Maple Syrup Tastes Like Jack Daniels” College Picks

Mercer @ Florida Gulf Coast (+1.5) (WINNER!)

We here at Dirty Picks have been “hot doggin” lately on our college picks; Trying to get all fancy picking road teams to pull of upsets.  Well word came down from the top this week that the days of freeballin in our sweat pants at work are over.  As the great Don Ready once said, “It’s time to put your boner pants on.” We like Mr. Ready’s style and plan to start nailing some college picks and get our record back on track before March Madness.  To start this new way of doing things off I’m taking Florida Gulf Coast (+1.5) at home against Mercer.  FGCU’s overall record (17-10) is nothing spectacular, but upon closer examination you’ll see that 7 of their 10 losses occurred during non-conference games.  Their 11-3 conference record places them 2^nd in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Furthermore, the Eagles have yet to lose a conference game at home.  That’s our new bread and butter here at Dirty Picks when it comes to college games that we know little to nothing about. Mercer is 1^st in the Atlantic Sun Conference meaning this is a big home game for FGCU. 

Sugar’s Pick: Florida Gulf Coast +1.5 

Virginia Commonwealth @ Massachusetts (-2) (WINNER!)

Here’s another game that falls under our “take the home team” rule.  VCU (20-6, 8-3) travels to Amherst, MA tonight to face the Minutemen (20-5, 7-4).  UMASS has only lost twice at home this season; only once during conference play.  All 3 of VCU’s conference losses have come on the road this year; losing by an average of 6.3 points.  They ride into Amherst looking to bounce back after a road loss to Saint Louis last Saturday.  Look for UMASS to be ready to go tonight with their energetic fans behind them.  Like Don Ready says, “You give away free hot dogs and put up an inflatable gorilla, shit’s gunna go down.”  Find the patriot within yourself and throw a few bucks down on the Minutemen tonight.  Slam some PBR’s while you’re at it. 

Sugar’s Pick: Massachusetts (-2)

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NCAA Pick's

Sugar's "Utah can suck it" College Ball Pick of the Night 

Michigan State (-6) at Purdue (WINNER!)

Michigan State is coming off a disappointing loss to Nebraska at home.  Tom Izzo shouldered all of the blame for the Spartan's performance saying, "it's my job to get them ready to play." His team is sitting at 13th in the polls, but has lost 3 of their last 5, two of those coming at home.  Purdue is coming off a big win at home against their in-state rival,  Indiana. The Boilermakers will look to continue to roll at home tonight against Izzo's Spartans.  The big question for State has been: What's the real status of starting point guard, Keith Appling? This week Tom Izzo told the media he was considering sitting Appling for the remainder of the season to preserve him for the tournament.  Remarkably the next day Appling claimed to be 100% healthy, saying "we've done tried everything, and now I feel like it’s finally starting to kick in and I’m starting to feel a lot better.” The timing of his miraculous recovery is suspicious. Is Appling good to go or is he trying to be "Captain Tough Guy" and not miss the last 5 games of his Big Ten career? Regardless the pick here is MSU. Look for them to be ready to go tonight.

Sugar's Pick: Michigan State (-6)

Memphis (-8) at Rutgers (L)

This is pretty straight forward folks. Last time these two teams met it wasn't pretty if you were a Rutgers fan.  101-69 was what the scoreboard said after the abuse was over.  Memphis is coming off an OT loss at UCONN and Rutgers is coming off a nice 102-54 loss in Louisville. Don't be that guy that bets on Rutgers to do something special, because it won't happen tonight, or anytime in the next 50 years probably.  The pick here is Memphis, unless you're a member of the Utah Utes basketball team. If that's the case, well fuck you. When you're down by 3 with 1 second left why are you fouling? Give it the fuck up and go bang one of your wives. Then wake up and practice shooting free throws until your god damn arms fall off.

Sugar's Pick: Memphis (-8)

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