Madness: Recapping Thursday, including Texas’ 81-61 win over Colgate

We recap the first full day of NCAA Tournament action.

The Texas Longhorns are moving on the the Round of 32 after winning in dominant fashion on Thursday. The Longhorns made short work of the Colgate Raiders to stay alive in the NCAA Tournament. They did so behind an all-time performance by Sir’Jabari Rice.

Rice shot a scorching 7-for-10 on three-point attempts burying any aspirations the Raiders had of pulling off an upset. For perspective, the Texas guard outshot the entire Colgate arsenal of long range shooters who put up a pedestrian 3-for-15 night from downtown.

Marcus Carr added four three-point baskets of his own to the Longhorns’ 13-for-23 performance from behind the arc.

The team will face another proficient shooting team in its next matchup. The Penn State Nittany Lions rode an impressive three-point performance of their own to roll past the Texas A&M Aggies in the first round.

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Here’s a look at the first full day of NCAA Tournament action.

5 Best NCAA Tournament Predictions Against The Spread: First Round Saturday

What 5 NCAA Tournament games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into first round on Saturday?

What 5 NCAA Tournament games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into first round on Saturday?


NCAA Tournament Fearless Predictions, Game Previews 
CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
Every Game Preview & Prediction
CFN Expert Picks: Every First Round Game

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Here are five NCAA Tournament first round Saturday games that appear to be a wee bit favorable against the spread.

Click on each game for the game preview and fearless prediction.

5. (1) Michigan vs (16) Texas Southern

LINE: Michigan -26
ATS PICK: Texas Southern
Bet on this, BetMGM latest line

The NCAA Tournament is obviously a whole separate thing from anything that happens during the regular season, but it’s still asking the world for something different and new to occur.

It’s not like Texas Southern didn’t play anyone. Yes, anything that happened in November shouldn’t really matter, but the Tigers lost to Washington State by four and wasn’t totally embarrassing in an 85-65 loss to Oklahoma State.

The key comp is Wyoming, an up-and-down, high-powered team that likes to  get moving, and Texas Southern shocked the Cowboys 76-74 in Laramie.

I’m stalling here … it’s Michigan, it’s a 1 seed vs a 16, and it’s going to win by whatever point total it wants to. However …

The Wolverines didn’t beat anyone this year by more than 26, and Texas Southern didn’t lose to anyone this year by more than 26.

The Tigers’ worst loss was that 85-65 thing against Oklahoma State, and Michigan’s biggest win was by 25 over Minnesota.

Oh, you’ll have to sweat it out – Michigan will be up 30-10 in a hiccup – but if the anomaly happens, so be it.

NEXT: Iowa vs Grand Canyon

5 Best Point Total NCAA Tournament Predictions: First Round Friday

What 5 NCAA Tournament games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into first round on Friday?

What 5 NCAA Tournament games appear to be the best bets and the best picks for the over/under point totals going into first round on Friday?


NCAA Tournament Fearless Predictions, Game Previews 
CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
Every Game Preview & Prediction
CFN Expert Picks: Every First Round Game

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The unpredictability and irrationality of the games themselves are what define the NCAA Tournament. As you’re reading this, your bracket is already busted – really, it is, you just don’t know it yet.

Point totals are different.

Point totals don’t care if that 14 beats the 3 or if the 2 beat the 15 by 54. Here, you should be a wee bit more in control of your investment.

Here are five NCAA Tournament first round Friday games that appear to be a wee bit favorable when it comes to the over/under and point total.

Click on each game for the game preview and fearless prediction.

5. (3) Arkansas vs (14) Colgate

Point Total: 161.5
Pick: Under
Bet on this, BetMGM latest line

Even for two high-powered college offenses, 161.5 is a massive number.

Easy math, that means at least one team has to be in the 80s to get there, and that shouldn’t be a problem. The concern is likely going to be Arkansas and how much it wins by.

Colgate averages 86 points per game, but as I pointed out in the 5 Best Picks Against The Spread piece, you and four friends could’ve hung at least 70 on the board against the teams on the Raider schedule.

Arkansas averages over 82 a game, and it’s probably going to get there and then some. How much does the Hog D want to slow down a Colgate offense that scores in bunches, but again, is taking a massive step up in competition?

The best comp to use is the Arkansas 87-76 win over Oral Roberts back in late December. The Golden Eagles bomb away as well as any team in the country – they’re playing Ohio State in the first round – and that game barely got past the 161.5 mark.

Forget the seed, Oral Roberts is a more dangerous team than Colgate – again, forget the stats and look at the competition.

Arkansas-Colgate is more likely an 85-68 type of game than any sort of an even shootout, and even then, there’s a chance the Hogs put this away and sort of coast.

Only nine of the 28 games Arkansas played got to over 161.5 and one of them was in overtime.

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NEXT: Houston vs Cleveland State

NCAA Tournament 5 Best Predictions Against The Spread: First Round Friday

What 5 NCAA Tournament games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into first round on Friday?

What 5 NCAA Tournament games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into first round on Friday?


NCAA Tournament Fearless Predictions, Game Previews 
CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
Every Game Preview & Prediction
CFN Expert Picks: Every First Round Game

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Brackets schmackets. Anyone and everyone can fill one out. I did, and it’s already busted – I’m SO reading that Loyola – Georgia Tech matchup wrong – but the money you invest on these games is forever.

Or for five minutes until you reinvest, but that’s more fun than getting some 12-seed you never heard of right over that 5, right?

Here are five NCAA Tournament first round Friday games that appear to be a wee bit favorable against the spread.

Click on each game for the game preview and fearless prediction.

5. (5) Tennessee vs (12) Oregon State

LINE: Tennessee -8
ATS PICK: Tennessee
Bet on this, BetMGM latest line

Never be one of those people who gets weird over a half a point. It all evens out over a lifetime, so if you like a pick, make it, and don’t get into a twist over the line changing …

OH (bleep)ing (bleep) … Tennessee went from 7.5 to 8?

A half a point means a whole lot in basketball – not as much as people like to believe in football – but this whole tournament is just getting started, so I’m not bailing on my core beliefs quite yet.

Speaking of abandoning belief systems, I came into the bracket season determined to pick against the Pac-12 whenever possible, and I think I ended up picking Pac-12 teams whenever possible – except for the conference tournament champion.

Falling for the conference tournament champion that rises up out of the blue is always dicey. The gimmicky tournaments are the last things anyone sees, so the lines are always a wee bit skewed. This one is about right – even with the extra half a point, and it doesn’t matter.

Tennessee might be flaky, but the defense was the best in the SEC in field goal percentage, and Oregon State isn’t exactly automatic from the field. I’m not buying that the Beaver threes that were dropping like the beat around the 23 minute mark of any Carl Cox mix are going to keep going.

Tennessee is too good at slowing teams down on the inside, and it’ll hold up on the outside shooters. Oregon State won’t get the Vol turnovers.

NEXT: Arkansas vs Colgate

NCAA Tournament Predictions: College Basketball Expert First Four, First Round Picks

NCAA Tournament predictions, college basketball expert picks for the First Four and First Round.

NCAA Tournament predictions, college basketball expert picks for the First Four and First Round.


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CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews

NCAA Tournament First Four: Thursday, March 18

(16) Texas Southern vs (16) Mount St. Mary’s

East Region: First Four
5:10 pm, truTv
Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
Line: Mount St. Mary’s -2, o/u: 132.5

Jeff Feyerer, CFN: Texas Southern
Pete Fiutak, CFN: Texas Southern
Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire: Mount St Mary’s
Jeremy Mauss, MW Wire: Texas Southern
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN: Texas Southern
Kegan Reneau, Sooners Wire Mount St Mary’s
Nick Shepkowski, Fighting Irish Wire: Mount St Mary’s
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners: Mount St Mary’s
Keith Stewart, WinnersandWhiners: Mount St Mary’s
Brian Stultz, Auburn Wire: COMING
Clucko the Chicken, CFN: Mount St Mary’s
CONSENSUS PICK: Mount St Mary’s


(11) Drake vs (11) Wichita State

West Region: First Four
6:27 pm, TBS
Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, IN
Line: Wichita State -2, o/u: 139.5

Jeff Feyerer, CFN: Wichita State
Pete Fiutak, CFN: Drake
Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire: Wichita State
Jeremy Mauss, MW Wire: Drake
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN: Wichita State
Kegan Reneau, Sooners Wire Wichita State
Nick Shepkowski, Fighting Irish Wire: Wichita State
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners: Wichita State
Keith Stewart, WinnersandWhiners: Drake
Brian Stultz, Auburn Wire: COMING
Clucko the Chicken, CFN: Drake
CONSENSUS PICK: Wichita State


(16) Appalachian State vs (16) Norfolk State

West Region: First Four
8:40 pm, truTV
Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
Line: Norfolk State -3, o/u: 134.5

Jeff Feyerer, CFN: Norfolk State
Pete Fiutak, CFN: App State
Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire: Norfolk State
Jeremy Mauss, MW Wire: Norfolk State
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN: App State
Kegan Reneau, Sooners Wire Norfolk State
Nick Shepkowski, Fighting Irish Wire: Norfolk State
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners: Norfolk State
Keith Stewart, WinnersandWhiners: App State
Brian Stultz, Auburn Wire: COMING
Clucko the Chicken, CFN: App State
CONSENSUS PICK: Norfolk State


(11) UCLA vs (11) Michigan State

East Region: First Four
9:57 pm, TBS
Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, IN
Line: Michigan State -1.5, o/u: 13.5

Jeff Feyerer, CFN: Michigan State
Pete Fiutak, CFN: UCLA
Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire: Michigan State
Jeremy Mauss, MW Wire: Michigan State
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN: Michigan State
Kegan Reneau, Sooners Wire Michigan State
Nick Shepkowski, Fighting Irish Wire: Michigan State
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners: Michigan State
Keith Stewart, WinnersandWhiners: UCLA
Brian Stultz, Auburn Wire: COMING
Clucko the Chicken, CFN: UCLA
CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan State

NEXT NCAA Tournament Picks   
(7) Florida vs (10) Virginia Tech
(3) Arkansas vs (14) Colgate
(1) Illinois vs (16) Drexel
(6) Texas Tech vs (11) Utah State

NEXT: NCAA Tournament First Round: Friday, March 19