One of the keys to making smart betting picks is properly evaluating the spread, and it’s a lot tougher to do with unpredictable NCAA Tournament games. In the one-and-done format, anything can happen. Some teams overperform, others underperform. Either way, the competition is often stiffer — even for the higher seeds.
In South Carolina’s first-round game, the Gamecocks were given a whopping 47.5-point spread against Norfolk State. It seemed plausible since South Carolina beat teams by 50 points or more six times during the season. But the Spartans went down swinging, and the Gamecocks were unable to cover. A couple of missed free throws, botched layups or shots that rim out can make or break a bet. In the second round, Iowa missed covering its 12.5-spread by a mere 4.5 points against Georgia, and Notre Dame was only 1.5 points short of its 6.5 spread over Mississippi State. On the flip side, South Dakota State was one 3-point bucket away from beating the 9.5 spread against Virginia Tech. It’s downright Madness, but my record after two rounds stands at 28-20.
On to the Sweet 16.
The spreads, overall, are closer in this round, but there are still some challenging picks.
If you’re unfamiliar with betting numbers, the general idea is you subtract whatever the number is from…
