The Lede: The Round of 64 is Set
Don’t have time to read through 1,000 words, but need some informed betting tips? Here’s a quick rundown on today’s biggest sports story, and how it impacts the way you should bet. Miss yesterday’s? See it here.
UC Davis and USC Solidify the 64-Team Field for March Madness
In the first of two games last night, the UC Davis Aggies beat the North Carolina Central Eagles, 67-63. As was the case with the other no. 16 play-in game, the victor didn’t do anything overly impressive. The Eagles had open shots, but couldn’t knock them down, going 5/26 from behind the arc.
The Aggies are going to get run out of the gym by no. 1 Kansas in the first-round.
Again, you were rewarded if you stayed up to watch the no. 11 play-in game. USC played a horrible first half and was down by as many as 17 in the second half. But the Trojans locked in defensively and Bennie Boatwright took over on the other end.
USC now gets no. 6 SMU in the first round, and won’t be able to rely on a late-game rally to beat the Mustangs. The American Conference Champions allowed the third-fewest points per game in the country, and possess one of the best players in the tournament in Semi Ojeleye. They also have the player with the coolest name, too: Shake Milton.
I’ll take SMU to win, but like underdog USC to keep it close in what opened as a six-point spread.
After working in TV, Matt turned his focus towards numbers, specifically odds. He has been with us since 2016 and serves as SBD's Editor-in-Chief, credited with creating our futures trackers, SBD's score predictor, SBD Sharp, and his own model for calculating NFL SOS, among other products.
