Vegas veteran Benjamin Eckstein, author of America’s Line, brings three years of experience to produce weekly selections in his»Ecks & Bacon» column.
March Madness picks
LAS VEGAS — Gimme some Cal-Irvine +3.5 points over Kansas State. In fact, we chose +5 if the line started, and it is now down to +3.5. So, I could take K-State -3.5 and take for the elusive centre, and pray for a four-point final margin. Maybe. However, lemme tell you about Irving. Yeah, I call them Irving since that has been my grandpa’s name.
And they have maybe my FAV nickname ever, the Anteaters. Yet more, get the Big 12 is WAY much better than the Big West. However, Irving roars to the first-round matchup on a 16-0 straight-up run, also has covered nine of the past 10, with a single push. Also, one of K-State’s best players, an All-Big 12 first-teamer for a couple of years, F Dean Wade, is GONE. Eaters gotta EAT!
Quack Quack. Yeah, the Ducks, baby! Oregon dropped my favorite college player, Bol Bol, yeah, son of Manute, back in January. However, the Ducks do have among the best coaches on the side of the Mississippi, Dana Altman. All he does is win. Altman posted a 68-54 listing at Kansas State, 327-176 at Creighton, and is now 235-95 at Oregon. This isn’t his best gaggle of ducks, sorry, had to throw gaggle in. Really, how many times can you get to use gaggle in a lifetime? Oops, never mind, that is for geese. Ducks are a flock.
Back to biz. And we are speaking MONEY! Oregon has come down the stretch just like Secretariat, winning and COVERING eight in a row. Totally understand that the Big Ten is far better than the Pac-12, however, Wiscy has been burning money. The Badgers have covered only two of their last 10, and 20 percent doesn’t make it within my own world.
Close it out down in Columbia, South Carolina, together with Duke -27 over North Dakota State. Are you gonna observe another HUMONGOUS No. 1 vs No. 16 mad? Not certain but we have some numbers you may wanna look at. Talking Duke and North Dakota State. And speaking a 27.5-point spread. That is a whole lotta chalk. If you are not fond of this Summit League, subsequently the Bison likely have not hit your radar screen. That is why I am here. NDSU has been a cash cow, or money Bison if you may, covering two of the last 13 overall, and five of the past six on the street.
In terms of the big picture, the Blue Devils’ overall spread log sits at 18-16, 9-8 on the road and 16-15 as a favored. The Bison’s in general spread mark is 15-17, 7-12 on the road and 4-8 as an underdog. For you totals players, the Dookies have gone OVER only nine times, UNDER an incredible 24 occasions and pushed after, while Dakota has gone OVER 20 occasions and UNDER 12. Gonna tickle a Bison, and make a light play to the dog.
NHL pick Before I let you go, skate on the NHL ice with me, and catch the UNDER on the Islanders/Flyers game tomorrow night.
And plz, PLZ hit me Twitter over the weekend, @vegasvigorish, just in case anything pops the college hoop board.
Benjamin Eckstein is a sportswriter/oddsmaker that is nationally syndicated. His column, America’s Line, together with all the Ecks & Bacon appetizer, has run in the New York Daily News and over 100 other newspapers since 1988. It is possible to follow him on line at www.americasline.com. He’s loved by most, when he picks winners, and detested by others, when he chooses the occasional failure. If you wanna bit of Eck, hit on his email…[email protected].
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