The NCAA bracket has been revealed, the lines are posted and the VSiN March Mania Betting Guide is next to drop.
The seventh edition of our annual tournament preview is 90-plus pages and will be out on Tuesday, available only to VSiN Pro subscribers:
- Profiles of all 68 teams
- Round, conference, and seed betting trends
- Host best bets, brackets, and Final Four picks
- Shared traits of Cinderella and Championship teams
Not a VSiN Pro yet? See the offer at the top of this email, which will carry you through the championship game. (You can cancel after that, if you so choose.)
NCAA Bracket: First impressions
I want to thanks our hosts and crew for producing tremendous Selection Sunday programming.
On the Sharp Week Bracket Breakdown, Tim Murray and Jonathan Von Tobel provided real-time reactions to the bracket reveal. JVT even fired off seven bets during the show:
- Troy +10.5 (vs Kentucky)
- UC San Diego +3.5 (vs Michigan)
- Akron +15.5 (vs Arizona)
- Drake +6.5 (vs Missouri)
- New Mexico +3.5 (vs Marquette)
- Tennessee-Wofford Under 133.5
- St. John’s -17.5 (vs Omaha)
Then came the dynamic duo of Matt Youmans and Greg “Hoops” Peterson.
I highly recommend taking the time to listen to their opinions on the tournament (upsets, sleepers, etc.), so I am posting the podcast links from Sharp Week Betting The Bracket.
- Hour 1Â
- Hour 2 (with Mitch Moss and Pauly Howard)
- Hour 3 (with Circa’s Nick Bogdanovich and VSiN’s Grace Remington)
Cashing Out host Joe Ceraulo closed out the night with a cavalcade of guests, including:
>Circa V(I)P Mike Palm reported some of the early line movement at the book: Kansas moved from -2.5 to -4.5 vs. Arkansas; Louisville-Creighton moved from a pick’em to Louisville -2.5.
>Gill Alexander updated his NCAA Championship criteria system, adding Iowa State and Tennessee to the list that already included Auburn, Duke and Houston. (Warning: Iowa State announced that star guard Keshon Gilbert (groin injury) will miss the tournament.) As Gill told Joe and will discuss on today’s A Numbers Game (noon-2 p.m. ET), he doesn’t have a good feeling about the system holding up this year.
More handy links
VSiN’s Dave Tuley offers his early thoughts on the tournament.
>Sharp Week coverage on this special page, including opening-round matchups.
>VSiN Pro picks for the tournament.
>DraftKings/Circa Betting Splits
>TV times for the first round.
>Registration is open for the VSiN March Bracket Challenge, 40 picks against the spread or on totals over the course of six NCAA Tournament rounds for a chance at $5,000 in prize money. It is free to enter. >Read the rules and sign up.
Wake me up for the ballgame
The Dodgers-Cubs Opening Day game starts at 6:10 a.m. ET Tuesday (Fox), so I asked VSiN managing editor Adam Burke to post his thoughts a day early:
Personally, I would tread lightly with these Tokyo games, just as I did last year with the games in Seoul. My guess is that if you take the underdog Cubs in both games, you’ll come out ahead, as I envision a split at worst for Chicago.
>>Adam has one prop bet he likes.
FYI: The Dodgers have said that Mookie Betts is ill with flu-like symptoms and may miss the Japan series.
I remember rushing home from school to watch the last few innings of the Cubs on Opening Day. Unless I am rushing home from St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Las Vegas, I might miss this one.
Quick Hits
Golf: The Players Championship will come down to J.J. Spaun (+155 at Circa) facing Rory McIlroy (-180) in a three-hole aggregate playoff starting at 9 a.m. ET today.
NBA: Zach Cohen will have his plays later this morning.
NHL: Jonathan Davis will have his Best Bets later, too.
This is The VSiN Daily newsletter for Monday, March 17. Sign up for this free email and get picks and insights delivered to your in-box every morning.
