Which Team Will Take It Home?! 🏀💰

The NCAA men’s Final Four has more newcomers than a freshman college orientation. History was made, controversial calls ended magical runs, and Alex Earle had moneyline on the University of Miami.

Waddup Playmakers! Is it cool if I call you guys that? Or, with me being the new guy and all, should we still refer to each other as Fade Godarooski – being myself – and an anonymous reader? Find me and let me know your thoughts. ANYWAYS! How are you all holdin’ up after last weekend’s shenanigans? My only good bet was taking Miami moneyline over Texas, and I think I sprinkled a little bit of cheese on Japanese cricket at like 3 AM while knocking back a couple of Tedy Bruschi’s. Don’t lie to yourself, we’ve all done it. A little 50 cents to win 77 cents, no big deal, I know. That said, I think I can speak on behalf of some of us and say we may – or may not – have hit another slight cold streak, but that’s okay! You know why? Because colder weather is headed out the door, and warmer weather is on its way and here to stay knocks on wood And I’m ready to get mother effin’ athletic out here, dude – win a couple lays on the bet slip, withdraw a little bit of that greenery from the books, offer a pretty little bird at the bar a lemon drop or two on the boy, and get that confidence back up baby, gang, gang.

Enough of the chit-chatter, let’s take a look at where we’re at in the big dance, what our best bets look like in the Final Four, and what other sporting events we should be looking out for heading into April for all you Aries and Taurus’ out there.

HOW THE HECK DID WE GET HERE? 🤔

Instagram post by @playmakeru

It all comes down to one last weekend. Who wants it the most? Who’s going to win the 50/50 balls? Who will be the surprising X factor? Who’s going to sacrifice their body and take the charge of the game for their team? Which coach will outcoach the other? Will passion and effort be able to outlast the better opponent? Wait, what happened to all of the better opponents? Like Alabama? Houston? Kansas? Texas? Troy Bolton and the East High Wildcats, for God’s sake?!

Come Selection Sunday (and per Covers.com), Uconn had a +1,600 odds to win it all, Miami had a +5,000, San Diego State had a +8,000, and FAU barely scraped the board with a +20,000 odds to BRING IT ON HOME, JOHN B! It’s also the first time in March Madness history that zero number-one-seeded teams made the Elite Eight and that the Final Four features no teams seeded higher than 4th.

That said, a most irregular season has given birth to a most unconventional Final Four, intriguing because of not only who will show up in Houston but who won’t. When the season began, Connecticut was nowhere to be found in the top 25 rankings. Nor Miami. When March began, 237 schools in the nation could claim an NCAA tournament win in their history. Florida Atlantic wasn’t one of them. When last Friday began, San Diego State had never won a Sweet 16 game, never beaten a No. 1 seed, and never knocked off a top-ranked opponent. The Aztecs took care of all that in one night.

Not to mention teams like San Diego State and Florida Atlantic University will make their first Final Four appearance in school history, which brings us to our marquee matchups and best bets going into the weekend.

FINAL FOUR SET #MarchMadness

#5 San Diego State vs #9 FAU 🔥 https://t.co/Tzv1LdKKoU

— Playmaker (@playmaker)
Mar 26, 2023

No. 9 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 5 San Diego State (-1.5) @ 6:09 p.m. ET on CBS

Talk about two teams coming off of two huge wins. FAU had an impressive comeback win against probably the most likable team in the tournament, being in Markquis Nowell, Keyontae Johnson, and the Kansas State Wildcats. San Diego State survived what can only be called a rock fight with a dramatic 57-56 victory. A back-and-forth defensive struggle ended in controversial fashion, as San Diego State’s Darrion Trammell converted one of two free throws in the final second to win the game after Creighton’s Ryan Nembhard committed the foul. However, the timing of the whistle and what was at stake led to no shortage of debate across the entire country. The Aztecs come into this game with a 1.5-point favorite – per Barstool Sportsbook – and deservedly so, along with the over/under for total points set at 132.

Why San Diego State Can Cover

Two names to remember here: Junior guard Lamont Butler and Senior forward Jaedon LeDee. Butler just came off an 18-point game, making his last two out of three games with double-digit points. He shoots 42% from the field and will continue to create shots for himself in hopes of getting going early. LeDee has come up big in the tournament, grabbing 10 rebounds in their first game against Charleston – who everyone thought they would lose to, by the way – and tallied 12 points and 6 boards against the number one-seeded team in the tourney, Alabama. Look for him to continue to body guys out and crash the boards like there’s no tomorrow. Second chance will be huge in this game.

Why Florida Atlantic Can Cover

The Owls have two players averaging double-digits; Sophomore guard Johnell Davis leads the way, averaging 13.1 points, shooting 50% from the field and connecting on 37% from beyond the arc. Pretty impressive if you ask me. He’s also scored double-digits in each of his last 10 games. And, Sophomore guard Alijah Martin, who had a dominating performance in their Elite Eight win over Kansas State. In that game, he scored 17 points, grabbed four rebounds, and had two assists, two blocks, and two steals. He also registered a double-double in the Conference-USA Championship Game win over UAB, scoring 30 points while grabbing 11 boards.

My Pick?

Both teams are physical and are there for a reason. I see it being close, however, give me the Aztecs to lay the points and advance to their first-ever National Championship game.

No. 5 Miami vs No. 4 Uconn (-5.5) @ 8:49 p.m. ET on CBS

Man!!! I wish this were the National Championship game. I absolutely love both squads. The Huskies demolished Drew Timme’s handlebar mustache and the Zags by more than 25 points in the Elite Eight, and Miami’s Jordan Miller’s perfect performance from the field, 27 points, and their remarkable 13-point comeback in the second half ended the Texas Longhorn’s run to reach a Final Four appearance. Per Barstool Sportsbook, the Huskies are a 5.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 149.5 total points.

Why Uconn Can Cover

6-foot-9, 245-pound junior Adama Sanogo leads the conference in scoring with 17 points per game and ranks fifth in rebounding, grabbing about 8 boards a game. He was also named to the all-Big East first team. Basically, the dude’s a monster. The Huskies also defend the three extremely well, only allowing opponents to shoot just 29.7% from beyond the arc, leading the conference and ranking 12th in the country. We’ll see if they can cover a Miami team that LEADS THEIR CONFERENCE IN 3-POINT PERCENTAGE, shooting 37% from 3.

Why Miami Can Cover

Jordan Miller. A 6-foot-7 do-it-all senior who shot a perfect 7-7 from the field against Texas and 13-for-13 from the charity stripe en route to a game-high 27 points. Uconn loves to hack and get physical with their opponents, resulting in them ranking 10th in the Big East and 262nd in the country in fouls per game (18.0). Miami ranks 11th in the country in free throw percentage, shooting close to 80% from the line. Free throws are what could keep them in the game and possibly pull off a huge upset.

My Pick?

Even though I made some good money on Miami in the game against Texas, that 13-point lead scared was a bit worrisome, and Uconn is levels above Texas. I’ve said it since the Sweet Sixteen, and I’m sticking to my guns. Uconn is the best team in this tournament. Lay the -5.5 on the Huskies and expect them to win it all at -135 odds.

QUIZ: WHO WILL WIN IT ALL?

FROM LAST WEEK’S POLL: MARCH MADNESS POLL 🧐

A SPIN AROUND THE GLOBE 🌍

Give us your early MLB season predictions ⬇️ https://t.co/WJek5sBt45

— Playmaker (@playmaker)
Mar 29, 2023

Alright, enough college basketball, because if we think about it too much, we’ll get over on our heads on who to bet on, and that’s never a good thing. Plus, we won’t know anything else going on and where else we should place our money in the world of sports. Let’s take a spin around the globe as we take a look at what’s happening on the mound, on the links, and on the professional hardwood floor.

MLB Opening Day: Thursday, March 30th

MLB’s 2023 Opening Day is finally here. All 30 teams will play in 15 games Thursday, with 30 of the best pitchers across the majors taking the mound. ESPN will be airing a ton of exciting games, including the reigning champion Astros and new member Jose Abreu opening the season against the White Sox, the 2020 MVP’s former team. The primetime Opening Night showdown will also feature Houston’s World Series banner-raising ceremony and festivities. If you’re into futures, the Astros lead all odds with a +625 to win it all again, with the Yankees (+700) and Dodgers (+700) following close behind. Personally, I like the Cubs at +2000, but I’m biased. Who you got?

Augusta’s Right Around The Corner

It’s already been 12 months around the globe, and former Master’s champ Scottie Scheffler is prepared to run it back-to-back on Thursday, April 6th in Augusta, Georgia. Scheffler leads the books with a +700 odds to win it all, closely following Rory McIlroy with +750 odds and Jon Rahm with +800 to wear the green jacket. A little sprinkle on Justin Thomas at +2000 never hurt anybody though 😉

NBA Play-in Tournament

NBA postseason is right around the corner, which means so is the play-in tournament. The NBA announced Tuesday that the 2023 play-in tournament will take place from April 11-14 and will be broadcasted on TNT and ESPN. The tournament features teams that finish seventh through 10th in each conference, and two teams from each conference will earn a spot in the postseason. We’ll touch up more on this in next week’s newsletter when we have a better idea from all the anticipated chaos we expect up until April 9. Just know it’s going to be an all-out battle to the finish line, so fasten your seatbelts. In the meantime, check out the current standings HERE.

🏀💪 Caitlin Clark makes history with first-ever 40-point triple-double in the NCAA Tournament. Men’s or women’s.

🏈 Where will Lamar Jackson end up?!

😳Lavar Ball just put his life on the line to protect his kids from a shooting.

🙄Kyrie doing Kyrie things again.

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