It’s hard to believe, but the final weekend of the college hoops regular season is already here (and past for some misguided money-grabbers like the Big Ten…) and there are some massive tectonic games on the docket.  Before we look at today’s headliners, two HUGE results occurred last night as well.  The first was Oklahoma’s dire victory over Iowa State.  A loss would have sunk the Sooners to 7-11 in conference and could have put the tournament just out of the grasp of the nation’s most entertaining player, Trae Young. Luckily for all hoops fans, the tournament should now include 2018’s biggest star.

The most important result of the night though was a less-heralded one; the Penn State last-second win over Ohio State.  The Nittany Lions were most likely on the outside looking in, desperately needing a Quadrant I victory to edge into bubble safety.  Keep in mind, this isn’t Louisville or Syracuse or Texas fighting for their bubble lives, it’s freakin’ PENN STATE; a school who doesn’t habitually play hoops in mid-March.

The highlight of the night is obviously Duke vs. Carolina, but there are some other MASSIVE games in terms of tourney impact like Louisville and NC State, as well as a pair of fun semi’s in the Big Ten Tourney. Let’s see if we can replicate last weekend’s perfect 3-0 ATS performance with a few more winners.

Oh, and not to be a downer and put to fine a point on it… but Arizona fans giving Sean Miller a STANDING OVATION??  Um…uh…I’d pump the brakes just a little bit.  I’m all for “innocent until proven guilty” but I have a funny feeling this story is far from over (and far from a perfect happy ending for all involved….).  The sports road is littered with hundreds of people who decried the media-driven conspiracy in the face of detailed allegations.  Some of them are named Lance Armstrong and Ryan Braun and Rafael Palmiero, and Rick Pitino and, and, and…

TODAY’S FAVORITE FREE PICKS:

Xavier Musketeers -7.5 at DePaul Blue Demons

Xavier might have already locked up the Big East title, thanks to their conference mates doing something they seemingly never can (beat Villanova), but the Muskies still have some work to do to lock up the first #1 seed in school history. They can ill-afford a bad loss today to a 4-13 in Big East play DePaul squad.

I don’t think they will have to worry about it.  Xavier is 8-2 ATS on the road this season while DePaul is just 6-9 ATS at home.  In fact, if you remove Villanova from the equation, and boy of boy does Chris Mack wish he could, X is a fat, juicy 20-8 ATS this season.

Look for Trevon Bluiett and company to have some fun in his final conference game, locking up a relatively easy road win against an overmatched DePaul squad.

FREE PICK:  XAVIER MUSKETEERS -7.5

 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Virginia Cavaliers -9.5

Don’t forget, Notre Dame was a Top Ten team at one point this season before Bonzie Colson got hurt and missed most of the ACC Regular Season.  Now, with Colson back, the Irish have a MASSIVE opportunity to sneak back into the NCAA Tournament field.

All they have to do is win at 27-2 (16-1) Virginia.

Easy, right?  Well, of course it is a daunting challenge, but the Irish should at least compete today.  I think they are skilled enough to find a few decent looks against  smothering Virginia defense and at least hang around.  A ten point spread in a Virginia tempo-slowed game is like getting 12 or 13 in a regular game.  And that is a lot for a competent team that is finally healthy.

I’ll take the Irish with the points.

FREE PICK:  NOTRE DAME +9.5

 

TCU Horned Frogs at Texas Tech Red Raiders -6.5

The Red Raiders have come back to Earth a little bit after legitimately looking like the team who can going to finally slay the Kansas Goliath.  Obviously, that didn’t happen, and now the Raiders are mired in a four game losing streak.

But, let’s look a little deeper at the wicked games this 2018 Big Twelve schedule can play with a team’s “momentum.”  They have losses AT Baylor by 2, AT Oklahoma State, AT West Virginia and a two-point home loss to Kansas.  Nothing to be ashamed of here.  And they will be plenty eager to see TCU tonight at home.  The last time these two met, Tech went TO TCU and beat them senseless.

Meanwhile, TCU enters with an equally schedule-aided four game WINNING streak, with only one road game and it coming against last-place Iowa State.  There’s a reason why Vegas has the team that has lost four in a row favored by a half dozen over a team that has WON four in a row.  Tech matched up well, and is playing at home.  Sometimes that means a lot more than “momentum”

FREE PICK:  TEXAS TECH -6.5