Vegas veteran Benjamin Eckstein, author of America’s Line, brings three years of expertise to make weekly picks in his”Ecks & Bacon” column.
March Madness picks
LAS VEGAS — Gimme a few Cal-Irvine +3.5 points over Kansas State. In fact, we chose +5 if the line started, and it is down to +3.5. So, I could take K-State -3.5 and shoot for the elusive middle, and beg for a four-point final perimeter. Maybe. However, lemme inform you about Irving. Yeah, I call them Irving since that has been my grandpa’s name.
And they’ve perhaps my FAV nickname , the Anteaters. Yet more, get that the Big 12 is WAY better than the Big West. But, Irving roars into the first-round matchup on a 16-0 straight-up run, and has two of the last 10, with a single push. Also, one of K-State’s best gamers, an All-Big 12 first-teamer for two decades, F Dean Wade, is GONE. Eaters obtained Id EAT!
Quack Quack. Yeah, the Ducks, baby! Oregon lost my favorite college player, Bol Bol, yeah, son of Manute, back in January. But the Ducks do have among the best coaches on this side of the Mississippi, Dana Altman. he does is win. Altman submitted a 68-54 record at Kansas State, 327-176 in Creighton, and is now 235-95 in Oregon. This isn’t his very best gaggle of ducks, sorry, had to throw gaggle in. Really, how many times do you get to utilize gaggle in a lifetime? Oops, never mind, that’s for geese. Ducks are a flock.
Back to biz. And we’re talking MONEY! Oregon has come down the stretch just like Secretariat, winning and COVERING eight in a row. Totally understand that the Big Ten is way better than the Pac-12, however, Wiscy has been burning money. The Badgers have covered only two of their past 10, and 20 percent doesn’t make it in my own world.
Close it out down in Columbia, South Carolina, with Duke -27 over North Dakota State. Are we gonna observe another HUMONGOUS No. 1 vs No. 16 mad? Not certain but we have some numbers you may wanna seem at. Talking North Dakota State and Duke. And speaking a 27.5-point disperse. That is a whole lotta chalk. If you are not a fan of the Summit League, then the Bison probably haven’t hit your radar screen. That is why I am here. NDSU has been a cash cow, or cash Bison if you may, covering two of the last 13 overall, and five of the past six on the road.
As for the big picture, the Blue Devils’ in general spread log sits at 18-16, 9-8 on the street and 16-15 as a favorite. The Bison’s in general spread mark is 15-17, 7-12 on the street and 4-8 as an underdog. For you totals gamers, the Dookies have gone OVER only nine occasions, UNDER that an incredible 24 occasions and pushed after, while Dakota has gone OVER 20 times and UNDER 12. Gonna tickle a Bison, also make a light play to the dog.
NHL pick Before I let you go, skate on the NHL ice with me, and grab the UNDER on the Islanders/Flyers game tomorrow .
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 syndicated. His column, America’s Line, together with the Ecks & Bacon appetizer, has run in the New York Daily News and over 100 other newspapers since 1988. You can follow him online at www.americasline.com. He is loved by most, when he picks winners, and detested by others, when he chooses the occasional loser. Should you wanna piece of Eck, hit on his email…ben@americasline.com.
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