Vols to Stun Buckeyes in Sweet Sixteen

Al Dannity expects the Cinderella stories to end in the Sweet Sixteen but he still has his eye on one historic upset.

Big effort won’t be enough for Big Red

Ignore the 9.5 line, this is going to be a tight one and a tactical war. On the one hand we have the neat and efficient Cornell Big Red (+450) and on the other stands the slick and athletic Kentucky Wildcats (-600). Coach Cal has been here before and while John Wall and company lack the experience of their Ivy League opponents, they have shown poise and a relentlessly brutal side to their game in making the Sweet Sixteen. The Cinderella supporter in me really wants to go against this pick but Kentucky are too good. Wildcats to win a close one.

Duke to pound Hummel-less Purdue

The Boilermakers (+310) deserve a lot of credit for getting this far. After a total collapse at the end of the regular season and in the Big Ten tournament following the loss of Robbie Hummel, Purdue has regrouped and beaten decent opposition in the form of Siena and Texas A&M to make it this far. Unfortunately their reward is to play against a Duke (-400) team which is benefitting from the chaos caused by the string of upsets in this year’s tournament. Coach K’s team have hit their stride and while I’m still not sure they can go all the way to Indy, I can’t see them losing this one. Duke to win big.

Vols to take down Buckeyes

It would be foolish to not pick at least one upset in the Sweet Sixteen and for my money Tennessee (+180) has the best shot against Ohio State (-220). The Buckeyes have more than earned their #2 seed billing, especially in their last outing when they cruised past Georgia Tech. While Thad Matta’s side is firing on all cylinders, I think Bruce Pearl is going to finally emerge from Pat Summitt’s shadow and make a statement with the male Vols in 2010. A gutsy win over San Diego State in the first round was followed by an 83-68 pounding of the Ohio Bobcats. No Tennessee men’s team has ever got past the Sweet Sixteen since the tournament’s inception. That will change this year. Vols to win.

Bears to roar into Elite Eight

Baylor (-180) was the hot team in the Big 12 at the end of the regular season and despite making hard work of Sam Houston State, the #3 seed Bears have maintained that momentum in March Madness. They face one of the few teams on an even hotter run in the form of St Mary’s (+150) and their video-blogging star Omar Samhan. The Gaels have defied my predictions twice now, blowing past Richmond and Villanova, but I have to put my sports betting cap on and go against them again. The Bears have shown their might in the tournament and I fancy them to go all the way to the Final Four. Baylor to win.

X: Gabriel Morency previews Friday’s Sweet Sixteen games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEyLST3K10c