Here are my final predictions before March Madness begins.  I hope this helps, whether you are doing a last-minute bracket or wagering on the games:

I hear the conspiracy argument that the selection committee is fixing the bracket with compelling story-lines.  So…where exactly is the controversy?  Bring on the narratives!

Remember when you were a little kid and you couldn’t sleep on Christmas Eve?  If I did get to sleep, I’d remember my sister Regina waking me up at 3 a.m., 4 a.m. to help her kill time.  Well, since the bracket has come out it has been consecutive days of the Christmas insomnia.  I am like a giddy little kid awaiting the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  And so I took this video on another holiday, Saint Patrick’s Day.  I hope they give you good luck to strike the pot of gold in YOUR office pool.

Matt’s ATS stands at a pivotal 48-47 on the season.
Before you fill out your final four, check out my six picks.

Thank you anyone and everyone who read my rookie season of this blog.  I squeaked-out an above-.500 record up until this point.  I am 45-41 Against the Spread (Matt’s ATS) on my season picks.  Depending on what shakes out with the league championships, this could be my last Saturday of regular season picks.  Here they are…

Eastern Kentucky +7 vs. Belmont 
    *This is the Ohio Valley Championship game and I think Eastern Kentucky will win the game outright.  Both teams are wildly similar.  The team that plays either in the first round of the NCAA Tournament better GUARD the 3-point line! 

Kentucky +8 @ Florida
Missouri St. +12 vs. Wichita State 
North Carolina +8 @ Duke 
Illinois +11 1/2 @ Iowa 
Oregon -3 vs. Arizona 
Iowa St. -3 1/2 vs. Oklahoma St.
UCONN +10 vs. Louisville 
Georgetown +11 1/2 @ Villanova

Some awesome spreads this week for underdogs making a comeback into the bubble conversation.  Georgetown, Illinois and Oregon have played great ball of late.  In the words of Denny Green, “they are who we THOUGHT THEY WERE.”  And they’re getting a chance today.  Meanwhile, I can’t remember the last time Louisville won by 10+ points let alone the last time UCONN received that generous spread.  I would trust Shabazz Napier with my house keys as far as point guard play is concerned.  UNC Duke is too mar-key a matchup to be an 8 point game.

Matt’s ATS stands at 41-36 on the season.
(Take team on the left),

Miami + 4 1/2 @ NC State
LSU + 13 @ Florida
Oklahoma -5 vs. Texas
Syracuse +4 @ Virginia
Creighton -2 1/2 vs. Xavier
Minnesota +9 @ Michigan
VCU – 4 1/2 vs. St. Louis
California +4 1/2 @ Arizona St.
Oklahoma St. PK Kansas

March Madness, you are quickly marching our way.  We’ve seen Elite 8-type matchups thus far this season.  Speaking of which, we get treated to Duke vs. Syracuse Part II today. Here are my picks to improve on Matt’s ATS, standing at 36-32 on the season after last week’s comeback (6-2) performance.

Here are the team’s to take today:

St. John’s +11 at Villanova
Baylor +3 1/2 at West Virginia
Notre Dame +12 at Virginia
LSU +12 at Kentucky.
Syracuse +5 /12 at Duke
Texas + 11 1/2 at Kansas
Stanford +1 vs. UCLA
New Mexico – 3 1/2 vs. San Diego St.

I think West Virginia has finished showing us its best basketball of the season.  Baylor played tough in a must-win game against Oklahoma St.  With so much on the line, I could easily see a one possession game in this one.  As much as I love Virginia, they play games in the 40s and 50s.  That makes this 12 point spread too irresistible.  Good sports schools like Notre Dame surprise shoe-in tourney teams this time of year.  It’s like they want to claim relevance although nowhere near the bubble.  See Auburn’s near-win at Florida this week.  LSU beat Kentucky once already this season.  That was by far the highlight of the season, as they’ve struggled since.  However, if they swept Kentucky, they’d have to be in the bubble team conversation, right?  LSU matches up well with Kentucky with a quick-footed front court and much more experienced backcourt.  As great as the first Syracuse Duke matchup was, I have to bet on the Orange for the first time this season.  Boeheim will obviously have his players attention after the loss to Boston College, and the zone gave the Blue Devils a lot of issues with its mid-range game last time at the Dome.  I just can’t see Duke running away with this one.  The 5 1/2 points feel safe.

Matt’s ATS dips below .500 for the first time this season.  I am 30-31 against the spread.  Let’s clean this up right quick with picks for Saturday, February 15th.

Give me Memphis +3 1/2.  The Memphis guards saved the day against Gonzaga and Ryan Boatright hasn’t looked right for UCONN.

Oklahoma +3 1/2 at Oklahoma State.  Marcus Smart is not the only player the Cowboys are missing.

VCU +4 at St. Louis.  I picked St. Louis as a favorite recently in LaSalle and that killed me.  They won, but didn’t cover.  I sense a likely scenario here as VCU plays for its tournament life.  I actually hope St. Louis loses so that it’s a greater sleeper in the NCAA Tournament.

Green Bay +3 1/2 at Cleveland State.  Green Bay is one of my super sleepers this year.

Tennessee missed a golden opportunity to get into the tournament with a home game against Florida.  I’m not counting them out just yet and taking them +2 at Missouri.

I love Duke as a potential Elite 8 team.  However, 13 points is too large a spread hosting Maryland.  I’d take Dez Wells to cover that himself.

I’m going to stick to my guns as I feel invested with Ohio State.  I will take the Buckeyes -3 1/2 in Illinois.  If they can’t win there, there really are serious issues in Columbus.

The nightcap, in my mind, is a no-brainer.  Florida is the new vogue choice to win the national championship, much like Louisville last year.  I will confidently take them +3 in Kentucky.

Now that the NFL season has ended, welcome back to the religion of NCAA hoops.
Matt’s ATS stands at 28-25 on the season.  I was on the fence about one of my eight picks today.  Therefore, new respecttheline.com correspondent C4 helps out!

Florida -14 vs. Alabama
Texas +4 @ K-State
UNC even @ Notre Dame
Michigan +6 @ Iowa
St. Louis -3 @ LaSalle
Gonzaga + 4/12 @ Memphis
Cincinnati +3 1/2 @ SMU
*Oklahoma -5 1/2 vs. Baylor

*C4’s Ducky Pick of the Week