Posted on 3/18/2008 1:44:18 PM

Endzone March Madness Betting – Memphis is the Best in the South Bracket

By D.S. Williamson

Okay, so just by looking at the South Bracket it appears that Memphis, the number one seed, should cakewalk their way to the Final Four, right? Not so fast! There are quite a few teams in the South Bracket who could cause the Tigers serious fits. Quite a few who could make the Tigers look ordinary.

Luckily for Memphis, most of these teams will have to beat up on each other before facing the Tigers. That means that Memphis should have an easy time of it in the first round when they get to squash Texas-Arlington. After that, things could change quickly for the Tigers.

Here’s what I see in the South Bracket - -

Dark Horse Teams - - There are a few who qualify in the South Bracket. The first is number 11 Kentucky. Sure, Kentucky had a down year, but those guys are extremely athletic. They also play with a lot of heart and their coach, Billie Gillispie, is used to the pressure. I believe that Kentucky has a shot to upset the apple-cart this year. I also like Temple although their first-round game versus the Michigan State Spartans is going to be tough for them. St. Mary’s is good enough to beat Miami FL in the first-round. After that - - who knows? Both Mississippi State and Oregon could pose problems for the number one ranked Memphis Tigers in the second round.

Best First-Round Match-up - - The BetUS line on Kentucky versus Marquette is Marquette – 6. The money-line is Kentucky + 220. It’s not that I don’t like Marquette, it’s just that they really haven’t done a whole lot on the road this year. They are the sixth seed playing in Anaheim, CA. It makes no sense to me why the South Bracket is having games in Cali, but it’s their tournament, right? In any case, I love the Wildcats in this game. I’ll have a few dollars on them to upset Marquette straight-up.

Other First Round Games - -

Memphis vs. Texas-Arlington - - BetUS line Memphis – 24.5 over/under 142. The Tigers might sleep walk through this game. I’ll take Texas-Arlington to beat the spread. I’ll also take the under. Maybe, Memphis scores around 66 points or so.

Mississippi State vs. Oregon - - BetUS line Mississippi State – 2.5 over/under 143. I actually like the over in this game. Oregon will try and push the ball and MSU will go with them. Both teams should score in the seventies. That would make this game over. I also think that the game is sort of a toss-up in terms of who will win. MSU is good, but Oregon could turn it on quickly. I’ll take Oregon because they’re getting points.

Michigan State vs. Temple - - BetUS line Michigan State – 6.5 over/under 134.5. As much as I want to take Temple straight-up, I can’t. Tom Izzo is too good of a coach and the Spartans were tested during the season by playing the Big-Ten. Temple’s dream ends in this game. Too much Drew Neitzel. I do think Temple can keep this close, though. That’s why I’ll take Temple and the points.

Pittsburgh vs. Oral Roberts - - BetUS line Pittsburgh – 9.5 over/under ? BetUS doesn’t have an over/under on this game. That’s okay. The truth is that Pittsburgh should be able to beat Oral Roberts by at least 20 points. Pitt is a hard-nosed, tough team. That spells doom for Oral Roberts. I’m going to take Pitt to cover the BetUS spread.

Stanford vs. Cornell - - BetUS line Stanford – 14.5 over/under 136. I like Cornell to beat the spread. I also like the under in this game. When I first saw the line, I thought it had to do with the some math contest. I mean, come on! Stanford versus Cornell? Where’s my pocket-protector…

Miami FL vs. St. Mary’s - - BetUS line Miami FL – 1 over/under 137.5. Okay, so St. Mary’s winning this wouldn’t be much of an upset. In that case, I’m betting St. Mary’s. Miami FL is a mess right now. St. Mary’s is a quite, well-coached team. That’s probably enough for them to beat the Hurricanes.

Texas vs. Austin Peay - - BetUS line Texas – 15.5 over/under 140. Texas should easily cover that spread. Nobody in the NCAA Tournament is better than D.J. Augustin. Texas is my pick to get to the Final Four from the South. So, yeah, I think they cover this spread.

The Forecast - -

I like Pitt to beat Michigan State in Round 2. I also like Memphis to beat either Oregon or Mississippi State. I think Texas will end the dream that was St. Mary’s. And - - the Kentucky Wildcats to beat the Stanford Cardinal. Bye, bye Lopez brothers!

Until next week, good luck!

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