Posted on
3/20/2008 12:50:57 PM
NCAA March Madness Betting Free Picks – Winthrop and Washington State
By Tim Furious
No. 13 Winthrop Eagles (22-11) vs. No. 4 Washington State Cougars (24-8)
Thursday, March 20th --- Pepsi Center, Denver --- 7:20pm EST
NCAAB Betting Line: Washington State -9.5 (112)
Nobody is giving the Eagles a chance in this game, and I don’t blame them. Washington State is a well balanced offensive team that is predicated on a 47.8 shooting percentage. But their defense has been fantastic this year, averaging only 57.1 points against. Winthrop is a decent team, but don’t get too caught up. The Cougars may be 2-4 ATS in their past 6 games, but even the oddsmakers know that the Eagles can’t match the pace the Cougars are going to set offensively.
The emotional lift that the death of De’Andre Adams, the Winthrop player that was killed last year, may be enough to swing the betting man’s heart in the other direction, but do your best not to let that fool you. Washington State is a very strong fourth-seed in the NCAA tournament.
The Cougars managed a 67.1 point per game average in the heated Pac-10, while Winthrop played in the less-than-sensational Big South conference. Their star player is senior guard Michael Jenkins, who averages 14.3 points and 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. But the rest of the Winthrop roster is thin and small. And they lack the natural talent of Washington State. They will play motivated as they honor their fallen comrade, but that doesn’t mean the Cougars are going to just hand them the win.
The line is properly moving away from Washington State because nobody believes in Winthrop. That should tell you everything you need to know about this matchup. Bet on Washington State safely as you kick off your March Madness betting with a strong start in the East Bracket.
NCAAB Free Pick: Washington State -9.5 (UNDER)
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