Tomorrow night the NCAA Basketball Tournament’s semi-finals will be played in Dallas, Texas.
The first game will match the tournament’s overall top seed and the only one seed in the semi-finals: Florida vs Connecticut.
Connecticut, an overall champion in three of its four national semi-final appearances, has one more than Florida. Both of Florida’s titles were under current coach Billy Donovan as they won in both 2006 and 2007.
The second game will match Kentucky and Wisconsin. Kentucky has won 8 national titles, which is the second most behind UCLA. Their most recent title was under current coach John Calipari, two years ago. Wisconsin’s lone title was in 1941.
Predictions: Florida, a six and a half point favorite, to win by nine points. Wisconsin a one point underdog to upset Kentucky.
Kentucky University rode a three point shot by Aaron Harrison to a three point win vs Michigan University in the Midwest region final. They now will play in the national semi-finals for the 16th time in the school’s illustrious basketball history.
Kentucky, which knocked off defending national champion, Louisville as a 5 point underdog, was a two and a fraction point favorite vs Michigan.
That Kentucky/Michigan game was the only one of the four regional finals in which the favorite covered the spread. Two were outright upsets and one resulted in the favorite winning by less than the margin it was favored. Tomorrow my predictions for the national semi-finals/final four.
The Wisconsin University Badgers are going to just their third national semi-final after a stirring one point overtime win vs Arizona last Saturday.
Wisconsin which also went to the national semi-finals in 1941 and 2000, winning the title in 1941, was the West Region two seed.
They eased to victories in their first three tournament games and then won a thrilling game vs the West region top seed, Arizona Wildcats.
Last Sunday, before a mostly home crowd at Madison Square Garden, five and a fraction point underdog, Connecticut advanced to the fifth national semi-final in school history, by beating Michigan State.
Connecticut, which won it all on three of its four trips to the national semi-finals, will face top seed Florida in the opening game on Saturday night.
Florida is a six and a half point favorite. Meanwhile Michigan State was denied a ninth trip to the national semi-finals, having won it all twice, once with Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Greg Kelser in 1979 and once under current coach Tom Izzo in 2000.
The loss by Michigan State also means that after correctly forecasting North Carolina to be the 2009 NCAA Basketball champion, President Barack Obama has not picked the NCAA winner for five straight seasons. Welcome to the club, Mr. President.
In the South Region of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, top seed Florida broke a 3 consecutive year regional final losing streak with a 10 point win vs Dayton.
Florida was a 10 and a half point favorite. Dayton was great in the tournament, pulling three outright upsets and covering the spread in all four of their games.
Florida lost in the regional finals to Butler in 2011, Louisville in 2012 and to Michigan last season. None of those teams went on to win the tournament.
Florida is easily the top choice going into the final four as they are the only of the four top seeds to make it to Dallas for national semi-final games this Saturday.
As the baseball season gets into full swing, it is hard to pick against the heavily favored L.A. Dodgers in the N.L. West. I will not do so.
The Dodgers will win around 95 games and win the division.
The San Francisco Giants, who won it all in 2010 and 2012 will finish second. I do not make early predictions regarding the wild card race.
The other three teams: the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies, all might be slightly improved but are not going to be a factor in the race.
Last night the NCAA basketball tournament returned to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1961. There were two games. Connecticut prevailed vs Iowa State and Michigan State won by 2 points against region top seed, Virginia. The East Region final at the Garden tomorrow will match Michigan State and Connecticut.
In the Midwest region, Michigan beat Tennessee and Kentucky upset defending champion, Louisville. Michigan will face Kentucky tomorrow in the West region final.
Predictions: Michigan State favored by 5 points will win by 3 points vs Connecticut. Michigan, a 2 point underdog, will upset Kentucky.
Last night’s NCAA basketball predictions were much better as I forecast three of the four games correctly: victories by Florida, Arizona and slight underdog, Dayton over Stanford.
Saturday, Dayton, which lost in the 1967 NCAA final to Lew Alcindor and UCLA, will play top seed Florida. The Gators sent the 2014 UCLA team home with an 11 point win last night. The Florida Gators are the tournament favorite and overall top seed.
Under current coach Billy Donovan, Florida won back to back titles in 2006 and 2007 but were upset in last year’s regional final by Michigan.
Also last night, West region top seed, Arizona won by six points as an eight point favorite vs San Diego State. They will face Wisconsin in the regional final on Saturday. Wisconsin beat Baylor last night.
Predictions time: Florida, a ten point favorite to win by seven points vs Dayton. I forecast three point favorite, Arizona to win by five points win vs Wisconsin.
After the baseball season opened in Australia with two L.A. Dodgers’ wins vs Arizona, there are more “openers” this coming week.
On Sunday night, the Dodgers are involved again as they visit San Diego in the first Sunday night game.
The New York Yankees, who closed a rare non playoffs season last year, with three straight wins at Houston vs the Astros, open there this year. I wondered about that, but remembered the Astros are in the American League now, beginning their second season.
The other New York team, the Mets host the Washington Nationals in the opener for both teams on Monday, March 31st.
I recall the official opening day game being in Washington D.C. and it never being in March, but April.
Yesterday I revealed my predictions for the East and West region semi-final games. Today let’s “pick wrong,” regarding games in the South and Midwest regions.
On Thursday night in the South region, I will go with favored Florida to win vs UCLA by 7 points. Florida is a four and a half point favorite.
I predict their opponent in the regional final on Saturday will be upstart Dayton, which will pull a third straight upset, winning as a 3 point underdog vs Stanford.
On Friday night in the Midwest region, look for Louisville to win a very close game vs intrastate rival Kentucky.
The defending national champion, Louisville Cardinals will play Michigan in the regional finals.
If that happens and I predict it will as I think Michigan will win by 6 points vs Tennessee, the regional final on Sunday will be a rematch of last year’s tournament championship game.
Louisville won that contest and stay tuned here for our predictions, a day before, on the regional final games this Saturday and Sunday.
