As we speak could be my favourite column of the yr. No, not as a result of we’re recapping what occurred on the Girls Inform All. No, no, no. C’mon. Priorities individuals. It’s the day I launch my March Insanity picks, which have grow to be considerably legendary (in my very own thoughts). I began it again in 2017 the place I gave out one first spherical choose (a sport performed both Thursday or Friday) for individuals to guess on. Evidently, it’s been worthwhile. The truth is, I began out 5-0 as you’ll see beneath. The final couple years had some powerful breaks as I’ve been 1-3 the final 2 years to deliver my file to 6-3. Hey, any gambler will let you know for those who’re hitting 66%, you’ll win cash. I solely gave out one choose a season between 2017-2019. However since then, I’ve given out 2 picks a season. After which the final 2 years, whereas giving out 2 picks, I’d give out 4 different ones that I actually like, and even these have achieved effectively. So lets see if I can maintain my streak going and knock out some extra winners for you. Though this season, you’re gonna have to attend til Friday since each of my video games are on that day.
Don’t neglect to ship your “Reader Emails” in for tomorrow at steve@realitysteve.com. I feel I’m gonna publish the weekly podcast tomorrow morning since I go away for Vegas within the morning and I’d slightly simply have it on the market then should publish it on Thursday. So tomorrow would be the weekly podcast AND your “Reader Emails,” together with each the Day by day Roundup and the Sports activities Day by day. Enjoyable instances for all.
So right here is my file since I began giving out first spherical performs 7 years in the past. Each sport I’ve guess has been an underdog and I’m 6-3 with 4 outright winners. It makes probably the most sense since we all know there can be upsets each season, so, I attempt to give attention to the underdogs who I feel will win the sport outright. Even a pair that misplaced outright however lined have been near successful:
2017: UNC-Wilmington (+8 ½) vs Virginia – Winner (misplaced 76-71)
2018: Loyola-Chicago (+4 1/2 ) vs Miami – Winner (received outright 64-62)
2019: UC Irvine (+4) over Kansas St. – Winner (received outright 70-64)
2020: No event – COVID
2021: Ohio (+7) vs Virginia – Winner (received outright 72-68)
2021: BONUS PICK: UCSB (+7) vs Creighton – Winner (misplaced 63-62)
2022: South Dakota St (+2) over Windfall – Misplaced (misplaced 66-57)
2022: BONUS PICK: Virginia Tech (+1) over Texas – Misplaced (81-73)
2023: Furman (+5.5) over Virginia – Winner (received outright 68-67)
2023: BONUS PICK: Kent St (+4) over Indiana – Misplaced (misplaced 71-60)
With none additional ado, listed below are your two picks for this yr. Each video games tip off on Friday:
Coll of Charleston (+9.5) vs Alabama
BONUS PICK: JMU (+5.5) vs Wisconsin
The Faculty of Charleston sport is the third to final sport to tip off on Friday, so that you’ll have to attend a bit for that one, but it surely’s one I actually like resulting from the truth that they’re skilled, they took San Diego St. to the wire in Rd 1 final season (who ended up enjoying for the nationwide championship), and Alabama is horrible, and I imply horrible, defensively. Undecided they need to be virtually double digit favorites versus anybody. And sure, JMU might be one of the public underdogs in Rd 1 however I don’t care. I feel they win outright vs Wisconsin regardless. Different video games that I like as effectively and can be betting: McNeese St. (+6) vs Gonzaga, Drake (-2) vs Wash St., Oregon (+1) vs S. Carolina, New Mexico (-2) vs Clemson.
In the event you look over all my picks since 2017, together with the 4 bonus picks I gave in each 2022 and 2023, each single considered one of them has additionally lined an 8 pt. teaser. That’s 17 picks (6-3 on high performs, and eight bonus picks) I’ve given in 7 years, and each single considered one of them stayed inside 8 pts of the closing line. The three workforce, 8 pt teaser is one thing I take pleasure in enjoying, in order that’s why I say whereas I just like the performs I gave you, I at all times take pleasure in teasing the road 8 pts in my favor as effectively only for some added enjoyable. You don’t should. Or you possibly can if you wish to be livin’ massive. Kidding. However once I’m 17-for-17 in these, perhaps it’s a good suggestion to start out together with them in teasers. If I needed to give one 3 workforce, 8 pt teaser this yr, I’d go together with Coll of Charleston (+17.5), JMU (+13.5), and Oregon (+9). Dana Altman has by no means misplaced a primary spherical sport as head coach at Oregon (7-0). So I don’t really feel like betting in opposition to that. And teasing that line as much as +9 looks like the factor to do, as a result of even when he loses for the primary time in Rd 1 at Oregon, I feel that sport can be shut versus South Carolina. Good luck everybody!
So one of many issues that was totally different about final nights episode was the format of it. They’ve achieved this earlier than the place there was a cliffhanger on the in a single day date episode and the next episode had the decision to that earlier than going into the Inform All present. However we didn’t see the decision of the letter Kelsey wrote after which the rose ceremony of Rachel’s elimination till an HOUR into the present. I in all probability assume most viewers forgot there was even footage in Mexico we wanted to see since they instantly began with the taped WTA, exhibiting Joey and Jesse parading round LA crashing events, introducing the ladies, then getting straight into the cat preventing. I’ve received some ideas…
