David Phillip / AP
Friday, March 28, 2014 | 8 a.m.
Related Coverage
Here’s the latest installment of the Play of the Day, which uses odds from the South Point..
Our three sports writers started with a $10,000 bankroll — fictional, of course.
Iowa State minus-1.5 against Connecticut in East Region Sweet 16: $550 to win $500 : The Iowa State offense will overwhelm UConn. The Cyclones average 82.9 points per game, which is sixth nationally out of more than 300 teams. They are first nationally in assists per game with 18.5 and 23rd nationally in rebounds with 38.8 per game.
And, most importantly, this damage was done against Big 12 Conference competition, beating No. 1 seed Kansas en route to the league-tournament title and continuing the hot play in the NCAA Tournament.
Connecticut, meanwhile, played in the American Athletic Conference, which was so lightly regarded that SMU was left out of the tournament field despite being ranked in the top 25.
But Connecticut is more than capable of being the last team standing in the East. Teams with experienced guards always thrive in the NCAA Tournament, and the Huskies’ Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright combine to form arguably the nation’s best backcourt. And the game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York, where a pro-Connecticut crowd is expected.
Still, I will take the better team laying a favorable number.
Standings: Bern (17-11, $11,390), Keefer (13-13, $9,267), Brewer (9-14-3, $6,510)
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy