With the NCAA Tournament essentially playing out like the Anti-Underdog Invitational
2007-03-26
With the NCAA Tournament essentially playing out like the Anti-Underdog Invitational, it has been very tough for me to know exactly which bet to make. The favorites have won most of the games, but aren’t covering all of their spreads. The underdogs with huge spreads, however, have not always come through as they have often blown big leads in the process of losing and not covering their lofty spreads (i.e. USC). So with Kansas giving 3 points against UCLA, I was torn as to whom to put my money on. Both teams were playing well as of late, and I had heard arguments on both sides explaining why each team could win. How was I to ultimately decide? After a long and hard deliberation, I went with geography. With the game being played at San Jose, I felt that UCLA would have a significant advantage in fan support that could help swing the outcome by a possession or two. When the Bruins needed a basket or defensive stop, that place would go crazy and give them a boost. So, with that elaborate theory in tow, I took the Bruins +3. I was ready for another wild ride.
In the first couple of minutes of the game, I was extremely excited to see the Bruins establish their defensive intensity. Every Kansas dribble taken was followed closely by a Bruin defender, and every shot attempted was heavily contested. I remarked out loud that the Jayhawks would be “wearing” the Bruins all day long. Even though Kansas took an early 16-11 lead, I was happy by what I had seen from UCLA up to that point. With some better offensive possessions and a couple of baskets off turnovers, the game would swing in their favor. Sure enough, after the Jayhawks had extended the lead to 29-23, UCLA’s brand of basketball took over, and they made a nice run. With their defensive pressure at full throttle, the Bruins forced Kansas to take tough shots, while at the same time playing within their half-court offense. In the last 4 minutes of the half, UCLA went from being down 6 to being up 4, 35-31. Things were looking good.
As the second half began, it was evident that UCLA was not going to give up the momentum. They continued their hard-nose play on both ends of the court, helping to maintain a comfortable lead in the early goings. Kansas, which thrives on transition baskets and open court opportunities, was left trying to play in UCLA’s half-court style, to terrible results. They weren’t making their perimeter shots as in previous games, and they were never able to make a little run that made UCLA nervous. The Bruins were in complete control and they were not going to let up. By the time the game was over, UCLA had walked away with an easy 68-55 win, leaving Bill Self still without a Final Four appearance. More importantly, however, it made me 2 for 2 on my bets for the day, including a significant amount of money that I had won on this game. The Bruins bucked the trend of favorites winning, although being a number 2 seed and playing in your own state obviously makes you wonder how big of an underdog they actually were. Nevertheless, I had finally won a bet against a favorite and I couldn’t wait to ride the underdogs again tomorrow.
Till tomorrow, may all your bets be winners.
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