Basketball Christmas is here!

Unofficial sponsor

The NCAA tourney, aka, Basketball Christmas, start today. That is, unless you're delusional a sportscaster or employed by the NCAA, and you'll claim it started Tuesday with the getting you ready for a 92 team tournament play-in games. Rather than give you the typical breakdown, we'll take a quick peak LB style and give our picks. Plus, I'm sick as a dog, can't really think straight, and am going to just free flow this baby before I take next week off after drinking too much watching basketball to rest for awhile.




In case you weren't watching this year, here's a synapsis of the season - the Big Ten was really good and deep; the Big 12 (Kansas, Missouri, Baylor) and ACC (UNC, Duke, Florida St.) were top heavy and shallow; the SEC (Kentucky, Vandy, Florida) and Big East (Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown) were Big 12/ACC light; the Pac 12 may or may not have been playing in Division 2 this year; and the MWC was pretty good again.  Onward.

South (Where the Players Get Paid)

Named for it's #1 seed, Kentucky is our favorite here.  One of two 1 seeds clearly sleeping with committee members, Kentucky drew a weak/traditionally overrated #2 Duke, a weak 8/9 game, and a junk #4 in Indiana.  In other words, Kentucky's starters will all be getting the Final Four bonuses in their contracts easily get them out of this bracket.

LB gambling notes - Peeps love them some UNLV, and they're only 4.5 point favorites over Colorado.  Big 10's Indiana only a 6 point favorite over New Mexico State.  And, as much as I hate to admit it, Duke always wins by 20 in the first round, and they're giving 12.5.  I like the two underdogs and Duke.  If Kentucky wins the tournament, even odds the title gets vacated one day.  1,000,000 to 1 odds Kentucky fans would care.  Oh, and bet on them in the first round regardless of line, too.

Knowing is half the battle.

Random notes - With South Dakota St. making the bracket, only Alaska, with no Division 1 schools, and Maine remain as the only states to never send a team to the tourney.  Now you know.

The Pick - Kentucky

West ("Isn't Sparty Always in the Final Four?" Bracket)

Too many drugs in the system to Google this, but Sparty has been in the Final Four more times than not in the past 10 years or so.  Other than a challenging 8/9 winner (Memphis vs. St. Louis), they were rewarded with an easy draw, as Missouri (bad matchup for the Tigers), Marquette, Louisville, and New Mexico (these three stink) draw the high seeds.  Cake.  Walk.

LB Gambling Notes - Mid Major darling, 30-1 Murray State is only a 4 point favorite over Colorado State, aka, how the f**k did Colorado State get in?  Take the CSU... whatevers.  I like Sparty -20 in the first round, too.

Oceans of success

Random Notes - Who is Iona and how do they get an at large bid?  This committee is a joke.  Why didn't my parents encourage me to go to Long Beach State?  And, to any bosses out there, would you hire someone with a degree from Long Beach State?  I'm a boss, I don't think I would.  But I'd definitely want to hear some stories.

The Pick - Michigan State.

East (The Lots of Smart People Bracket)

Syracuse, Harvard, Vanderbilt, Texas, Loyola?  Damn.  Then again, there's Southern Miss, Florida State, Cincinnati, and Ohio State, too.  Maybe they cancel each other out?  I bet St. Bonaventure is smar, that just sounds smart.  Montana probably has a good farming program.  What do people do at Gonzaga?  Wife, hide the drugs, this isn't good.  Anyways, this bracket is the best shot at a 2 seed getting in, as Ohio State has at least 2 legit pros on the team.  Don't buy the Florida State hype.

LB Gambling Notes - Syracuse -17 (no random school is figuring out that zone).  And how is West Virginia a pick vs. the Zags?  Who knew West Virginia was in the tournament?  I gots WVU.  Randomly awesome state to visit, by the way.

Random Notes - Was there ever a more "polar opposite universities" match up than Florida State vs. St. Bonaventure?  Even the most sober Seminole student could drink the drunken priests under the table.

The Pick - Ohio State by a nose over Syracuse.  Florida State loses to Cincinnati in the 2nd round.

Midwest (UNC insults committee's mothers, AND has to go to St. Louis)

Seriously, Creighton in the 2nd round, Michigan in the Sweet 16, and Kansas on the bottom half of the draw?  Jeepers creepers, Batman.  Even St. Mary's, Cal, and South Florida are no gimmees.  Not cool.  That said, they're loaded with NBA talent, and should still get out of this alive. 

LB Gambling Notes - UNC -however many against whoever wins the play-in (sensing a theme here?).  Belmont +4 over Georgetown (I'd parlay Belmont, UNC, and Creighton and see what odds you get, though parlays, especially more than 2 teams, are stupid bets.  But this is Christmas, it's supposed to be fun).  Detroit +15 over Kansas (line seems short).


Random Notes - If you're Kentucky, wouldn't you rather be in the Midwest and go to St. Louis, rather than the South and Atlanta?  They're the #1 overall seed, seems like they got screwed on travel.  That said, there's probably a lot more Kentucky grads in Atlanta than in St. Louis.  Plus, who wants to go to St. Louis?  BBQ maybe?  Their mayor's name is Francis, that's kinda weird.  Oh God, the computer screen is getting hazy... Pills are good!  No, seriously, this guy said so.


I think I would have gone four 1 seeds if Fab Melo weren't out for Syracuse.  Anyways, time to pick a champ.  I play logic here again... everyone loves Kentucky and UNC, and frankly, they have the most talent and I like them, too.  However, the Big 10 has been the best conference all year, and has the hottest team in the country right now.  Seems to easy to pass up.  However, I'm qualifying this pick because I've been doped up for three days.  Niiiiiiice...

This is typically where I post a pic of my winner, but being a die-hard Michigan fan (who does root for Sparty hoops, and always has... I have much love for Izzo and my Sparty friends), I just can't post the S and live with myself.  So I found a reasonable substitute...

Spartacus on!!!!!

Nahh, that doesn't seem right.  Here we go!

Sparty on! Rahhhhhhh!!!

Final - Michigan State 81, UNC 80.

Contact Logical Betting at logicalbetting@gmail.com and twitter.com/logicalbetting for our random logical picks, sports stories, and thoughts.  Next week we'll give a prelude to the MLB preview in two weeks, where I will explain why I hate the Yankees (among other teams) next week, and offer you a chance to answer one of the more ridiculous questions I've been asked in recent years in two weeks.  I love you all.  Hasta.