Michigan State (+7) vs. Louisville, at Indianapolis By Bobby Maxwell, Featured Handicapper
Here's an Elite FREE winner for you today as we're on the college hardwood with Michigan State getting way too many points against Louisville.

Yeah, I know how shaky Michigan State looked against Kansas on Friday night while Louisville was off destroying Arizona. But I saw something I didn't like from Louisville, a bunch of cocky players celebrating a route. They think they're cruising through this round too, but they've got a big surprise waiting for them in the Spartans.

Michigan State was in a dogfight with Kansas, winning 67-62 as a one-point favorite. They fell behind by 13 in the first half and showed their mettle, rallying back and playing just like coach Tom Izzo wants, rebounding and hitting open shots.

The Spartans also had a fight in the second round, edging USC 74-69 as a four-point favorite. They know how to handle themselves in tough fights, does Louisville?

Michigan State is 9-1 SU (7-3 ATS) in its last 10 games, and remember that this team is so well-balanced, they could have any of four players lead the team in scoring and they've got Goran Suton in the middle who controls the pace with his ability to shoot, rebound and defend. He had 20 points and nine boards against the Jayhawks.

Did Louisville do any work against an Arizona team that was as shocked they were there as the rest of the country? The Cardinals led by 21 at the half and they shot 57.6 percent from the floor.

Louisville is 0-5 ATS against Big Ten teams while Michigan State is on ATS runs of 5-1 overall, 5-0 in non-conference action, 11-4-1 on neutral courts, 20-8-1 in the Big Dance and 8-3-1 as a 'dog.

This is just way too many points to pass up. This one will be a fight to the finish, there is no quit in the Spartans and they won't get blown out. Play Michigan State.

2♦ MICHIGAN STATE

Michigan State vs. LOUISVILLE - at Indianapolis, IN By Sports Gambling Hotline, Featured Handicapper
For Sunday in the Big Dance, take the OVER in your Michigan State-Louisville contest.

Michigan State has been OVER the total in 2 of their 3 Big Dance games, and 3 of their last 4 dating back to the Big 10 tournament. We get the feeling that for the Spartans to hang with the Cardinals, they are going to be forced into showing some offensive fire power, and we feel that even if they get blown out, there will be enough points coming from the Louisville side for us to get this game in the OVER column.

Lousville sailed way OVER the price in their Sweet 16 laugher against Arizona, and they have now played HIGH in 3 of their last 4 dating back to the Big East tourney, and are on a 9-4 OVER clip their last 13 games when installed as the favorite.

We expect another high-scoring game involving the 'Ville before this one is all said and done.

Play the OVER.

5♦ OVER

Oklahoma vs. North Carolina (-7), at Memphis, TN By Michael Cannon, Featured Handicapper
Take the over in the South Regional final between Oklahoma and North Carolina.

Both teams like to get out and run when the opportunity presents itself, and in the case of North Carolina even when it doesn’t.

The Sooners have arguably the best player in the nation in Blake Griffin and he also runs the floor exceptionally well for a big man, so the tempo that the Tarheels are going to bring here shouldn’t bother him at all.

On the other side, North Carolina has been pouring in the points, scoring a whopping 283 points in its three tournament victories so far. Of course the Tarheels are also known for their lack of defense, so that should play right into this game soaring over the posted total.

The over is on runs of 13-5 for North Carolina on Sunday, 6-1 when the Tarheels are favored by less than seven points, 13-6-1 for North Carolina after a spread-cover, 5-1-1 for Oklahoma in the Tournament, 13-5-1 for the Sooners in non-conference play and 10-3 for Oklahoma after an ATS win.

Take the over as this game soars past the posted total.

2♦ OVER

Oklahoma (+7) vs. North Carolina, at Memphis By Chris Jordan, Featured Handicapper
Did you get the feeling after Blake Griffin showed Syracuse how to actually the slam the basketball, since one of its own missed at the Orange end of the court, that the rest of the world is also missing something? Maybe Oklahoma is more than Griffin, who bullied Syracuse around for 30 points and 14 rebounds, while Tony Crocker contributed with a career-high 28 points.

And let’s be real, the Sooners were pulling away from the pride of northern New York midway through the first half, while Griffin punctuated the win with the now infamous noggin-knocking slam dunk.

Bring on the Tar Heels!

I don’t know if the Sooners are going to be dancing with Villanova and U Conn next week, not to mention today’s early winner – which is my 400♦ Line Mistake Winner #3 in a Row – but I do know this is going to be one helluva basketball game. One that I wouldn’t be surprised goes down to the wire.

North Carolina isn’t known for playing defense, mainly because it can score enough to compete better offensively than Carolina’s Bobcats, and that might bite them against a Sooners team that has plenty of mettle to combine with Griffin’s potency, such as guards Willie Warren and Austin Johnson, who will be spot on for this regional final.

Fact is, Oklahoma has solved issues that caused a late-season slide, and is on a 4-1 ATS run in its last five tournament games – a perfect 3-0 this year. As for the Heels, well, they’re mired in ATS slides of 2-7 laying wood in this range, 2-8 off an ATS win and a putrid 0-5 on their last five Sundays.

1♦ OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma vs. North Carolina (-7) By Jeff Benton, Featured Handicapper
For Sunday’s free play, we’ll head to the Elite Eight and play the North Carolina-Oklahoma contest UNDER the total.

I admit right off the bat that this is a total contrarian play. I know that all the money is going to come pouring in on the “over” in this matchup, and it’s easy to see why. First off, the public always plays these marquee games “over” the total. Secondly, the “over” hit in both of yesterday’s Elite Eight games and the “over” is 5-1 in the Tournament since Friday. Thirdly, both the Sooners and Tar Heels have been scoring at will in the Big Dance, and both topped the total in their victories on Friday.

But you see, this is the exact reason why the “under” is so attractive today. We all know that when the public lines up on one side of a particular play that the other side is almost always the way to go. And because the “over” is going to take so much action today, the oddsmakers had to inflate this line.

When you get down to it, it’s extremely difficult for a 40-minute college game to be played in the mid-160s or higher. That means, in essence, that both teams have to score well into the 80s. That ain’t easy. In fact, when you consider that only two of Oklahoma’s last 14 games have gone over 160 points and that North Carolina hadn’t exceeded 160 in five straight games before Friday’s win over Gonzaga, this basically is a very strong “value” play. Take this one UNDER the total.

5♦ UNC-Oklahoma UNDER the total