Review-Journal March Madness Challenge picks

Las Vegas Review-Journal

8 months ago

San Diego State guard Lamont Butler, center, celebrates with teammates after he hit the winning ... — San Diego State guard Lamont Butler, center, celebrates with teammates after he hit the winning basket against Florida Atlantic during the second half of a Final Four college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, April 1, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez, File)

Review-Journal sports betting reporter Todd Dewey competes against VSiN host Wes Reynolds and professional handicappers Kelly Stewart, Paul Stone, Doug Fitz and Bruce Marshall in a contest covering NCAA Tournament games Thursday and Friday.

Each contestant selects 12 games against the spread, sides or totals, choosing from the 28 games that were on the betting board before the First Four. The lines were taken Tuesday from Westgate SuperBook. Eleven of the picks are worth one point, a best bet counts for two points and a push is worth a half-point. The national champion pick is the tiebreaker.

The contest will continue in the Sweet 16.

Todd Dewey

Review-Journal

Best bet: Florida Atlantic -2½

Tennessee -21½

Texas Tech -5½

South Carolina -1

Morehead State +12

Drake -1½

McNeese State +6

Long Beach State +20½

Vermont +12

Clemson +2

Yale +12½

Alabama-Birmingham +6½

Champion: Kentucky

Doug Fitz

Systemplays.com

Best bet: Kentucky-Oakland Over 163½

Michigan State -1

Oregon +1

Duquesne-Brigham Young Under 142

Morehead State +12

Drake -1½

McNeese State +6

Vermont-Duke Under 132

James Madison +5½

Northwestern +2½

Western Kentucky +14

Charleston +9½

Champion: Purdue

Bruce Marshall

VegasInsider.com

Best bet: Long Beach State +20½

Mississippi State +1

North Carolina State +5½

Oregon +1

Duquesne +9½

McNeese State-Gonzaga Over 150

Florida Atlantic -2½

Western Kentucky +14

New Mexico -2

Texas A&M-Nebraska Over 146½

Alabama-Birmingham +6½

Grand Canyon +5½

Champion: Tennessee

Wes Reynolds

VSiN host, @WesReynolds1

Best bet: Drake -1½

Oregon-South Carolina Under 132½

Akron +12½

Morehead State +12

Dayton-UNR Under 136½

Kansas -8

South Dakota State +16½

Charleston +9½

Baylor -13½

Florida Atlantic -2½

Alabama-Birmingham +6½

Yale +12½

Champion: Purdue

Kelly Stewart

@KellyInVegas

Best bet: South Carolina -1

Texas Tech -5½

Drake -1½

Tennessee -21½

Utah State +4½

Northwestern +2½

Charleston +9½

Grand Canyon +5½

Arizona -20½

New Mexico -2

Baylor -13½

Brigham Young -9½

Champion: Creighton

Paul Stone

@PaulStoneSports

Best bet: Texas A&M +1½

North Carolina State +5½

Oakland-Kentucky Under 163½

Duquesne-BYU Under 142

McNeese St.-Gonzaga Under 150

Samford-Kansas Under 153½

Long Beach St.-Arizona Under 163½

Northwestern +2½

Western Kentucky-Marquette Under 158½

TCU-Utah State Under 150½

N. Mexico-Clemson Under 151½

Charleston-Alabama Under 173½

Champion: Connecticut