Missouri Tigers A Top 5 Favored Team In Latest NCAA Tourney Odds

It’s easy to get skip all the bracketology this year and just pencil in either Duke, Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Syracuse to win and call it a day. Lee Corso would tell you “not so fast my friend”. If you pull up the current AP Top 25, you will see all of the teams that I listed above one after another at the top, with the Missouri Tigers stuck right in the middle. They have been getting rough and rowdy all year in the Big 12 with huge wins over Kansas, Baylor twice, Texas twice, and non-conference ranked opponent Notre Dame. Last year, the Tigers showed flashes of great play sporadically between monkey stomps from major ranked teams. It’s easy to get bearish on them right now after losing to Kansas State for the second time this season, at home, no less. Despite their loss to the Wildcats, a number 1 seed can be in order as long as they can survive the Rock Chalk chants on February 25th at Kansas. And the negative perception of the Tigers right now just might make them a good value bet. Continue reading

Murray State Racers Face Long Odds To Win 2012 NCAA Tournament

Prime example of NCAA Basketball’s superiority over NCAA Football (at least in one respect): The pickle with Murray State.

For what college basketball lacks in star power and broad appeal against football, it gains in fairness.

Last week, voters were strong-armed into voting the Racers into the 7th spot in the polls, their highest ranking in school history. That was after a run of 23-straight victories to start the year, which made them the last unbeaten team in the country. But alas, that is all gone now after a stunning loss to conference rival Tennessee State, 72-68, at home, less a game that had Murray State favored by 12.5 points. Instead it was a loss that exposed them for what they really are as we head into conference championship play at the end of the month. Continue reading