TOM STRYKER’S FREE BASKETBALL SELECTION SUNDAY, MARCH 20TH
#824 VILLANOVA (-5) over Ohio State at 2:40 PM EST
With momentum off that strong 20-point win and cover over Delaware in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, Villanova will stay hot and pick up another payday when it battles Ohio State in the Round of 32. The Buckeyes enter this matchup on a 2-4 SU and ATS run in their last six games and they’re simply not playing good enough to knock off a quality opponent like the Wildcats.
Technically speaking, this is a solid wagering spot for ‘Nova. In the Second Round of the Big Dance, No. 2 seeds hold a powerful 36-10 SU and 27-17-2 ATS record provided they take the court off two or more straight up victories. If our “play on” side is battling a No. 7 seed, this NCAA Tournament angle tightens up to a reliable 20-4 SU and 17-6-1 ATS. Also, in non-conference play hitting the hardwood with steam off a straight up win, head coach Jay Wright’s boys improve to a sensational 134-84-4 ATS including an elite 110-61-3 ATS provided their opponent busts in off a straight up victory. With those two parameters live and Villanova fighting a foe that arrives off a pointspread win as well, this team trend explodes to a powerful 67-34-3 ATS.
There are a handful of angles that work against OSU in this spot. Clinging to a soft 23-18 SU and 19-22 ATS record in their last 41 games, the Buckeyes have been a slightly above average basketball team lately. It won’t help that Big 10 underdogs priced at +7.5 or less that carry a seed of No. 6 to No. 16 in the Second Round of the Big Dance hold a feeble 9-23 SU and 12-20 ATS mark. If our “play against” side holds a pointspread won/loss percentage less than .518, this angle falls to a rough 4-14 SU and 5-13 ATS. Finally, as a non-conference underdog checking in off a straight up win, Ohio State holds a timid 5-22 SU and 8-19 ATS record including an ugly 3-17 SU and 4-16 ATS provided the Buckeyes are priced competitively as a pup of +7.5 or less.
On a blistering 20-3 SU run, the Wildcats are peaking at the right time. Coach Wright and his kids will have no trouble extending the margin against an OSU squad that has lacked consistency all season long. Take Villanova. Thanks and best of luck, Tom.
TOM’S 9-0 ATS 4* NCAA TOURNEY ROUND 2 GAME OF THE YEAR
Stryker went 1-2 ATS on Saturday and looks to pick up the pace on Sunday with one top-rated 4* Best Bet that will get the job done. The team we are siding with today is locked into an exclusive 9-0 ATS technical situation that brings with it an average margin of victory of 23.7 points per game. Grab Tom’s 4* NCAA Tourney Round 2 Game of the Year for $30.