March Madness Elite 8 Picks

I wasn't able to blog my picks the last two days but I have been red hot. Here's a little update on my picks since the beginning of the sweet 16----

Duke +1 vs Texas Tech: Cashed

Arkansas +9.5 vs Gonzaga: Cashed

Villanova -5.5 vs Michigan: Cashed

Arizona -1.5 vs Houston: Lost

Providence +7.5 vs Kansas: Cashed

Miami -1.5 vs Iowa State: Cashed

UCLA -2.5 vs UNC: Lost

Purdue -12.5 vs Saint Peters: Lost

Duke -4 vs Arkansas: Cashed

Villanova moneyline vs Houston: Cashed

For those keeping score that's 7 out of my last 10, with one being an underdog moneyline hit. Today's picks will be the following:

Miami +5.5 vs Kansas

St. Peters +8.5 vs UNC

Miami +5.5: I was right that Miami would take care of business vs Iowa State, and. though they didn't look like a championship team that night, they scored the basketball and played fierce defense never really allowing Iowa State to get any momentum. This pick has less to do with me thinking Miami is a great team, and more with me believing Kansas is a fraud one seed. I don't feel super confident that Miami would pull out moneyline, but I'd be fairly surprised if this isn't a close game as these teams match up pretty evenly. Both teams are pretty even in every team stat, with Kansas getting the advantage on the boards both offensively and defensively, and Miami being the better shooting team from the free throw line. If Miami's guards can keep up the strong play and match tempo with Kansas, this should be a lock at +5.5.

St. Peters +8.5: Should address that I said I hated the pick where I was taking Purdue, but I really didn't see a world where Edey and Williams didn't dominate the glass/paint and blowout St Peters. Now that I have been proved wrong, I'm all on the bandwagon. Similar to the Miami pick, this has less to do with my belief in the lord being on St Peters side, and more to do with my lack of confidence in UNC. UNC has been winning a lot since they took down Duke on Coach K's last game in Cameron, but they haven't looked particularly dominant during the run. Caleb Love bailed them out with 3 pointers vs UCLA, and though I don't doubt that he will play well, I think St Peters plays well enough defensively to at least contain him, and if his running mates Armando Bacot and Brady Manek (who is actually way funnier looking then Doug Edert) struggle as they have, there's a really good chance St Peter's not only keeps it close but wins this game.

***If UNC blows out St Peters I will take full responsibility for hopping on the bandwagon and jinxing them***