The Buffs were struggling, while Oklahoma just started playing well...

Michigan is a 7.5-point favorite over Tennessee in the Elite 8 matchup at the United Center in Chicago, with the winner going to the Final Four. Michigan has turned it up a notch since losing the Big Ten championship game to Purdue, and they’ve scored 90 points or more in all three games since. They look like their former selves from November and December when they were destroying teams nightly. Michigan has won and covered the last three meetings with Tennessee. Tennessee has a great story in the tournament, but the fact remains that they lost four out of their last six games before the tournament started. Michigan has the No. 1 defense in the nation, allowing 38.6 shooting. Michigan covers.

Purdue faces Arizona in the Elite 8 in San Jose, and Arizona is up to a 6.5-point favorite in this game. Arizona has won 12 games in a row since it lost its only two games of the year in back-to-back fashion to Texas Tech and Kansas. Arizona went 35-2, covering 22 games. It's a formidable opponent for Purdue to tackle, but I think they can. Purdue has had three meetings with Arizona since 2007 and won all three, the last time in 2023. Purdue has won seven straight games, including beating Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue has 19.7 assists per game and is No. 1 in the nation in assist-to-turnover margin. Purdue wins outright.

The Angels started off the season with two wins at Houston, with the Astros not hitting very well, scoring only two runs. Not only is today a good bounce-back spot, but it's a good spot because of the pitcher going for the Angels, Reid Detmers. The Angels lost Detmer's last three starts last year, with him allowing 18 earned runs, and he started this spring off in a similar giving mood. In four spring starts, he gave up seven runs in 11.2 innings, and now he's the starter in Game 3 for the Angels. Cristian Javier is a starter I'm backing today. Astros to win.

The Mavericks and Blazers split this season, but the last game was on December 29th. Things are different now, and the Blazers have a game plan, and they're showing off. The Mavericks have lost their last five games, while the Blazers have won five of their last six, and in their last two games, they put an identical beatdown on the Bucks and the Nets, allowing 99 points each. I think Dallas is going to get one tonight. The Blazers have had one night of rest and are having a blast at 37-37, sitting as the ninth seed in the playoff forecast with eight games to go. Blazers are in playoff form right now and win by 15 or more.

The Tigers won 8-2 against the Padres yesterday behind their Ace and now they bring another Ace to the mound in new Tiger Framber Valdez who had an amazing spring. Valdez had four spring starts for 18.1 innings and only allowed two earned runs for a 0.98 ERA. Valdez is an underdog today. He’s ready for 2026. Tigers to win today against Michael King.

It's Alabama and Michigan playing in the Sweet 16 at the United Center in Chicago, and I think Michigan has caught its second wind. In their first two games of the tournament, they scored 101 points and 95 points, giving everyone visions of their play in November and December when they were putting 100 on everyone. I think the loss to Purdue in the Big Ten championship game gave them a chance to refocus on what Michigan basketball is about. First off, they have the No. 1 defense in the nation, allowing 38.7 shooting, and secondly, they have the No. 6 offense in the nation, shooting 51.1%. Alabama had a puzzling loss to Mississippi in the SEC tournament as an 11.5-point favorite. Michigan covers.

I think the Houston-Illinois total is worth exploring at 140, since I made the number 132. Houston is third in the nation, allowing only 62.2 points per game, and since January 31st, they've gone under 11 times and over only five times. Great defense wins games. Coach Kelvin Sampson has been preaching defense as a means to get back to the Final Four, and this will be a big test for them, but I think they'll succeed and keep this game under.

Third-seeded Illinois meets second-seeded Houston in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, and the game is being played in Houston. The Cougars get some home cooking. Kelvin Sampson's team is playing its best defense of the season, holding opponents to 39.5% shooting and only 20.7 made field goals per game, which is tops in the nation. Illinois makes 11 3-point field goals per game and scores 84.7 points per game. Houston allows 62.2 points a game. The key for Houston's defense will be to take away Illinois's edge in offensive rebounding, and I think Houston will be very active throughout and nullify that edge. Houston to win.

Iowa has won and covered four of the last five meetings with Nebraska, and they meet tonight for the third time this season in the Sweet 16 played in Houston. Iowa was a team that I didn't believe deserved to make the tournament field with 12 losses on the season, but here they are in the Sweet 16 playing their Cornhusker buddies. I think the difference in this game will be Nebraska's defense, which allows only 40.2% shooting, compared to Iowa’s defense that allows 46% shooting. Nebraska reminds me of a poor man's Purdue because they shoot the ball well, pass the ball well, and don't turn it over. Nebraska's dream stays alive as they win tonight.

Texas has won its first three games of the NCAA Tournament, and now it's made it to the Sweet 16 in San Jose to face second-seed Purdue. Texas had lost its last three games before the tournament started and had 14 losses on the season. Thinking about what Purdue can do to this team, you can't help but think about Texas losing to Mississippi in the SEC tournament and Oklahoma at home. If Purdue just plays their regular game, which is making lots of 3-pointers and not turning the ball over, it’ll be fine. They are third in the nation with 19.9 assists per game. I think that if Purdue just plays their regular game, it should win by 12 or more.

It's expected to be 63° at Citi Field Thursday morning with the wind blowing out to center field at 13.9 miles per hour and a 10% chance of precipitation. Opening Day baseball in New York. It's the Pirates versus the Mets with Aces dueling: Paul Skenes against Freddy Peralta. In Skenes' last two appearances against the Mets, he allowed 3 runs combined, with both games going over. The Pirates have won the last four meetings with the Mets, with the last three going over. The Bucs have a couple of new offensive players on the team this year, with Ryan O'Hearn, Marcell Ozuna, and Brandon Lowe. Let's make every Skenes start count while he's still in Pittsburgh. The reality of baseball. Pirates to win.

The Yankees swept the Giants the last time they were in San Francisco, and my thinking is they're going to do it again, or at least have a great start with their starter, Max Fried, on the mound. Logan Web is starting for the Giants, and the last time he faced the Yankees on Opening Day was 2023, when Aaron Judge hit a home run off of him in a 5-0 Yankees win. This is basically a bet on Fried, who was 19-5 last season and is 4-1 in 9 appearances against the Giants. The weather is expected to be 63° with winds blowing out to center at 13 mph. Yankees to win.

Saint Joseph’s finished third at 13-5 in the Atlantic 10 conference, and they ended up 24-11 on the season with 20 covers while staying under 22 times. They travel to New Mexico (25-10) tonight for the NIT Quarterfinals, and they're getting 11 points from a team that is basically the same but faster. Saint Joseph's is playing their best ball of the season, winning and covering their last nine of 10 games. They won their first two NIT games as an underdog. New Mexico has lost four of its last eight. Contrasting styles meet tonight, with New Mexico averaging 81.5 points a game and Saint Joseph's allowing only 69.8. Saint Joseph plus the points.

The line has dropped from Florida -10.5 to -9.5 against Iowa in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Tampa. That's good news for me because I was going to lay 10.5. Iowa had 12 losses on the season and wilted against top-level competition. They lost to ordinary Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament. They lost their last three games of the regular season, including at Penn State, where they were a 9.5-point favorite. Florida does not shoot threes that well, but they don't need to with that big lineup inside. They will outmuscle and outperform Iowa. Florida covers.