This is where Bergs posts the NCAA 2016 locks (1 Viewer)

Big Jilm

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@bergs

"I have a system that I won't delve into here (it's over on the blue board somewhere) that includes guard play quality, having Jr & Sr guards, having tourney experience both at player and coaching positions, relative matchups (size / speed / emphasize offense vs defense) and Free Throw shooting percentage. This system has helped me pick winners for 24 years.

This year, for the first time, there are NO obvious plays using my system. I struggled mightily with this and ended up with a collection of tepid picks that were, at best 55/45 propositions. Then, while looking at the Valpo/Maryland line and wishing that I had a few extra points on the Valpo side because Maryland shoots so well from the FT line, I had a revelation.

This isn't a straight up bet year.

This is a tease and 1st half bet year.

Why? Here's why:

  • There are a number of matchups between excellent high defensive pressure teams that don't score well. They'll make runs at the over towards the end of games with free throws, but there is a lot of value in first half O/U bets where the first half is at or close to half the total - particularly if one or both teams don't have any tournament experience - these teams will come out tight and score less in the first half as they feel each other out in a slow tempo, half court set game. Also - most NCAA first round games come in with the under (at least, most games where the lines are below 10 and they fit into the system as wagerable games).


  • Teases allow me to get additional points on games where there is a slight FT shooting difference, or games where there are only one negative factor that is moving me towards taking the game but feeling like I'm making a substandard play. Normally, there aren't a lot of these games - you either love a game via the system or discard a game via the system. There just hasn't historically been an opportunity to make a bunch of tease plays, and even where there was, the teaseable games weren't chronologically close together (and who wants to hit one half a bet at 1:55pm and wait until 11:55p to see if it pays?) This year, there are so many of these teasable games (an unprecedented number) than it's very easy to find chronologically close games to tease and get the extra points for value.

The system still applies - and it's always been about finding value - we just need to tweak it this year given a dearth of easy pick matchups and we'll take advantage of an overabundance of defensive matchups between younger teams untested in the tourney." -bergs

Picks to come soon??

(there you go buddy.........just a helping hand)
 
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Thanks for creating this everyone. I'm starting analysis tomorrow night and will have some pics posted by Tuesday night.
 
Here we go...

LOCK OF THE DAY: Northern Iowa +5 versus Texas. NI shoots 10% better from the FT line, doesn't turn the ball over much, has 2 senior guards that run the team, a tournament tested coach and squad who won their opening game in the tournament last year, and they beat North Carolina, Iowa State, and Wichita State this year. They've also won 6 of their last 7. Texas starting center is hurt and hopes to play 15-20 minutes, and Texas is 1-4 in their last 5 NCAA tournament games. Texas also has a rookie coach. Love love love Northern Iowa here.

The play: Wagering $125 to win $115 on Northern Iowa +4.5 (early line change; largely immaterial to our play here)
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THE HOMER SPECIAL: UCONN -4 versus Colorado. UCONN features 78% FT shooting, senior battle-tested team that believes in their coach, coach with a national championship win in his first season, and they're the proverbial hot team after winning the American Conference championship. Colorado lost 4 of their last 7. If this game is close at the end, the Huskies FT shooting will deliver for you.

The play: Wagering $100 to win $92 on UCONN -3 (early line change in our favor, thank you very much - this line will swing back to -4 or -4.5 late)
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THE MONEY SHOT: Green Bay (ML +650) - of all the big possible first round upsets (difference of 10+ seed points), GB is the most likely Cinderella. Green Bay plays an uptempo, bombs away type style. Texas A&M is a more methodical team. I think A&M wins this game by 12+ most of the time, but if GB gets hot from behind the line, they'll give A&M all they can handle.

The play: Wagering $20 to win $146 on Green Bay money line +730 (early line change in our favor; people are jumping on A&M but Green Bay is starting to get talked about as a Cinderella candidate)
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THE "WHO THE FUCK IS STONY BROOK" TEASER SPECIAL: Gonzaga vs. Seton Hall teased with Kentucky vs. Stony Brook. GONZAGA - Very deep tourney run last year for the Zags, senior point guard, shoot 10% better from the stripe than Seton Hall. Top 3 players on Seton Hall are all Sophmores with no tourney experience. Seton Hall does have a hot hand with winning the Big East, but Gonzaga did the same with their tournament as well. If this games comes down to a 3-4 point margin in the last 2 minutes, I love Gonzaga's experienced coaching and ability to make big free throws. KENTUCKY - this is not last year's dominant Kentucky team, but they're still quite good. Stony Brook was a Division II college up until a few years ago. They play literally nobody. They're happy to be there and they'll be happy to have been there after a 20 point erasure by the Wildcats.

I teased these because Seton Hall has the hot hand right now and I want a couple points with Gonzaga. They're a slight favorite - this may change with Seton Hall having won the Big East and people doing comparative conference analysis, so keep an eye on the line.

The play: Wagering $50 to win $46 on a Teaser giving us Gonzaga +2.5 and Kentucky -10.
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THE EARLY BIRD'S WORM: Baylor vs. Yale teased with Iowa State vs. Iona. IOWA STATE - both teams have senior guards and both shoot well from the line. Iowa State has tournament experience and have beat the teams they should and lost close games to very good national teams. Iona has literally played nobody. That's usually a red flag, but it's also an opportunity in that nobody knows how they'll respond to playing a major conference team. I like using Iowa State in a teaser here - I think they'll win and the best case for Iona is a foul-fest at the end making a 2 point game a 4-5 point game. Iona lives and dies by the 3 - if it doesn't fall for them (which happens frequently in the tournament when defensive intensity is stepped up a notch), this could be a 15 point blowout for Iowa State. BAYLOR - Yale fucking sucks.

The play: Wagering $50 to win $46 on a Teaser giving us Iowa State -4 & Baylor -1.5 (I like these lines where they are now - if they move it's likely towards Baylor and Iona, so it'll be a wash. Yale will keep the tempo slow so 1.5 actually wagers more like -3 or -4. Lock it up now sub 2.0)

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THE LOCAL YOKEL: Providence -2.5 versus USC. Providence shoots 6% better from the line, but has sophmore guards with only 1 game of NCAA tourney experience (a first round loss last year). Their juniors will recall a 2014 NCAA first round game where they narrowly lost to UNC in a thriller. USC is colder than ice (3-7 last 10 games). They have a sophmore/junior guard combo with zero NCAA experience. I like Providence giving 2.5, not as much giving 3, love them in a tease.

The play: Was looking for a teaser bet here, but I noticed the line moved down and jumped on it. Wagering $50 straight to win $45 on Providence -1.5.

...more to come
 
St. Joes v Cincinnatti (St. Joes +1.5). Cincie is 1-5 against tourney teams this year not named UCONN. They beat bad opponents and lose to good ones. They have a history of tournament choking in the first round (they lost to Harvard in 2014). Cincie has a freshman guard who handles the ball and they don't shoot well from three. St. Joes has a senior/junior guard combo, some tourney experience (they brought UCONN to OT in 2014) and makes their free throws (their best player shoots 88% from the stripe). Only thing keeping this from being a lock is St. Joe's strength of schedule.

The Bearcats occasionally come to play with a tough, physical, grinding game. St. Joes is a bad matchup for them, but if you want added buffer, considering making a wheel play on Northern Iowa (bet them straight as I recommended above and also take a Northern Iowa & St. Joe's teaser - both play in the late games on Friday night).

The play: Nothing yet - it's on my radar and sense it's a late Friday play, let's see how we do in the earlier games and consider this game closer to tipoff.
 
Take the over on Iona and Iowa State if < or = 150?

I hate taking overs in the first round - everyone plays tight in the first half and you really only make the number if it's two veteran freewheeling teams meeting each other (veteran players who have been in the Dance before) or a close game at the end with one really good free throw shooting team up 4-6 points with 90 seconds left. I don't plan to backdoor cover if I can help it.

I hate betting unders because lolwtfunder.

I think O/Us (even teased) are sucker bets in the NCAA tourney.
 
I don't like Chattanooga in this game. They have junior guards with virtually no tourney experience, an untested coach, and a really week strength of schedule. Indiana is more talented, played a tougher schedule, is significantly better against the spread, is one of the best 3 point shooting teams in the country but still plays inside, has a senior point guard with tourney experience, and a proven coach with tourney success.

I don't like a 12 point line. This has tease potential written all over it to get the line down to single digits. Hoosiers up 4 with 2 minutes left and bring on the foul gang and Indy's 73% FT shooting to open it up to 8+.

Utah vs Fresno is on at the same time, so it's a tease possibility....let's look at it.

Utah is a tourney-proven team with senior guards, strong wins, no horrible losses, and they slightly outshoot Fresno from the line but more importantly they're 70%+. Fresno has senior guards that shoot well but no tourney experience, a weak strength of schedule, and their best player and ball handler (Harris) shoots less than 68% from the stripe. Actually, that last point matters less if we consider that Utah is the better play here - but I don't love big lines in the tourney and 9 points is considerable.

I think the play here is a Utah / Indiana tease. Both teams should cover a 6/8 point spread, particularly if the game is 2-4 point margin the entire way as they both shoot well from the line.

The play: Not taking this game, but if I had to, I'd tease Indiana and Utah for a micro play. This brings the Indiana line down to -8 and the Utah line down to -5.
 
Utah lost by over 30 to Oregon in the PAC 12 final. Plus I've seen them play, they just aren't that great of a team. The PAC12 is overrated this year, much like the BIG12 was last year.
 
Kansas over Mich St.....but I really want OU over NC. My brain wouldn't let me not pick Kansas. On the other hand, no one picked Kansas in my pool, lol
 
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VCU is a nice play today. Oregon State has all of the hallmarks of a team destined for a first round out - one good player (Payton II), 3 freshman starters, not alot of tourney experience, not on a streak heading into the tournament VCU won the A-10 and is a senior-lead tourney tested team. Both shoot marginally well from the line.

The play: VCU in a big tease (VCU -0.5 & Under 146...I think Oregon State will struggle to score and the total will come in under 140).
 
I fear I used up all my run-good yesterday when I managed to go 16-0 on my one and only bracket that I picked. This doesn't bode well for tomorrow playing poker as there's no way I have any run-good left in the tank.
Humble brag :eek:
 
Ran it up all the way up to 20-0 before Michigan State broke my streak and along with it any shot I had at winning the pool (as I had them winning the whole thing).
 
Ran it up all the way up to 20-0 before Michigan State broke my streak and along with it any shot I had at winning the pool (as I had them winning the whole thing).

Spartans = Ouch. My Hoosiers looked scary good vs. Chattanooga. I also didn't jinx them by picking them to win it all
 
I need Greenbay to win 2 games or my shit is fucked up fo sho
 
VCU covered. Conn covered. Northern Iowa up 8 on the floor at the half, St Joe's up 1 on the floor (getting 3 points) at the half. So far, so good.
 
Spartans = Ouch. My Hoosiers looked scary good vs. Chattanooga. I also didn't jinx them by picking them to win it all

I didn't bother to drive by campus to see if they were burning couches. ..I was afraid I'd of joined in!

Crazy bracket busters this year.
 

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