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The New York Times lists six potential 2018 March Madness bracket busters. Gambling911.com looks at each of them and review their odds. SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
New Mexico State - From the New York Times: The Tigers played an extremely difficult Atlantic Coast Conference schedule. The problem is, they went 4-8 against A.C.C. teams that made the N.C.A.A. tournament. New Mexico State, meanwhile, is a solid mid-major that beat New Mexico twice as well as Miami and Davidson before winning the Western Athletic Conference championship. And the San Diego location makes this a far easier trip for the Aggies.
The Aggies are one of the nations best rebounding teams.
The Aggies are a +4.5 underdog in their first round game against Clemson. That line appears to be right on the money according to the Power Ratings.
Marshall - Marshall has been solid with a 24-10 Straight Up record and an impressive 20-11 record Against The Spread. The Herd boast one of the most explosive offensive teams in the nation. The Times seems to be relying on the Shockers vulnerability on defense.
Wichita State is an -11 point favorite here.
Loyola Chicago - From the Times: The Ramblers — Loyola definitely has the better nickname — make nearly 40 percent of their 3-pointers, near the best in the sport. If they try enough of them, they will put the game out of reach. Look for Iowa State transfer Clayton Cluster (another great name) to take over.
Miami is just a -1.5 favorite here. The Power Ratings suggest the line should be closer to -3.5.
Providence - From the Times: Providence is tough, experienced, gritty and aggressive defensively. Those are hallmarks of a team that can make noise in March. The Friars took top-seeded Villanova to overtime in the Big East championship game and beat Xavier twice this season. Meanwhile, Texas A&M will have to play at noon on the East Coast.
The problem is that Providence is one of the least efficient offensive teams.
The Aggies -3.5 line appears to be accurate.
Penn - The Quakers rank in the top five nationally in defending the 3-point shot, so this might not be an easy game for Kansas and this has ensured their opponents manage just 29.4 percent outside shooting on the season.
The New York Times notes this would be the first time a No. 16 beat a No. 1 in what will have been 132 contests.
Make no mistake about it, this would be the biggest bracket buster ever!
San Diego State - The Times believes they have a shot at beating Houston. We don't see that. Four players have been averaging double figures in scoring
- Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
