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Throughout this week Gambling911.com has been presenting its readers with potential 2009 NCAA Tournament upset picks. On Wednesday, Western Kentucky was looking like the standout. They were getting more betting action than any other NCAA Tournament team at some online sportsbooks and a number of experts believe that Western Kentucky can - at the very least - cover the spread.
Odds on each of these games can be found at Sportsbook.com, which is currently giving 5 percent back on losses for new customers during the month of March.
The Statfox.com handicappers have scoured the list of first round games and chosen some upset picks.
Western Kentucky (+4.5) Over Illinois
Game being played Thursday, 9:55 pm ET.
Number 12 seeds like Western Kentucky, who are tourney tested and have won 70% of their games, are historically a good play.
Western Kentucky upset Drake as a 12-seed last year and even though they lost Courtney Lee, holdover guards A.J. Slaughter and Orlando Mendez-Valdez are very good. Illinois suffers from severe scoring droughts at times and the Hilltoppers could easily pull the upset.
Morgan State (+16.5) Over Oklahoma
Game being played Thursday, 9:40 pm ET
Morgan State is obviously far more attractive getting the points, but an outright win is a small possibility as well.
Number two seeds like Oklahoma have bowed out early when they average under 80 PPG and allow 65 PPG or more. The Sooners come in at 79.2 PPG scored and 67.8 surrendered on the year, and are 2-4 straight-up and 1-5 ATS coming into the tournament.
North Dakota State (+10) Over Kansas
Game being played Friday, 12:30 pm ET
Fourteen seeds like North Dakota State that average over 76.5 PPG have placed pressure on three seeds, being able to win outright about a third of the time.
North Dakota State fits this particular profile at 80.8 PPG and has loads of senior talent. That is juxtaposed against three-seed Kansas, who returns no starters from their championship team of a year ago and could be ripe for an upset.
Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
