You all know about the 65 team NCAA tourney and the 32 team NIT tourney. But did you know that this year there is another 16 team tourney, the CBI? Some may think it's just excessive and meaningless, but for me, it's another 15 betting opportunities. If you missed it, here is the CBI bracket. (One Illinois team in it -- Bradley, and one nearby team -- Valpo).

CBI Schedule & Bracket

Tuesday, March 18
CBI East
Richmond @ Virginia - 7 pm
Rider @ Old Dominion - TBA
CBI Midwest
Cincinnati @ Bradley - 7 pm
Brown @ Ohio - TBA

Wednesday, March 19
CBI West
Valparaiso @ Washington - 9 pm
Houston @ Nevada - 9 pm
CBI South
Utah @ UTEP - TBA
Miami (Ohio) @ Tulsa - TBA

Monday, March 24
East - Richmond/Virginia winner vs. Rider/ODU winner - TBA @ Virginia
Midwest - Brown/Ohio winner vs. Cincinnati/Bradley winner - TBA @ Bradley
West - Valpo/Washington winner vs. Houston/Nevada winner - TBA @ Washington
South - Utah/UTEP winner vs. Miami/Tulsa winner - TBA @ UTEP

I kind of like the CBI. Gives small schools a chance to play in the post season. They should find a way to make sure the big conferences don't have very many entrants.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yeah, only Virginia, Cincinnati and Washington are from one of the "power" conferences.

I am doing my NCAA work in preparation for the tourney. I have also been asked to be one of two speakers at a Vegas basketball gamblers conference call at 10 pm Chicago time Wednesday night. On this weekly call, some of the largest Vegas sports gamblers get together and listen to "experts" break down all the games. The hosts of this weekly gamblers conference call have asked me to be one of the two speakers on the call this week. (If you are interested in dialing into this call, pm me and I'll get you the phone number and access code. It is NOT a toll-free call.)

I absolutely LOVE one NCAA game on Thursday. I might make my largest bet of the year on this one game. It looks like an absolute mismatch vs. the spread to me. I'll be giving out this play on that call, so expect the line to move on that game after 10 pm on Wednesday. But I'll give it out to you guys here, if you want it, a few hours before that. I also have one I like on Friday. I'll have several others, of course, but these two stick out to me now.

I'll post NIT tonight or tomorrow once lines are up and will post NCAA when I think it makes sense based on line movements. Have a profitable week, guys.

Congrats Coast. That sounds pretty cool.

So, pretty soon I'll be seeing Chet Coppock on Saturday mornings saying, "Let me turn now to the ABSOLUTE best in the business, the Titan of Traffic safety regulation..."

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You know me like that.

Wow. That sounds pretty cool. Sounds like you may know what you are talking about.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I did the radio gig and the betting service thing for several years. It was fun, but time consuming. Now I'm doing my own thing with guys in Vegas who bet so much they move the lines. That's a little more empowering. And unlike radio guys who expect you to pay them to be on the air, I'm now compensated by the gamblers with first class travel, hotels and F&B comps in Vegas and other perks. My wife used to think it was "cute" that I was on the radio. Now she enjoys the significant perks the Vegas guys provide. Big difference.

Very nice, Coast!

Sweet. When I go to Vegas I'm happy to get a free buffet coupon.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Do you have to stay with other guys in your room or do you have your own?

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You know me like that.

You had to pay the Score Coast? Or did Pappy make you pay him on the side?

If you want to promote something on the radio, you will pay for the advertising. The conversation may sound congenial and it may be all about the games, but if you mention your business at all, expect that you will have to pay for that. I was no exception.

My best bet of the first round of the tournament:

Xavier -8 vs. Georgia, 3***
I have not been great on side plays this year, but this one is too great an opportunity to pass up. I was going to release this tomorrow, but last night on the Vegas conference call, Alan Boston, the world's most prominent college hoops gambler gave this play out as his play of the tournament. I expect the line will continue to rise as the sharps hit it harder over the next two days. It is very difficult for a team to come out of the blue, win four games in their conference tournament, and then regain that energy and top play just four days later for the NCAA tournament. The fact Georgia is playing the first game on Thursday morning just makes it worse. The committee did the Dawgs no favors with that schedule. Xavier is the real deal. So what that they lost to St. Joe's in the conference tourney? St. Joe's is a first rate team who knows how to play X. Sometimes conference tourneys are not indicative of how a team will play against out of conference opposition. X is a team that has absolutely whacked several teams that are playing in the postseason , like Kent State by 13 and Indiana by 15 on a neutral floor at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Creighton by 13, Belmont by 41, Virginia by 38, Kansas State by 26. This line of 8 makes sense IF you increase Georgia to its highest power rating of the year based on their SEC tourney win. But what are the chances Georgia will play to that level Thursday? And this line makes sense IF you keep Xavier at the midpoint of its season power rating, which doesn't make sense if you consider that their point guard Lavender has been hurt for much of the last two months. The week off since X lost is invaluable in getting him healthy. X is a precision team I like coming into this tourney. I may be playing them again on Saturday. At their best, X is 25 points better than Georgia. At their worst, this is a fair line. I think X is going to be much closer to their best than Georgia and I'm putting my largest play of the season on it.

I was looking at that one myself. I also like A10 brethern Temple getting 6.5 from Michigan State. Temple playing good basketball and the top of the A10 would compete very well in this year's Big 10.

I agree with you about the matchup between Temple and Michigan State. However, Temple is in the same boat as Georgia...they unexpectedly won their tourney with 4 wins in 4 days. (Pitt also is in the same boat). They had to expend a lot of energy beating LaSalle and St. Joes and beating St. Joes in the champ. game was a huge emotional game for them in winning the A 10 hardware. Will they be able to come back and play anywhere near that level? That's a situational negative that keeps me from playing them in round 1.

I know Coast. They should make you pay. I understand that. You're basically an advertisor. I was just wondering if Pappy made you pay him on the side. Half joking of course. I just thought he would say "If you don't pay me a little extra I'll just get some other guy dat will."

Whats the max you would give with X?

I would bet smaller depending on the number. At 8.5 I'd go a little smaller and at 9, I'd do a normal size bet. I might take 9.5 for a small play. I wouldn't go to 10, not because I don't love the play but because I don't believe in betting any single digit side at 2.5 points worse than the opening number (7.5).

I love Xavier this year in the tournament. I think this is an excellent play.

I have one double digit seed making it to the Sweet 16. I think Davidson (playing in their home state) can give the Hoyas fits in the second round. They would be a nice play getting points, or even better on the money line.

I am curious if any of you guys have other double digit seeds in the Sweet 16 or if their is one that would be a good play with the points this weekend.

I think the winner of USC/Kansas State will give Wisconsin a tough time in the second round. I want Wisconsin to win but I think both of those teams are incredibly dangerous.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I think K State is a fraud. And while some guys here think Tim Floyd is a fraud, the guy can coach college. He will have an answer for Beasley and Walker. K State won't have much of an answer for Mayo, Jefferson, et al. Martin at K State is way overmatched in coaching that team. He benefited from getting Walker and Beasley (whom Huggins recruited). Against good teams and good defenses away from home, they have been mostly non-competitive. I agree USC will be very dangerous and don't forget how well they played last year in the tourney. I LOVE USC in round 1.

Thursday 9:40 pm ET
719/720 Wisconsin-Fullerton OVER 133.5, 1*
This is a number set to reflect the teams’ averages, but ask yourself whether the pace of this game is going to be played at the average. Fullerton is 15th in the nation in pace and loves to play very fast and outscore their opponents. Their glaring weakness is their undersized defense. They were 199th in strength of schedule and 171st in defensive efficiency. That's poor defensive performance against a weak schedule. You can see that in how Arizona and several Big West teams shredded them for over 50% shooting and offensive efficiencies above 110. Wisky averages 115 OE against a much tougher group of opponents. I think Wisky is going to score pretty easily and often and perhaps dominate the offensive boards with their size. Fullerton has never shown an interest in slowing a game down and will likely play their fast game and shoot a lot of treys. How will Wisky respond? Against fast teams like Marquette, Wisconsin went right with them and played the game at a pace above 140 possessions (140 vs. Marquette, 146 possessions vs. Duke). Fullerton plays the same pace as Duke. I think Wisconsin is going to play faster than they did in the Big Ten because they are going to find good looks on offense pretty easily. Fullerton gave up 80 or more points 8 times this year and only one of those 8 teams (Arizona) has a better offense than Wisconsin. The main concern with this play is that Wisky’s #1 defense shuts down Fullerton. I think Wisky blows out Fullerton because of Fullerton’s defense, but I’m not willing to lay doubles in round 1 of the tourney. I think the pace of this game is going to be about 140 with Wisky at about 120 OE and Fullerton at 80. That would result in a 140 total. Some very wise people think Fullerton will give Wisky a game. If they do, it will be because their offense is hitting treys and scoring points. I'm not sure that's going to happen, but I'll be fine with it if it does. But if I am right and it is a blowout, that will probably just speed the game up even more as Wisky will have no reason to even try to control tempo if they are way ahead. I think Wisky gets to 80 here. Let’s root for Fullerton to hit shots and get to 65 and we should be fine.

Coast,
Do you fill out a bracket, and if so, do you analyze all 63 games this way?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yes I usually do a bracket, but I don't enter any contests. I won my company's contest 4 of the first five years I entered and they said I couldn't play any more. I analyze every game in my head like this, yes. I only write out the ones that I bet and share with others.

You like anything for the early games Coast? Besides Xavier.

Anybody else have any thoughts? Am I the only one that took today off? Where are my fellow degenerates?

I'm taking the day off too. I am at work, however.

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You know me like that.

I bought the Pointwise service for the tourneys. They're doing pretty well for the NIT & CBI. They are 5-1 on there 1's, 2's, and 3's

They have a Rating system. 1-6. 1 being the best. Here's what they like for the early games.

Rated 3: Kentucky
Rated 4: Stanford, Temple
Rated 5: Kent State, Oral Roberts
Rated 6: Kansas, Purdue, Xavier

As just an avid watcher of college BB and to keep it interesting for myself, I'll throw some picks out.

Please do not use these for wagering purposes.

I'll take in the early games -

Xavier -8.5
Port St +22.5
MSU -7

Marquette -6
Baylor +3
UNLV +2
Pitt -8.5

Stanford -14.5

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You know me like that.

I like a lot of dogs today.

Cornell +14.5 (best shooting 3 point team in the tournament)

Oral Roberts +8.5 (Pitt still tired, plus playing in Denver can only make them more tired)

Portland St. +22 (Portland St. is better than you think. Kansas always struggles in the 1st round)

I'm off also. Took of week of vacation this week to see the first 4 days.

Wow! Nice call on Xavier, C2C.