March Madness has been a little less mad this year.
With no mid-major teams advancing to the Sweet 16 for a second year in a row, there is not a loveable Cinderella team dancing late in the tournament.
While that may take out some of the traditional excitement surrounding the NCAA Tournament, the flip side of that is shown on days like today, when in the last matchup to make this year’s Final Four, we get a heavyweight clash between two titans.
No. 1 Duke takes on No. 2 UConn in a blue-blood battle in the most must-see matchup yet in this tournament.
Meanwhile, as the NBA season winds to a close, teams desperate to jump in playoff seeding match up with opponents that are just limping to the finish line.
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First Pick: No. 1 Duke -5 over No. 2 UConn
Rundown: The emergence of freshman guard Cayden Boozer this tournament in absence of starting junior point guard Caleb Foster has been a godsend for the Blue Devils.
However, with Foster returning with an 11-point performance in the Sweet 16, Duke looks to be peaking at just the right time.
The Blue Devils have seen some scares this tournament that might make them seem due to finally drop a close one before reaching the Final Four, such as their surprisingly narrow first-round victory over Siena and their most recent 80-75 win over St. Johns.
However, against the Red Storm, the Blue Devils managed to endure through a sea of three-pointers, as St. Johns hit 13 shots beyond the arc at a 41% clip in the loss.
UConn’s shooters have shown to be streaky through this tournament, as guards Braylon Mullins and Solo Ball combined to shoot 3-for-25 through the first two games beyond the arc.
Duke’s defense ranks fourth in the nation in opponent points per game, and even when teams do light the Blue Devils up from three like St. Johns, they have shown the ability to pull out of these challenges with a win.
All eyes will be on the frontcourt battle between Duke freshman forward Cam Boozer and UConn senior center Tarris Reed Jr.
Both stars are averaging just over 20 points per game in the tournament, with Boozer having the slight edge with 21 to Reed Jr. 's 20.3.
In a prime-time matchup like Sunday’s, expect the National Player of the Year in Boozer to come out ahead in this frontcourt battle, helping Duke to advance and cover.
Second Pick: Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors - Over 237
Darwin Walker - The Sporting Tribune
Los Angeles Lakers forward Maxi Kleber (14) defends against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during an NBA game on February 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
Rundown: Earlier this week, this column predicted an offensive explosion for the Nuggets against the Dallas Mavericks and suggested betting the over.
What ensued was a successful bet and a historic offensive performance from the Nuggets star duo, as three-time MVP Nikola Jokic put together a video game-like statline of 23 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists while all-star guard Jamal Murray put in a whopping 53 points.
Today, we’re going back to that well, betting on the Nuggets recent offensive dominance to continue.
Denver’s elite offense in tandem with its porous defense has made betting the over a smart pick all season.
The over is 47-28 for the Nuggets this year, the best mark in the NBA.
Trailing just behind them in second is the Golden State Warriors at 45-29.
While Golden State is without Stephen Curry for a 25th consecutive game, the team still ranks second in the NBA in made threes per game at 16.
While the Warriors have struggled mightily offensively in Curry’s absence, the Nuggets have shown the inability to guard just about anybody, as they needed late-game heroics from Murray and forward Cam Johnson to put away the tanking Utah Jazz in a 135-129 shootout.