NCAA Tournament Sneaking Up Fast – February 23

With February nearing its end, the NCAA tournament is really not that far off. Selection Sunday is less than a month away and the first conference tournament begins in ten days. The phenomenon known as March Madness is almost here. As it approaches, it’s time to take a look at the potential NCAA tournament field. The top teams in the country – UConn, Purdue, etc. – are locks to make the NCAA tournament. What about those teams on the bubble?

An upset like last night’s Washington State win over No. 4 Arizona will impact how the NCAA tournament selection committee seeds teams. The Cougars won 77-74 last night, beating the Wildcats for the second time this season. Washington State is currently ranked No. 21 in the nation and is 21-6 overall. In the latest bracketology, the Cougars are listed as a No. 8 seed in the South region. While teams like Washington State and Arizona are virtual locks to make the NCAA tournament, what about perennial qualifiers like Gonzaga and Villanova?

NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch

In leading up to the NCAA tournament, all eyes are on the teams on the bubble. They might make it, and they might not. The next few weeks could determine their fate. Gonzaga has made every NCAA tournament since Mark Few became head coach in 1999. The Bulldogs are 21-6 and are unranked at the moment. Two of their losses are to No. 1 UConn and No. 3 Purdue. Gonzaga has two conference losses by a total of three points. The latest edition of bracketology has Gonzaga in as a No. 11 seed.

Villanova, which made 16 tournaments over the last 18 seasons in which the NCAA tournament was held, could be on the verge of missing March Madness for the second straight season. Head coach Kyle Neptune went 17-17 last season as the Wildcats ended up losing in the first round of the NIT. 

Villanova is 15-11 currently and has won its last three straight. The Wildcats play at No. 1 UConn on Saturday and play No. 15 Creighton in their season finale on March 9. The Wildcats will need a strong run to end the season and play well in the Big East tournament to convince the Selection Committee they deserve an at-large bid.

No Upsets on the Leaderboard

The only bubble on the Sports Hub leaderboard is the one that our expert handicappers smash every night. Last night was no exception. Our partners at Madjack Sports took the top spot on the board with an impressive 7-3 performance to earn $405. The next three cappers on the board were all SportsHub exclusive guys who aren’t anywhere near being on the bubble.

Our three Sports Hub cappers – Gino De Luca, Randall Dickelman, and The Bookie – combined to go 11-0 and take home over $1100! Those are not bubble guys. Come NCAA tournament time, look for them.

Let’s take a look at yesterday’s leaderboard.

• Going mad: Madjack Sports nailed 7 of its 10 picks yesterday and cleared $405 to earn the top spot on the leaderboard yesterday. Over the last three days, Madjack Sports is 16-9 and over the last five, 22-13. They rank second on both the 3-day and 5-day leaderboards right now and Madjack is up over $1200 for the last 30 days.
• Sports Hub’s finest: The next three spots on the board were taken by Sports Hub handicappers. Gino De Luca and Randall Dickelman each went 4-0 and earned $400. Over the last three days, Gino is 7-1 and Randall is 8-3. The Bookie went 3-0 yesterday and took home $300. The Bookie is 9-4 over the last three days.
• Scott’s Picks: The final spot in yesterday’s Top-5 went to Scott’s Picks. Scott went 7-4 to add $293 to his bankroll, which is up $549 over the last week. Scott has hit on 57.1 percent of his 42 picks over the last seven days.
• JOIN NOW: Handicappers like these are why everyone should have a Sports Hub membership. Our cappers consistently produce winning picks day after day. Wait until the NCAA tournament rolls around. Our guys will be serving up daily Ws. 

Check What’s Trending

Bettors should always be aware of what’s going on in the sports world. The smallest things can have a huge impact on games that you bet on. Yesterday, we pointed out that Toronto Maple Leafs star Austin Matthews scored his 50th and 51st goals faster than anyone had in the last 28 years in the NHL. 

Last night, Matthews added goal No. 52 in Toronto’s 7-3 win over defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas. Maybe you used that information to bet on the Leafs to win on the moneyline. You were an even bigger winner if you bet the Leafs to cover the puckline and you could have won Matthews goals prop (Over 0.5) as well. Bottom line…having more information pays in the world of sports betting and Sports Hub provides you with just that.

Let’s see what’s trending.

Check What’s Trending

Bettors should always be aware of what’s going on in the sports world. The smallest things can have a huge impact on games that you bet on. Yesterday, we pointed out that Toronto Maple Leafs star Austin Matthews scored his 50th and 51st goals faster than anyone had in the last 28 years in the NHL. 

Last night, Matthews added goal No. 52 in Toronto’s 7-3 win over defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas. Maybe you used that information to bet on the Leafs to win on the moneyline. You were an even bigger winner if you bet the Leafs to cover the puck line and you could have won Matthews goals prop (Over 0.5) as well. Bottom line…having more information pays in the world of sports betting and Sports Hub provides you with just that.

• Clark held in check: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the NCAA all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball, was held to 24 points as No. 14 Indiana beat No. Iowa last night in a key Big Ten matchup.
• Warriors come out and play: Golden State started off the second half of the NBA season with a 128-110 rout of the Lakers. The Warriors have now won 8 of their last 10 games.

• Justin Fields: The Bears quarterback is being projected by all the experts to be traded ahead of the NFL draft. That would give Chicago the opportunity to draft Caleb Williams with the first overall pick and insert him into the lineup right away. It is speculated that Fields could end up in Pittsburgh, which needs a spark on offense. Fields could be that spark.
• NCAA tournament: As it stands currently, the Big 12 and the SEC are projected to get nine teams apiece into this year’s NCAA tournament. The Big Ten and Mountain West could get six each.

Friday’s Sports Schedule

Today’s sports schedule is kind of the lull before the storm. The NCAA tournament looms ahead, but college basketball essentially takes a night off. There are just 16 games on the schedule tonight. The NBA will keep us busy while the NHL prepares for a huge Saturday. There is still plenty of betting value out there. Check out Sports Hub’s members’ area and see how our experts are betting tonight.

Here’s what is on tap for today.

1. NBA: On the second night back from the All-Star break, the NBA gives us 10 games. ESPN will carry the Friday night doubleheader which begins in Philadelphia where the Sixers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game 2 should be a good one – Milwaukee is at Western Conference leader Minnesota.
2. NHL: There are just three games in the NHL tonight. Minnesota is at Edmonton, but the luster has worn off from the Oilers 16-game winning streak. Edmonton is 6-3-1 in its last ten games. Ironically, so is Minnesota.
3. NCAAB: There are only 16 college basketball games tonight. Bettors can check out some mid-major action from the Ivy League and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Nevada, which is also an NCAA tournament bubble team, plays at San Jose State tonight.
4. Golf: Erik Van Rooyen shot an 8-under 63 to take Round 1 of the Mexico Open yesterday. Round 2 play is today.

5. Soccer: We get an appetizer for the weekend with matches in La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1. The Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed. 
6. Tennis: The semifinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open are today. The Rio Open quarterfinals are also today. Top-seeded Alexander Zverez and No. 2 Stefano Tsitsipas advanced to the semifinals of the Mifel Tennis Open and will play today. The women’s semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships are underway this morning. No. 1 Iga Swiatek faces Anna Kalinskaya. The quarterfinals of the Puerto Vallarta Open are also today on the WTA Tour.

TGIF and the weekend is coming. It will be another huge Saturday full of college basketball. Keep it tuned to Sports Hub for the best in content and winning picks. There is plenty going on this weekend. Come back tomorrow and set yourself up for a winning weekend with Sports Hub!