Amid all the back-and-forth on social media this week between Deion Sanders, his son Shedeur, former Colorado players and many others, Deion made a statement I absolutely agree with: “[Shedeur] will be a top-5 pick.”
Excitement about Shedeur is not just because writing about him and Colorado nets audience engagement. I believe he is legitimately the top quarterback in college football and the favorite to be the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, though I do not think he will be the No. 1 overall pick.
There is strong competition from Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Georgia’s Carson Beck all very close behind, but Sanders clears them for now. Here’s why.
The Stats Sanders threw for almost 300 yards per game and only had three interceptions in 430 attempts, completing 69% of his passes while suffering 21 drops by his receivers. His 27 touchdown passes ranked No. 12 nationally. This was despite being under pressure the majority of the season behind the nation’s second-worst offensive line, which gave up 56 sacks for almost 500 yards. Scouting Report With an excellent arm to make all the throws necessary, Sanders is an extremely accurate passer, both in the pocket and on the move. He does a great job of keeping his eyes downfield to go through his progressions and make the high-percentage completions, despite the constant pressure that he was under all season. He does a great job of manipulating the safeties and can make the tight-window throws that are necessary at the next level. An excellent post-snap processor as well, Sanders extends the plays to give his guys an extra second or two to find green grass. He is an excellent athlete with a thick lower half who uses his athleticism to extend and make plays. Sanders has excellent feet and technique both in the pocket and on the move. To Improve Sanders can do a better job of staying in the pocket longer and giving his offensive lineman a better idea where he is as he drifts in the pocket more than he will be able to at the next level. His launch point is all over the place. Even in times where he was not pressured immediately, he would often drift. He also can do a better job of throwing away the ball under pressure, as many of the 56 sacks could have been avoided by just throwing it out of bounds when outside the pocket instead of eating it. While it will be difficult to throw fewer than three interceptions, I expect that we will see the best version of Sanders and an improvement overall in Colorado as a program as the Buffaloes enter the Big 12 from the Pac-12. I do have some concern with the talk that his father is trying to manipulate the draft process and teams that can select him, but I think they’ll be pleased with the range of his draft outlook.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — College sports leaders and lawyers are negotiating to reach a legal settlement in an antitrust lawsuit that would pave the way for revenue sharing with players.
The long-expected resolution of House v. NCAA has been a hot topic among collegiate leaders for months, hastened Monday when reports surfaced that a turning point had been reached in discussions among plaintiff attorneys, the NCAA and general counsels for the four power conferences.
On Tuesday, the inevitable march toward the professionalization of college athletics presented more questions with no answers — and potentially an expedited timeline for conferences and universities to implement a new pay-for-play model, though that, too, is only a hypothetical.
The most notable power players swaying in the wind are the athletic directors leading multi-million dollar athletic endeavors. They have prepared for multiple financial scenarios as House v. NCAA faces a potential settlement before a court date in January 2025. But with endless possibilities, there is exasperation.
“At this point in time, there’s a real lack of clarity,” Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades told 247Sports. “I don’t expect, if there is a settlement, any potential guidelines on how each athletic department distributes those monies. Who receives it? All student-athletes? Just revenue-generating sports? Is everybody the same? My guess is it’s not. How do we figure that out?”
The short answer to those questions (and more) is simple: it’s up to the lawyers, and potentially the courts, as other lawsuits against the NCAA play out.
Why is a settlement in House v. NCAA likely? The NCAA and power conferences’ legal counsels have been in “deep discussions” with the plaintiff attorneys in recent months to settle the primary lawsuit — House v. NCAA — and avoid court, according to a report from ESPN. The settlement will carry a hefty price tag for conferences and individual schools, with plaintiffs seeking more than $1 billion in back-pay to athletes for the four years before the NCAA enacted NIL regulations in 2021. (Why is the NCAA and power conferences eager to settle the suit? Courts typically triple damages favoring plaintiffs, which amounts to more than $4.2 billion if the NCAA loses in court.)
How much will revenue sharing cost schools? In addition to back pay, schools are preparing their financial books for a new annual line item — revenue-sharing for players — that could range from $15 million to $25 million, according to estimates from several athletic directors surveyed by 247Sports. The Collective Association, which represents 35 NIL collectives, presented a revenue-sharing model to the NCAA and the SEC earlier this year that outlines a 20% share of media revenue, which would be distributed by the NIL collectives.
Will there be a salary cap for college programs? Administrators also expect a salary cap to be attached to the annual revenue shares, similar to professional sports, which presents yet another gigantic unknown: are NIL collectives factored into the settlement? If so, that lightens the financial burden on athletic departments. If not, the challenges will only grow as programs with the richest boosters flourish and provide additional pay on top of the players’ revenue shares.
“Collectives aren’t going to go away if there’s a salary cap,” said Russell White, president of The Collective Association. “Universities will continue to want to compete above and beyond (the base revenue shares).”
If collectives are not included in the revenue-sharing model, will Congress, which has struggled to push legislation on NIL beyond committee discussions, feel less obligated to adopt legal guidelines?
“We definitely still want standards and rules to bring order to the NIL space,” White said.
Title IX implications are not good Title IX also complicates a potential settlement. The unspoken truth is it seems unlikely administrators and players will advocate for equal pay for athletes whose sports earn less revenue than the cash cows of football and men’s basketball.
“It’s very likely we’re going to see non-revenue sports get massacred,” said Jason Belzer, president of Student Athlete NIL. “Title IX is going to be a very big battle. How are you going to stop it? It’s going to be tough.”
Where players’ associations fit in Meanwhile, several organizations have laid the foundation over the last several years to be the central entity in collective bargaining on behalf of players. Athletes.org made waves this week when it signed the entire UAB football team as members of the players’ association.
“You can’t do a deal that’s going to have any real protection from further litigation without doing it with the athletes sitting at the table, period,” said Jim Cavale, founder and chairman of Athletes.org. Cavale strongly believes a revenue-sharing model, along with collective bargaining, will be in place by July 1, 2025, and AO is aggressively pursuing new members.
AO surpassed 3,000 active members Tuesday, including nearly 1,500 players from power conferences, Cavale said. He believes AO will “hit critical mass” with over 50% of all athletes in power conferences within the next year. If that happens, it could pave the way for a players association similar in structure to the NFLPA or MLBPA, with major conferences represented by athletes at the negotiation table.
“I still maintain we’re in the education business,” UCF athletics director Terry Mohajir said. “This national narrative has been hijacked that it’s these poor guys and girls are getting taken advantage of. Right now, as it is today, with Alston payments, cost of attendance payments and expenses and housing, our student-athletes live like $100,000 employees in our organization because they have no expenses and they don’t pay taxes on any of the extra money they get from Alston payments, academic awards, the cost of attendance and medical expenses.”
The National Labor Relations Board is set to hear in two pending cases at USC and Dartmouth that athletes are employees and have the right to form unions. Meanwhile, the NCAA maintains players are not employees, and NCAA president Charlie Baker reinforced that stance in December when he presented a proposal that would allow schools to pay players as much as $30,000 annually for their NIL rights..
“If you convert all of college sports into employment, there is simply no doubt based on math you’ll lose an enormous number of student-athlete opportunities across all three divisions because the money is just not there,” Baker said. “Most schools lose money on sports, even in DI.”
Group of Five could be spared from Power Four’s problems Revenue sharing and back payments could cripple smaller athletic departments, though the House plaintiff attorneys are not targeting Group of Five conferences in the lawsuit. Most departments are ill-equipped to pay athletes as much as $20 million annually. More than 50% of Group of Five schools earn less than $40 million annually in revenue. The Power Five conferences (then including the Pac-12) combined for more than $3.3 billion in revenue for the 2022 fiscal year, according to federal tax records. Ohio State earned $251.6 million in revenue last year to lead all Power Five schools.
House plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler declined to comment when reached Tuesday by 247Sports. In April, Kessler spoke at Howard University on a panel regarding the future of college athletics.
“You really have to think about [Power Four] as different,” Kessler said at the event, per to Yahoo! Sports. “The reason we get tied in knots is because we conflate those schools who have developed these gigantic independent commercial businesses with the schools who are still just educational institutions with extracurricular activities. When you try to come up with one rule for all, you go crazy. You have to look at the schools differently. For the ones with the money, there is plenty of money to compensate the athletes and share it with the women’s sports.
“Once you divide it all up, this is not hard. It is only hard if you’re saying, ‘Well, how will Lehigh be able to afford all this?!’ They won’t and they won’t pay [athletes]. If their concern is that Lehigh then won’t be able to compete with Alabama in football … OK, that’s your concern? That’s your concern?!”
Hoping for congressional help Four active antitrust lawsuits threaten the current collegiate athletic models. A settlement in the House case will protect the NCAA and power conferences from lawsuits for the next eight to 10 years, according to Yahoo Sports. The question is whether Congress will provide blanket protection via a new law. NIL proposals in Congress have failed more than one dozen times to advance beyond the pony show of committee hearings.
“You hope that (a settlement) will be the genesis for Congress to step in and put in some additional guardrails,” Rhoades said. “It’s really hard to navigate if there’s revenue share and employee status, and paying whatever that wage is.”
The University of Houston will move forward with alternate blue uniforms for all sports despite a cease-and-desist letter from the NFL, the Houston Chronicle reports. The Coogs debuted the jerseys ahead of the 2023 season opener against UTSA.
The NFL threatened legal action against Houston after the Cougars debuted the uniforms, which were similar to the Houston Oilers’ “Luv Ya Blue” jerseys of the 1990s. Houston did not explicitly reference the Oilers and claim that that blue color has been used across Houston.
“We literally have a story we can show the city uses it,” Houston athletic director Chris Pezman told the Houston Chronicle. “This isn’t a reach. This is a layup. We’ve got a very defensible position.”
The NFL’s letter claimed that it told Houston seven months before the 2023 season that it did not approve of them using the jerseys. However, the university ultimately opted to move forward with the uniforms. The color is slightly different and referred to as “Houston blue.”
Notably, Houston’s city jerseys came a few years after rival SMU debuted “Dallas jerseys”, paying tribute to old NFL jerseys from Cowboy predecessors. The Cougars’ embrace of blue jerseys also comes as many around Houston have complained about the Houston Texans not being allowed to wear Oilers throwbacks. The Oilers ultimately became the Tennessee Titans, and the NFL has granted the Titans rights to the Oilers’ history.
Houston will give the NFL several weeks to respond.
This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
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With No. 16 Grambling State (over Montana State) and No. 10 Colorado (over Boise State) winning Wednesday to wrap up the First Four, the first round of the men’s NCAA Tournament is officially upon us.
As much fun as filling out your bracket is, watching the madness unfold, no matter who you chose, is awesome. Plain and simple. David Cobb ranked the first-round games 1-32, and the top three are all today.
“(5) Gonzaga vs. (12) McNeese — Gonzaga is seeking to reach a ninth straight Sweet 16. McNeese, coached by the once-disgraced Will Wade, is seeking its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. These Zags have less zip than usual, and the Cowboys have the talent and path needed to win more than once in this tournament.” “(4) Kansas vs. (13) Samford — The Jayhawks are perilously light on depth and must face a Samford team that is the deepest in the tournament and determined to press on every possession.” “(3) Kentucky vs. (14) Oakland — Oakland upset Xavier on the road and played competitive games with Ohio State and Illinois. Considering Kentucky lost to UNC Wilmington at home this season, the Wildcats aren’t 100% trustworthy against a team of this caliber.” If you’re still debating who to pick, our experts have picked all of today’s games, and of course we have our expert brackets and my 63 picks in 63 sentences.
If there’s one more thing you cannot miss, it’s Matt Norlander’s annual collection of numbers and stats to know. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Norlander: “0: Infamously, no team has lost its first conference tournament game and then won a national title. This year, you should be suspicious of Alabama, Creighton, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Duke. … 10-15: Pick at least one double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16, because it has happened all but two years since ’85 (1995, 2007). And 16 times there have been at least three double-digit seeds that made it to the regional semifinals.” Here’s the best of the rest of our most recent content:
Full preview of today’s action Guards win in March. Here are 10 of the very best. Speaking of guards, Braden Smith is the key to Purdue’s redemption. Every team has flaws … even the No. 1 seeds. I handed out superlatives among the tournament teams. And if you’ve missed anything or want to read anything — really, anything, because we have covered it all — here’s all of the outstanding work our college basketball writers have put in. Enjoy the madness!
👍 Honorable mentions Kevin Durant passes Shaquille O’Neal for eighth in the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Caitlin Clark leads the way in the women’s AP All-America team. The (16) Presbyterian and (12) Vanderbilt women won their first First Four games. Caleb Williams had a (likely) future teammate at his pro day: Keenan Allen. Jon Rahm’s Masters Champions Dinner menu looks delicious. Mitchell Robinson practiced fully for the first time since December. The Browns signed D’Onta Foreman. Alex Rodriguez found funding for the final payment of his purchase of the Timberwolves. The USMNT faces Jamaica in a Concacaf Nations League semifinal on Paramount+. Here’s our preview. Here are the Olympic soccer draws for the USMNT and the USWNT. 😳 And not such a good morning for … untitled-design-2024-03-20t234935-766.png Getty Images SHOHEI OHTANI, IPPEI MIZUHARA AND THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Shohei Ohtani’s season is off to one of the strangest and scariest starts we’ve ever seen away from the diamond. One day after being the target of a bomb threat ahead of the season opener, Ohtani has allegedly been the victim of “massive theft” in the range of millions of dollars, his attorneys say. The alleged thief is none other than his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, whom the Dodgers fired Wednesday in light of the allegations. Mizuhara had been by Ohtani’s side, literally, since Ohtani joined the Angels in 2017.
That’s just the start.
Ohtani and his representatives say Mizuhara stole funds from Ohtani in order to place bets with an illegal bookmaker. That bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer, is the target of a federal investigation. The Los Angeles Times had been investigating the matter, and when Ohtani’s name came up, Ohtani’s lawyers looked into things and discovered the alleged theft. Bowyer’s lawyer said Bowyer has never met with or talked to Ohtani. Ohtani is not facing any sort of discipline. Mizuhara, however, had a different explanation. He said he asked Ohtani to cover more than $4.5 million in gambling debts, and Ohtani did so. Mizuhara added he thought bets placed through Bowyer were legal and Ohtani had no involvement with the betting. Mizuhara then changed his story, saying that Ohtani didn’t know about Mizuhara’s gambling and that Ohtani never transferred money to Bowyer’s associate. Mizuhara then added he never betted on baseball, which is prohibited for MLB team employees by the league. 👎 Not so honorable mentions Draymond Green was involved in another scuffle. Yoshinobu Yamamoto got shelled in his Dodgers debut Ausar Thompson’s season is over due to a blood clot. Matt McLain (shoulder) is likely out for Opening Day. Asa Lacy (Tommy John surgery) is out for the year. Did James Harden really try to block an in-game shot attempt by Kawhi Leonard? 🏀 The 15 NBA teams that can win a title, broken down into tiers Getty Images I know college basketball is all the rage right now, but the NBA playoffs are less than a month away. Bill Reiter says 15 teams belong in the title conversation, and he broke those 15 down into six tiers. The Celtics and Nuggets are in a tier by themselves, and rightfully so. I think the tier that intrigues me most is …
Reiter: “Tier 4: They have a shot despite real question marks — The New York Knicks. The Cleveland Cavaliers. The Los Angeles Clippers. The New Orleans Pelicans. … The Pelicans have been sneaky great. They’re also in the top 10 in offensive and defensive rating, Zion Williamson has been healthy and in great shape, and .. have won seven of their past eight. … Zion, and the Pelicans, have felt like fool’s gold the past few years, but there’s belief in New Orleans they may be close to cashing as a team they’ve always believed could be, contenders if only their superstar could stay on the floor.” 🏈 NFL rule proposals: Changes to tackles, kickoffs coming? USATSI Wednesday, the NFL submitted proposals for multiple rule changes for the 2024 season.
The first regards making “hip-drop tackles” 15-yard penalties. Here are the details, via Cody Benjamin.
Benjamin: “The proposed definition of an infraction is as follows: When a player ‘grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms’ and ‘unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s legs at or below the knee.’ The penalty would also grant the opposing team an automatic first down.” Sources told our Jonathan Jones that NFL officials believe they can call it correctly, but the NFLPA isn’t so sure. It’s already so hard to tackle correctly. I don’t love this one.
I like the potential change to kickoffs much more. Let’s set the stage:
Teams kick off from the same spot — their own 35. The 10 players on the coverage team, though, line up at the receiving team’s 40, and nine players on the return team would line up in the “setup zone” between the 35- and 30-yard line. Neither unit can move until the kick hits the ground or a returner. The returning team has up to two returners in the “return zone,” which stretches from the goal line to the 20-yard line. There are no fair catches. As for the kick itself …
If the kick fails to reach the return zone, the returning team gets the ball at its own 40. If the kick goes through the end zone or is downed inside the end zone on the fly, the returning team gets the ball at its own 35. If the kick lands in the return zone and then travels into the end zone and is downed in the end zone, the returning team gets the ball at its own 20. If the ball is fielded in the return zone, it must be returned. Here it is in picture form.
Basically, we’d get way more action, it would be safer, and there’d be a lot more strategy involved. It would be a fun new element. I’m in favor.
📺 What we’re watching Thursday 🏀 We’re watching the men’s NCAA Tournament … All. Day. Long. Here’s how to do it. ⚽ USMNT vs. Jamaica, 7 p.m. on Paramount+ 🏀 Pelicans at Magic, 7 p.m. on NBA TV 🏀 No. 11 Arizona vs. No. 11 Auburn (W), 7 p.m. on ESPN2 🏀 No. 16 Holy Cross vs. No. 16 UT Martin (W), 9 p.m. on ESPN2 🏀 Hawks at Suns, 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV 🏒 Kraken at Golden Knights, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
No. 11 seed New Mexico is back in the NCAA Tournament bracket for the first time since 2014, running the table at the Mountain West Tournament last week to earn an automatic bid to the 2024 March Madness bracket. The Lobos knocked off Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State during their impressive run and are a trendy upset pick for Friday’s game against No. 6 seed Clemson. They play at the eighth-fastest pace in college basketball, and their offense ranks in the top 20 nationally in scoring (82.6 points per game). Clemson prefers to play at a slower pace, creating an intriguing matchup that is a difficult decision for 2024 March Madness picks.
Picking first-round 2024 March Madness upsets is one part of building a winning 2024 March Madness strategy, but Final Four picks are much more important. Which teams should you have advancing to Phoenix in your 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket? Before making any 2024 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Their proven projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 92 percent of all CBS Sports brackets three of the past five tournaments. In an upset-laden 2023 NCAA Tournament, the model was all over UConn’s shocking Final Four run as a 4-seed. It went an amazing 23-9 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016. There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2024 March Madness picks.
Now, with the 2024 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Three 2024 March Madness bracket games to watch One of the most intriguing 2024 March Madness matchups to watch: No. 5 San Diego State versus No. 12 UAB. The Aztecs are getting set for their fourth straight tournament appearance following their run to the national title game last season, the first in program history. They were a No. 5 seed last year as well, and all three of the 2023 Final Four teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament field are in the same half of the East Region. This is the first meeting between UAB and San Diego State since 1989, when the Blazers cruised to a 91-46 victory in the championship game of the UAB Classic.
Another 2024 March Madness matchup to keep an eye on is No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern in the East Region. These programs are trying to build on their recent unprecedented success when they meet in the Round of 64 on Friday afternoon. Florida Atlantic made a historic run to the Final Four last season, coming up just short against San Diego State on a buzzer-beater, and it returned all five of its starters from that team. Northwestern snapped a 77-year NCAA Tournament drought by making its first appearance in 2017, and it returned last spring when it lost to UCLA in the second round.
Another 2024 March Madness matchup to watch out for: No. 4 seed Auburn will battle No. 13 seed Yale in the East Region. The Bulldogs are seeking their second win in the NCAA Tournament after beating Brown in the Ivy League Tournament title game. They are led by All-Ivy League First Team selection Danny Wolf, who is averaging 14.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He will go head-to-head with Auburn’s Johni Broome, an All-SEC First Team performer who posted 13 double-doubles this season. You can see the model’s 2024 NCAA bracket picks here.
How to make 2024 NCAA bracket predictions Who wins every tournament-defining matchup? And which teams will make surprising runs through the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model’s track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you’ll want to see which stunners it’s calling this year before locking in any 2024 NCAA bracket picks.
The No. 3 seed Creighton Bluejays and the No. 14 seed Akron Zips battle in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Zips have won three straight en route to a 62-61 win over Kent State to secure the MAC Championship. Meanwhile, Creighton was upset in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. On March 14, Providence beat the Bluejays 78-73.
Tipoff from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh is set for 1:30 p.m. ET. The Bluejays are 12-point favorites in the latest Akron vs. Creighton odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 142.5. Before making any Creighton vs. Akron picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Creighton vs. Akron. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Akron vs. Creighton:
Creighton vs. Akron spread: Bluejays -12 Creighton vs. Akron over/under: 142.5 points Creighton vs. Akron money line: Bluejays -794, Zips +535 AKR: Akron has hit the team total Under in 12 of its last 19 games CREI: Creighton has hit the team total Over in 19 of its last 35 games Creighton vs. Akron picks: See picks at SportsLine Why Creighton can cover Senior guard Baylor Scheierman is a smooth scorer who owns a reliable perimeter shot and has the range for step-back jumpers. The Nebraska native averages a team-high 18.4 points with nine rebounds and four assists per game. On March 2, Scheierman tallied 26 points and 16 rebounds.
Senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner is a lengthy and effective player in the paint. Kalkbrenner has a soft touch around the rim and in the mid-range area. He logged 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while knocking down 65% of his shots from the field. In the loss to Providence, Kalkbrenner stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Akron can cover Senior forward Enrique Freeman is an explosive playmaker in the frontcourt. Freeman soars high for easy dunks and piles up rebounds. The Ohio native leads the team in points (18.6), rebounds (12.9) and blocks (1.8) per game. On March 15 against Ohio, Freeman finished with 24 points, 21 boards and seven blocks.
Senior guard Ali Ali is an additional scoring threat. Ali owns the speed and finesse to get around the basket consistently. He is putting up 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. Ali racked up 18 points, five rebounds and five assists in his last outing. He’s scored at least 17 points in three of the last six games. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Akron vs. Creighton picks The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 138 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Teams with vastly different postseason histories clash when the 15th-seeded Long Beach State Beach take on the second-seeded Arizona Wildcats in a 2024 NCAA Tournament West Region first-round matchup on Thursday. Long Beach State (21-14), who won the Big West Conference Tournament championship, will be making its 10th appearance in the event, but first since 2012. The Wildcats (25-8), who won the Pac-12 regular-season title, are making their 38th NCAA Tournament appearance and ninth since 2013. The Wildcats are 58-36 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, while Long Beach State is 7-10. Arizona leads the all-time series 8-0, and has won each game by 15 points or more.
Tip-off from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City is set for 2 p.m. ET. The Wildcats are 20-point favorites in the latest Long Beach State vs. Arizona odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 163.5. Before making any Arizona vs. Long Beach State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Long Beach State vs. Arizona and just locked in its picks and March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Arizona vs. Long Beach State:
Long Beach State vs. Arizona spread: Arizona -20 Long Beach State vs. Arizona over/under: 163.5 points Long Beach State vs. Arizona money line: Long Beach State +1270, Arizona -2620 LBSU: The Beach have hit the money line in 18 of their last 30 games (+11.00 units) ARIZ: The Wildcats have covered the spread in 21 of their last 33 games (+7.80 units) Long Beach State vs. Arizona picks: See picks at SportsLine Why Arizona can cover The Wildcats have four players averaging double-digit scoring, led by senior guard Caleb Love. In his first season at Arizona after spending three years at North Carolina, he has scored 10 or more points 30 times, and 20 or more 14 times, including a season-high 36 in an 87-78 win over Oregon on Jan. 27. In 33 games, all starts, he is averaging 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 32 minutes.
Also helping power Arizona is senior center Oumar Ballo. In 33 games, all starts, he is averaging 13.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 25.9 minutes. He has 18 double-doubles on the year, including two in the Pac-12 Tournament. He scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 67-59 semifinal loss to Oregon on Friday. He had 10 points and 13 boards in a 70-49 win over USC in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. See which team to pick here.
Why Long Beach State can cover The Beach have been on a roll this past week, sweeping through the Big West Tournament. Senior guard Marcus Tsohonis is a big reason why as he poured in 25 points, added four assists, three rebounds and two steals in the 74-70 win over UC Davis in Saturday’s title game. He had 15 points in the 83-79 win over UC Irvine in the semifinals and had 19 before fouling out in the 86-67 quarterfinal victory over UC Riverside. In 30 games, including 26 starts, he is averaging 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.1 minutes.
Junior guard Jadon Jones enters the NCAA Tournament as Long Beach State’s second-leading scorer at 12.2 points per game. In 33 games, including 28 starts, Jones also averages 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.7 assists and one block in 30.2 minutes. He is connecting on 42.3% of his field goals, including 37.9% from 3-point range and 84.9% at the foul line. See which team to pick here.
How to make Arizona vs. Long Beach State picks SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting 157 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
A first-round matchup in the 2024 NCAA Tournament has the No. 9 seed Michigan State Spartans and the No. 8 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs squaring off on Thursday. The Bulldogs have made the tournament 12 times in school history. On the other side, Michigan State has made the tournament 26 years in a row.
Tipoff from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte is set for 12:15 p.m. ET. The Spartans are 1-point favorites in the latest Michigan State vs. Mississippi State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 130.5. Before making any Mississippi State vs. Michigan State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Mississippi State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Mississippi State vs. Michigan State:
Michigan State vs. Mississippi State spread: Spartans -1 Michigan State vs. Mississippi State over/under: 130.5 points Michigan State vs. Mississippi State money line: Spartans -121, Bulldogs +100 MSU: Michigan State has hit the team total Under in 21 of their last 35 games MSST: Mississippi State has hit the 1H game total Under in 18 of their last 30 games Michigan State vs. Mississippi State picks: See picks at SportsLine Why Michigan State can cover Senior forward Malik Hall is an all-around player for the Spartans. Hall scores by attacking the basket while putting a lot of energy into defense and rebounding. The Illinois native averages 12.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. In his last matchup, Hall racked up 12 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
Senior A.J. Hoggard is an aggressive and energetic guard in the backcourt. Hoggard excels at driving to the basket and plays feisty defense. The Pennsylvania native averages 11 points, three rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. On Mar. 14 against Minnesota, Hoggard finished with 17 points and six assists. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Mississippi State can cover Freshman guard Josh Hubbard is a creative shot creator with a nice shooting touch on multiple spots on the court. The Mississippi native is putting up a team-best 17.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He’s scored 20-plus points in seven of his last eight games. In the second round of the SEC Tournament, Hubbard totaled 24 points and two assists.
Senior forward Tolu Smith provides the Bulldogs with a force in the frontcourt. Smith scores from the low post with ease and uses his size to create space for rebounds. The Mississippi native logs 15.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and shoots 56% from the field. In his last outing, Smith had 10 points and 10 rebounds. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Mississippi State vs. Michigan State picks The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 138 points. It also says one side of the spread nearly 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
The sixth-seeded BYU Cougars will look to reach the second round for the first time in 10 years when they battle the 11th-seeded Duquesne Dukes in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Cougars (23-10), who have won four of their past six games, are making their 31st NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2021. The Dukes (24-11), who have won eight consecutive games, last played in the NCAA Tournament in 1977. Duquesne holds a 2-0 all-time series lead, but the teams last met in 1953.
Tipoff from the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb., is set for 12:40 p.m. ET. The Cougars are 9.5-point favorites in the latest Duquesne vs. BYU odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 141.5. Before making any BYU vs. Duquesne picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Duquesne vs. BYU. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for BYU vs. Duquesne:
Duquesne vs. BYU spread: BYU -9.5 Duquesne vs. BYU over/under: 141.5 points Duquesne vs. BYU money line: Duquesne +353, BYU -460 DUQ: The Dukes are 18-16 against the spread this season BYU: The Cougars are 6-4 ATS over the past 10 games Duquesne vs. BYU picks: See picks at SportsLine Why BYU can cover Four players average double-digit scoring, including junior guard Trevin Knell. In 32 games, including 27 starts, he is averaging 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.5 minutes. He has reached double-figure scoring 18 times, including a season-high 27 points in a 71-60 loss to Cincinnati on Jan. 6. He scored 20 points in an 87-75 win over TCU on March 2.
Also providing offense for BYU is senior guard Spencer Johnson. He has started all 33 games for the Cougars and is averaging 10.3 points, six rebounds, 3.3 assists and one steal. He has scored 10 or more points in 18 games, including three double-doubles. He scored a season-high 28 points, while adding nine rebounds and five assists in an 87-72 win over Iowa State on Jan. 16. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Duquesne can cover The Dukes have been led by senior guard Dae Dae Grant. The fifth-year player in his second season at Duquesne, has played in 32 games, including 30 starts, and is averaging 16.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and one steal in 32.8 minutes. He has reached double-digit scoring in each of the last four games, including a 27-point performance in a 70-60 win over St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic 10 semifinals. In the league’s title game, he scored 10 points and added four steals and two assists. He is connecting on 93.9% of his free throws.
Senior guard Jimmy Clark also provides some scoring punch for Duquesne. He has scored in double figures in four of the past five games, including 20 or more in two of those. In a 67-65 win over George Washington on March 9, he scored 22 points, while adding three assists and two rebounds. He had 20 points, four assists and four rebounds in an 83-73 win over Saint Louis on March 13 in the second round of the A-10 Tournament. In 35 games, all starts, he is averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals in 31.1 minutes. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Duquesne vs. BYU picks The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 147 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
