NCAA Tournament 2011: Elite Eight Betting Odds and Picks

The Sweet 16 is over and it was another profitable run as my picks went 2-0 against the spread. For those keeping score, my 2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament free picks have covered the point spread in six out of seven games. Need proof? Simply check out my BleacherReport profile to check out my write-ups.

Okay, my arm hurts from patting myself on the back. With only four Elite Eight point spreads to choose from, there is little time to waste. Let’s see if we can keep the hot streak going and unearth a couple more college basketball winning picks.

Butler vs. Florida preview and pick

What Brad Stevens is doing with the Butler Bulldogs is absolutely amazing. Coming off of last year’s loss to Duke in the championship game, Stevens’ name came up in numerous BCS coaching openings. Stevens declined all offers to return to Butler, even though they were losing their star player Gordon Hayward to the NBA. Stevens could have easily cashed in, instead he returns and proves he is the best young coach in the country.

The Bulldogs are absolutely smoldering, winning each of their last 12 games. During the same time span, Stevens’ squad has padded the wallets of the college basketball betting crowd, going 8-3-1 against the spread.

Butler features two stars that could start for any team in the country. Forward Matt Howard averages 16.8 points per game to go along with 7.8 boards. He is an elite shooter from outside the arc, knocking down 44 percent of his treys. Howard is complimented by power guard Shelvin Mack and his 15.6 points per game.

What makes these guys great is how they step up their game on the biggest stage and against the biggest opponents; evidenced by Butler’s 7-1 record against the spread this season when they were an underdog. Additionally, they covered the point spread in 10 out of 12 non-conference games.

Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators might have covered the other night, but they were fortunate to do so since they needed overtime to put away Jimmer Fredette and BYU. Overall, Florida’s path to the Elite Eight has been pretty easy.

Considering I think this number should be closer to Florida -1.5 points, getting Butler +3.5 points at Sportsbook.com seems like a bargain to me.

Kentucky vs. UNC preview and pick

Plenty of future NBA talent, albeit young talent, will be on display late Sunday afternoon as two all time great programs go head-to-head.

Kentucky is led by three freshmen in Brandon Knight (17.2 ppg), Terrance Jones (15.9 ppg) and Doron Lamb (12.4 ppg). Meanwhile, UNC will start two freshmen: Harrison Barnes (15.6 ppg) and Kendall Marshall (6.2 ppg).

Both squads are playing their best ball of the year. John Caliparis’ Wildcats have won nine in a row, in addition to covering six out of their last seven.  Meanwhile, Roy Williams’ Tar Heels have won 12 out of their last 13 games.

Including Friday night’s easy cover against Marquette, UNC is now 11-3 against the spread in their last 14 NCAA Tournament games. Additionally, they are 12-3-1 against the spread the last 16 times they played a team from the SEC. Kentucky, on the other hand, is just 1-8-1 against the spread the last 10 times they played a representative from the ACC.

With an NBA sized front line, UNC led the nation in rebounding this past season with 42.5 per game. Kentucky does have some big boys on their roster as they are ranked 31st in the country in rebounding.

Despite Kentucky’s talent, today their run comes to an end. The wrong team is favored Sunday as the Tar Heels should be two-point favorites. All the more reason why UNC +1 seems like a nice bargain at Sportsbook.com.