East Region Breakdown

#1 Pittsburgh vs #16 East Tennessee St.
Opening Line: Pitt -21
Current Line: Pitt -19.5
Pomeroy Projected Score: Pitt 86-68
I'm kicking around the idea of backing the Buccaneers, but we'll see if common sense gets the better of me.

#8 Oklahoma St vs #9 Tennessee
Opening Line: Tennessee -3
Current Line: Tennessee -2
Pomeroy Projected Score: Tennessee 81-80
Oklahoma St is the hotter team coming in having won 8 out of 10 while covering in 9 out of 10. These teams would appear to be dead even, but Vegas has shown more faith in Tennessee in the last few weeks including installing the Volunteers as 3 point favorites. Medium lean on Tennessee.

#5 Florida St vs #12 Wisconsin
Opening Line: F$U -3
Current Line: F$U -2.5
Pomeroy Projected Score: Wisconsin 61-60
No, that is not a misprint Pomeroy has Wisky winning this game. Nevermind that Florida St finished 4th in the ACC and beat a Lawson-less UNC in the ACC tournament. Or that Wisconsin was one of the last at-large teams to make the tournament, lacks a marquee victory, and the Big 11 is nowhere close to the ACC. I have been fading Florida St without great success this year and it will continue into the tournament. Wisconsin will be a large play, I only hope that the line doesn't drop much further before MB opens up their tournament market.

#4 Xavier vs #13 Portland St
Opening Line: Xavier -11.5
Current Line: Xavier -11
Pomeroy Projected Score: Xavier 75-64
Portland St lives and dies by the 3, being the fifth most 3-ball dependent team in the nation. Xavier has been fade material all year long, but this line isn't screaming for action on Xavier so it's a pass. I'd much rather take Wisky at +1.5 against Xavier in round 2.

#6 UCLA vs #11 VCU
Opening Line: UCLA -10
Current Line: UCLA -7
Pomeroy Projected Score: UCLA 75-66
UCLA has a horrible draw, which figures because I have them at 55-1 to win this whole tournament. If UCLA gets past Eric Maynor and Co., they're rewarded with what is essentially a road game against Villanova. As for UCLA's first round game the line has plummeted 3 points fairly quickly. VCU has name recognition for a Colonial squad and a star player in Eric Maynor. Small lean towards UCLA.

#3 Villanova vs #14 American
Opening Line: Villanova -18.5
Current Line: Villanova -16.5
Pomeroy Projected Score: Villanova 71-58
I'm not touching American.

#7 Texas vs #10 Minnesota
Opening Line: Texas -4.5
Current Line: Texas -4
Pomeroy Projected Score: Texas 64-63
Minnesota left a bad taste in my mouth with their great foul-shooting. I spent a good five minutes picking up all the items I had strewn across my room. Do I want to back them again? Maybe.

#2 Duke vs #15 Binghamton
Opening Line: Duke -22.5
Current Line: Duke -21.5
Pomeroy Projected Score: Duke 83-62
Pass