Hello, everybody. Welcome into the Betting Pros Podcast. I am Ryan Wardley, joined as I have been the last couple of weeks by my good friend and betting expert in college basketball.
It's PJ Glasser of BETQL. PJ. We are here.
It is the final for this upcoming weekend and I will give you a moment here. Your Crimson Tide are in the Final four for the first time in school history.
How are you feeling?
Feeling great? Worm?
I would have felt a lot better if I had bet on them to make it to the Final four, you know what I mean. I didn't think they'd get past UNC. I didn't think they would beat Clemson either. I thought that was gonna be Arizona in that Elite game, Elite eight game. But I can't believe it. This is why the tournament is the best, you know. I feel like they've had way better teams the last three or four years. They were the number one overall team in
the tournament last year. They were a two seed two years before that, and those teams got out in Sweet sixteen. And now here's this team who still on kemp Palm rank over one hundred on defense. But it's that offense that's carrying them with those three pointers, and uh, it's it's incredible.
It's we have a I can't remember a time where I really in.
The Final four where we've had two games where it feels like we're just on a collision course with Yukon and Purdue, right, and you know that just the way college basketball works, it just like one of these underdogs, it feels like is gonna give one of these favorites a game.
Right.
We don't know which one, We don't know how close it's gonna.
Be, but like I just you just feel like either Bama or NC State is gonna keep it close with one of these favorites.
So it's interesting.
Because like I think Yukon is better than Perdue, but Bama is better than NC State. So it's like the better underdog is matched against the better favorite. And I I would if I had to pick one, I'd probably pick Bama just because you can make the case maybe they hit twenty threes because like that this is an offense that is capable of, like you can just go toe to toe because they're not gonna stop you con
at all defensively. But maybe they just get really hot from three, and that gives them a shot like it's it's harder for me to make the case I think with NC State. But before we dive into the final four, I want to ask you if there are any other takeaways from this past weekend Sweet sixteen Elite eight that really stood out to you as a major surprise or a development that you really didn't see coming.
I mean, I think the biggest takeaway for me, worm is it doesn't matter how big a favorite you are, it doesn't matter how talented you are when you get into the Sweet sixteen Elite eight, if you don't hit shots, you're gonna go home. Right, saw that with Marquette, saw that with Duke, We saw that with Arizona. We saw that with a bunch of these teams that are really good offenses. But all it takes is one off night
and you can you can go home. So I think that was my takeaway, right, It felt like there were a ton of games Illinois certainly you could throw in there too. I mean, when you come went on that thirty off to run talk about like elite offenses like Duke, Marquette, Aras like these teams are top ten in the country in offense and had abysmal night shooting. So I think I think that was really the big takeaway, Right, It's not like these teams really had bad looks. It's not
like these shots were contested. They were just missing open shots. So we know basketball sometimes it's just, I mean, it's as easy as who make shots and who misses shots. And it felt like that that really decided a bunch of these games and these teams that we have in the final four, you know, I mean a bunch of them. Certainly Bama hit their shots in their last two games.
Perdue was great on offense against Gonzaga, was better in the second half against Tennessee NC State, fantastic second half against Duke, and then Yukon, I mean, just all levels offense and defense was a fantastic.
I was not able to watch Saturday ad something come up, but I was following the Yukon Illinois game as best I could, and I saw I literally looked at it and it was twenty eight twenty three. And then the next time I because I wasn't able to check my phone for a while, it was fifty three twenty three, and I.
Was like, is there a typo?
Like how Is that even possible because I hadn't watched the run and I went back and watched it later and it was just like jaw on the floor, like like they didn't do that against you know, Stetson. They did that against Illinois in the Elite eight. It's really one of the most remarkable things I think I've ever seen in a college basketball game. To your point about like the making shots and stuff, it seemed like that was how Clemson was advancing, was they kept getting teams
not making their shots against them. And you know, I kept picking against Clemson every single round and it kept backfiring because Arizona would just go cold and keep on firing and it wasn't working before we get into the final four. Are there any lessons you feel like you learned from who these final four teams are in terms of how you would bet the tournament next year, in terms of how you would fill out a bracket next year, just in terms of as a fan, like this is
something I would remember going for. Are there any lessons learned from this group of final four teams and how the tournament has played out to date?
It's a good question, I think something that I try and take with me year to year when I'm picking my final four is that every year worm when we get to this point, it's never before teams that everybody think it's gonna be right. I mean, you could throw out like a couple of different scenarios of who people liked, but for a majority, it was either Yukon Auburn, it was Arizona, UNC, it was Houston, Duke, Marquette, Kentucky, or it was Purdue, Gonzaga, Tennessee. Create right, it was like
a majority of like those kind of four teams. Very few had NC State, not a lot had Bama. So that's the way it goes. I know, when people are filling out a bracket, and certainly people like us who watch the regular season in college basketball, you're going through these games and you're like, I know, I'm not supposed to pick the games that everybody else, but it's like who's gonna beat Arizona.
On the bottom half of this region?
Like who's gonna like upset you know, like these kinds of things. So I mean that's the beauty of the tournament. That's the beauty of these one and done games. So it's different year after year, the kind of teams that we get that go into the final four. I will say, with the new era that we're in with college basketball, it is interesting that the last two years we have had teams like Miami and Bama kind of make it to the tournament, right, So I would say maybe those
are something to look out for. I think everybody thought that team that was great on offense this year and wasn't good on defense that to make the final four was going to be Kentucky. So historically in the tournament, I mean, those kind of teams like if you're that bad on defense like Miami and Bama were, usually don't get this far. So that's happening back to back years. Obviously, this era with the transfer portal and with offenses and
with all the three pointers that we get. If these teams like Miami last year surviving the Drake Game, Bama this year surviving the Grand Canyon Game, those teams, when they have those games where they're not good on offense, if they're able to survive that, you see the end result. I mean, they're offenses, they're good enough to compete with anybody, and if they're hitting their shots, it can take them
all the way to the final four. So probably my two biggest takeaways, right, never pick the same four teams that everybody picked, because it never happens that way.
And then you know, I'm.
Not necessarily saying next year to take one of these Bama Miami type teams, but certainly something to keep an eye on. And I think we have to take those kind of teams a little more seriously moving forward, because I mean, they've shown us that this is kind of the new era of hoops. Like if you can score, you can beat anybody. You might not win the championship, but you can make it to the final four.
And realistically, it's almost like three teams made their first
final fours. I know Purdue and nci State made them in the early eighties, but it was an entirely different sport back then, really, you know, considering how long it's been for them, tournament expanded since then, right, I mean, it was just a different game back when Purdue was in nineteen eighty and NC State nineteen eighty three, I think, And obviously everybody you know has seen clips of that NC State eighty three run, so we're familiar that they
have been there before, but really a different game back then. And of course Bama never having made it before and then going up against the team that just won it
all last year and looks like another behemoth. You know, it is it is funny like in terms of filling out the bracket, I you know, it's like I never gonna be the guy who takes the number one overall seed because ever too many people are gonna take it and it just feels like you're not gonna win your bracket taking Yukon, you know, as they were this year and then the one seed that I was like, I didn't really love UNC more than Perdue, but it was it was like, how can you pick Perdue given what
we've seen from them in the past. That and I really liked Tennessee, Creighton, Gonzag Like, there was a lot of teams in that region that I was a big fan of, so you know, I think a lot of people were probably similar to me and that you know, they picked against Purdue and then they had Yukon maybe in the final four, but then not winning it all because that's you got to pick against them to win it all. And now it's just it's just them versus
a field in such a major way. You're right, it does really feel like a collision course between Yukon of Purdue and that.
That should be a fun game.
I mean pretty might be the team that to finally give you kind of game in the last two tournaments. Really, I mean, it's it's really remarkable what they've done two marches in a row. Let's dive into how we're gonna be betting the Final four this upcoming weekend. We'll start with your guys, number one, Yukon going up against your team, not Yukon, number four, Bama really really fun offensively, like could could be a very exciting, fun back and forth game.
Plus eleven and a half for Bama. The totals at one sixty one and a half. You know, Yukon very like contrasting styles in terms of the tempo that these you know, the number of possessions these two teams want to get out in a game, but both very efficient offensively. If you were interested in the money line, it's you know,
Bama plus five twenty five. I think that's probably not the smartest play, although that line in the Final four is pretty ridiculous to be to be quite honest, how are you betting this one?
So worm?
This is probably my favorite bet all of the Final four. I'm gonna take Yukon's team total over eighty six and a half points because of Bama, there is so much that's kind of dictated off if they hit their three pointers or not, right spread and total, Like Yukon, Sure you look at it on the surface, they're beaten everybody by thirty points. They've led at some point in every tournament game by thirty in this tournament, which is just insane. But like, if Bama hits their threes, they can hang
around and this game will go over the total. At the same time, if Bama doesn't hit their threes, you com will cover the spread easily and the under probably hits. So I don't want to bet the spread and I don't want to bet the total because so much of it is predicated off Bama knocking down their shots. And obviously in a Final four setting, you're shooting now in an NFL stadium, all these different site lines, like, it's
just a very different kind of feel. The one thing that I think we can really hang our hat on in this game is the fact that Yukon's going to score points. They've been to the Final four they're scoring on everybody. Even though Bama has made it to the Final Four and their offense has been great, we're in three of their four games, they've still giving up eighty two points or more to Clemson, to UNC, to Charleston.
Right think about their non conference schedule this year. I know we talked about this on the last pod when they played Creighton and Arizona and Purdue and all these good teams that got them ready for Carolina. All of those games were in the eighties too, So we don't know what Bama offense is gonna show up. I think if they made six or seven three pointers against Yukon's defense,
it wouldn't shock anybody. At the same time, they could knock down sixteen or seventeen threes and it wouldn't shock anybody. But I think the one thing that we can kind of point to and say that we're gonna get in this game is Yukon's gonna score. So I like that team total over for the Huskies at eighty six and a half.
Is there a player matchup that you're particularly intrigued by in this game? Is it Castle guarding Seers? Is it Newton Sears? Like scoring and dishing it out head to head is just what can Clingon do against this front line?
Like what is there one guy on either side that you think maybe that's the X factor because I think we're we would both imagine you kind of with this game regardless, but that you think could have like a particularly great day or who if they do have a poor day, could swing things.
Two things I'm interested in. I want to see how Bama handles Clinging inside.
Right.
I want to see if they just play him one on one with Pringle, if they bring help off of maybe Castle's defender, because obviously you can't leave Cam Spencer, you can't leave Newton. So I want to see that chess match. I also want to see Dan Hurley did a fantastic job adjusting at halftime. Marcus Domass was killing him in the first half, right, he was using his size and he was backing down Newton and dr and some of the smaller guards on Yukon. So what does
he do at halftime. He puts Caravan, he puts Castle, he puts more size on Domask and completely takes him out of rhythm. So some of these Bama guards, Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada especially I want to see the chess match. Who Hurley decides to put on some of these defensive assignments. My guess is that he's going to put more size on Sears. I think he's gonna have probably Newton follow around Ryland Griffin, who comes more so
off screens. He's more of a one on one player, where Sears they kind of like to move him around. I'm guessing Castle is probably gonna be on Sears, and then you know who they put on, Grant Nelson. I'm thinking they're probably gonna go with Caravan, that would be my guess. But just the chess match, to see kind of who these guys come out with early as their defensive matchups and how they kind of mix a match throughout the game is something I'm going to be interested in.
But so it makes you con so tough is that their wings can just guard so many different positions and if there's a if there's a matchup that Bama is exploiting early, Hurley's going to adjust and he's gonna put one of his other defenders on one of those other guards for Bama. So that's what I'm interested in, kind of what Bama's defensive game plan against Klingon Is and also who Hurley decides to match up with Bama's guards, who he decides to guard sears and and Estrada as well.
Really just like they have an answer for everything. Like it's it's really remarkable you just watching Yukon play and when they when they need to make adjustments, which is not often because they keep letting these teams out, but when they do, it's just like, Okay, yeah, we have another answer, we have another option we can turn to.
It's it's it's fine.
It's just it just feels like like every other people have used this word to just feel so inevitable.
It's like like.
I want there to be suspense, right, Like I want this to be a really fun final four. I'm on the edge of my seat, but it like it just currently does not feel that way. If I force you to pick against the spread in the game, are you laying the points with the Yukon or are you taking the points with Bama.
God, it's so tough. It's so tough not to bet Yukon until they don't.
I don't I don't know how.
I don't know how you don't lay the points with Yukon from what we've seen, Like again, Bama could surprise and hit a bunch of threes and stuff. But I, I just I don't know how you can do anything other than lay the point with Yukon. I don't even care what the number is, honestly, Like, what would the number have to be for you to you definitively take Bama?
How high would the number have to go? It's pretty high for me.
Probably have to be like seventeen or eighteen and a half, I would think, you know what I mean, Like you'd have to get some room there. The thing like worm does this game? Does it give you any kind of feel? This final four? To me kind of feels like are we headed to where we were in two thousand and one where Gonzaga is viewed as Yukon, Baylor is Purdue, where most of us kind of perceive Yukond of be the best team. We all thought Gonzaga was the best team,
but Baylor was always there with them that year. Purdue's kind of always been there with them that year. Baylor had never done it before. I know Gonzaga hadn't either, but Baylor had never done it before. Obviously, Purdue under Painter has not as well. And then it's like, I wonder if this, if this Bama Yukon game, is going to be like Gonzaga and UCLA was. Gonzaga was favored
by fourteen and a half in that game. Evan Abrams from the Action Network dropped a great stat He said, since two thousand, Yukon entering the Final four is the highest priced team right now to win it all at minus one ninety. Gonzaga in twenty twenty one was the only team that was the bigger favorite.
So right now I'm wondering, like.
Because of Bama's offense and they're shot making, if this is just gonna be one of those like ninety eight ninety six, like instant classics where they give Yukon a game. Because think about it too, so many times in sports, a lot of times it's the semi final game where these teams that look unbeatable go down.
Right.
You can go all the way back to the miracle on ice. You can go back to last year in the women's tournament when Iowa beat South Carolina or in Mississippi State beat Yukon years ago, and it's like a lot of times it's that semi final game.
Kentucky goes into Wisconsin in twenty fifteen, same.
Thing, another great example.
So again we're all trying to figure out, like, who is the kind of team to beat Yukon. Is it a team that's great defensively that wants to mucket up? Is it a team like Bama that can score one hundred points? Like? Who is the kind of team? I don't have an answer to it, but I'm just like, I don't know. This final four is like drawing parallels to me, kind of like that Gonzaga Baylor final four where it's like we've had two great teams all year,
they're on a collision course for the final. And of course Baylor blew out Houston that was the easy semifinal game, and Gonzaga UCLA was that close game. I just think a lot of people are gonna look at the semifinal. They're gonna look at this NC State teams the team of destiny, and they're probably gonna like that dog, whereas nobody is gonna want to bend bet against Yukon. And I wonder if if Bama's the dog, it kind of just gives them a game.
That is a really fascinating parallel from what three years ago. That is really intriguing to me, the Gonzaga Baylor parallel to Ukon Purdue. And it's a shame really, because Houston could have been in that conversation as one of the not just two best teams, with three best teams in the country. If you know Shed getting hurt obviously, you know you were all over Houston over Duke, and it looked like you were right, and then Shed gets hurt and everything changes, which which what can you do. I
think it's a fascinating parallel. I'm I'm really it would be really intriguing to see Yukon Prdue. Let's talk quickly about the Purdue Anti State game. I would would certainly expect Prudue to win this. The line is lower than it is for Bama Yukon. I'm more confident. I feel like in Purdue beating NC State and maybe even beating them badly than I am Yukon Bama, just because there's that element of if Bama gets hot from three the lot, the spread is nine, the totals one forty six Anti State.
If you think the Cinderell story continues plus three forty on the money line. Is there an angle to this game that you like from a betting perspective? And are you with me that? Like we're pretty confident, Like I like, listen, DJ Burns is super fun and maybe he can score on Zach Edy.
He cannot stop Zach Edy.
Like I just I feel like Eadie could drop fifty in this game if you do the way NC State is built. So I mean, what do you make of what do you make this one from a betting angle.
One of my coworkers where I'm here at the Bechquel Network, Ken Barkley, who does his show You Better You Bet, has a great saying and his saying in the tournament is anyone can win four, but it's impossible to win six. And I think you're seeing that again with NC State. Like we've seen magical rides throughout the tournament where I think this is now the sixth or seventh, eleventh seed that we've had make it to the final four. None of them have won in the semifinal round, none of
them made it to the title game. And like again, think about all the breaks that NC State got right, they didn't have to play Kentucky in the second round. Jamal shed got hurt. They didn't have to play Houston in the Elite eight, like sometimes you just get a great draw. Also, I mean the shooting that some of these teams had that they played against. Duke was five for twenty from three point range yesterday and mckayhn hit like two at the end, so really they were like
three for eighteen that game. Marquette, as we all know, was four for thirty one from three, Texas Tech was seven for thirty one. The one team that shot the ball well against NC State was Oakland. They shot it pretty well from three, twelve for thirty five. That game went to overtime as a fourteen seed. Right, So Purdue, it felt like, had their bad offensive game against Tennessee. They were one for seven in the first half from three, where Tennessee was seven for eleven and Purdue was still
up at half by two in that game. It's just like, Purdue is such a good three point shooting team. Is NC State really gonna continue being this lucky where teams are missing their shots. Clemson was kind of the best beneficiary of that too, right, they were playing all these great offenses and then finally they ran into a team in Bama who started hitting their shots and they go home.
So again, a lot of people are gonna have this team a destiny feel for NC State, and I was right there with them all the way through till the final four. But this is where kind of those magical rides always seemed to end. So I just think unless Purdue has like a three for thirty kind of night from three point range, I do like them a lot. Minus the nine and a half, I think this is gonna be the semi final.
Game where we see a blowout.
If I had to guess, I agree with you. As you know, I like to bet. Just I put ten bucks on either spread total or money line, and every game in the tournament just fun, a little added enjoyment. Obviously, you know, obviously everybody bets the tournament, but I forced myself to pick one bet on every single game, even if I don't feel confident about it. This is not one of those where I don't feel confident. I am very happily laying the points with Purdue. I think they
smash them and I have been betting. I'ven't been betting against them a lot this tournament, but like, I didn't pick them in any of my brackets. I've been always kind of in the back of my head, like rooting a little for like Kizaga or Tennessee and kind of hoping they win and maybe picking them like for fun, but not like officially putting money on it. This one, I just I just don't see away Purdue doesn't win
this game by fifteen plus. And that's not a knock on nc State, but there's a reason Keats was likely to get fired. There's a reason they needed to win five games in five days to make the tournament. I think the luck runs out eventually. I think the clock will strike midnight, whatever cliche you want to use. And Purdue is just really, really good, and I think it
was that first half against Tennessee. Like you alluded to the fact that everything went right for Tennessee and Prdue is still up to I don't think everything is going to go right for NCCT. I think Purdue is going to be up by a lot more at both halftime and the end of that game. So, uh, Perdue, let me ask you this before we touch on Purdue Yukon as a theoretical championship game, and then get out of here.
If you had to pick one combination both that you think could happen and that you think you would want to see happen, and excluding your your fandom of Bama, because obviously you're going to want to see Bama if it's if it's some combo in the championship that's not U comp perdue, what are you hoping to see and what are you thinking is at least a possibility of seeing.
I mean, I think Purdue Bama would be great.
Those teams played earlier this year in Toronto and it was one of the best regular season games. That first half that they had when Bama was up forty nine to forty seven, was very similar to like that UNC Bama game that we saw in the Sweet sixteen. Both teams just trade threes, unbelievable offense on both sides, and Purdue ram with them in that game. So I think they'd run with them in the title game too, And I just think from a viewing standpoint, that'd be really fun.
But like Bama, NC State I think would be cool too. Are actually Yukon NC State I think would be awesome where it's your true David Goliath. It's the ultimate team of destiny versus this just absolute juggernaut in Yukon and trying to pick, like does the Team of Destiny do they just like to really do it? Like do they really win this game? And it really would give us like again like Jimmy V flashbacks to nineteen eighty three, having to win the ACC Tournament, getting into the tournament,
going all the way to the championship. They played Houston that year with like oh Clyde, Jeckxler, McKim Olajuan pretty good. And now you're facing this Yukon team. So I think Yukon NC State actually now and I think about it just from that, just like the best team against the Team of Destiny would be awesome, but from a pure basketball like getting to watch Alabama and Purdue play again I think would be super fun too.
I mean genuinely, PJ if it's Yukon and NC State, Like what does that line need to be for you to take MC State? I mean, like quite honestly, it would need to be in the twenties for me to
even consider it. Probably even then might not even take it, like ed you know, Team of Destiny can sometimes prove wrong all the metrics and all the the you know, I I test and everything we've watched this tournament, but like it would be fun narratively, I still I think you kind would win that game by twenty five plus.
Yeah, I mean I certainly wouldn't bet here. Let me put it this way, I'd either bet NC State money line or I'd lay it with Yukon, right Like, I don't think that's the game Yukon wins by seven. I think either you ride the team of destiny and you bet them to win, or to me, that would be like the Georgia TCU National Championship game in college football.
It'd be fourteen and a half points. I would be my guest, just like that game was, and Georgia won that game sixty three to seven, and everybody thought TCU was the team of destiny. So I think it'd be similar, like Yukon would win by forty or NC State would win it out right, and there wouldn't be anything in between.
So let's let's briefly preview a theoretical Yukon Perdue matchup, since that's what we're thinking is very likely. Is this game one through defense? Clinging can actually go toe to toe with Edie, although Di's I think plays a lot more minutes than Clingon does.
Is it won by offense?
You know Purdue gets hot from three and you know Yukon is really good but can't quite keep up. I mean, what how does this game play out? What do you think the line would be? Which side do you think you prefer to bet? What would be your kind of quick breakdown if that is in fact the championship game we get.
So, I think you Come would probably be five and a half six and a half point favorites in the game, obviously depending on how the semi final game goes. Worm to me, I think the key to the game would be how Purdue matches up in the second half against Yukon. Right, we've seen people kind of be competitive with Yukon in the first half. We've seen them have some close games
in the first twenty. It's these runs in the second half that are just it's very like Warriors, like when they were going through their dynasty, and we'd always talk about that Warriors third quarter. Like it's that Yukon run is always coming, and it's not like it comes in the final six five to six minutes of the game. It always comes in like the first two three, And that's there are sixteen points and you're like, this game
was literally just close, like five minutes ago. So to me, that that would be the key because I think Perdue would keep it close for the first twenty. I think both teams obviously would kind of feel each other out, they'd ease themselves into it. I think Edie would be great. I think Yukon would be great. But it's it's that second half, man, Like, that's that's where Yukon gets these teams they just blow away.
So that that.
Would be the key could Purdue if they're able to keep it close in the first twenty, you survive that first five or six minute stretch in the second half where Yukon is so dominant. Because that's the thing again going back to that Gonzaga team in twenty twenty one, where nobody played Gonzaga close that year, Like we were just begging for Gonzaga to play a team close. Ucla finally did in that Final four game and the Baylor
beat Gonzaga. It's like, can can somebody just play Yukon close like midway through the second half, and that that would be the challenge for Purdue.
If if I take Bam off the table because obviously you're biased.
Who do you want to win this championship?
Ooh?
Who do I want to win this championship?
Uh?
I think I would want Perdue because I bet them. That'd be nice. I mean NC State would be it would be an incredible story. But more often than not in March madness, like, I do want the best teams to win it. So I would probably say Purdue, I think, just because then the Yukon are the two best.
I feel like.
And Matt Painters had some really really good teams and they're more than due. You know in sports, like these teams that consistently get one seeds consistently get themselves to this spot. It'd be like if Gonzaga was in this spot, Like if the Zags were in the final four, I'd like to see Mark Few win one. So if if Bama can't do it, I think I'd be pulling for Purdue.
To get the win.
See for me, because I am a bitter, jealous fan, like I would root for Yukon. It's like it's like when Kansas is there, I don't want to let another coach. We already know Yukon's really good and Hurley is a good coach and is you know, on this like kind of elite tier track, especially if it's back to back titles, like like okay, what's one more to them? Right? Like I don't want to let another Big ten team Maryland.
I don't another Big ten team win, But but I take your point on that if they do win, if Purdue wins, where does Zach Edie rank on the all time pantheon of college careers? Because you're talking about back to back you know, national player of the years like likely he was he unanimous last year and certainly will be this year. I mean yeah, like back to back unanimous National Players of the year, capping it off with the title the first title for your school in decades or you know, like first time.
For the coach.
Like ever, like like where does that career rank in terms of college athletes, because that's got to be up there.
I mean, in the since the two thousands, he certainly would be in the top five. I'm sure I'm missing guys, but like the names that come to mind are Kemba, Carmelo, Anthony Davis, Like I mean, you put him in that tier with those guys.
But like like Mellow and Davis were one year, guys like Eadie gets multiple National Players of the Year. It's right, it's really remarkable. We'll make our official picks and get out of here. I think we're gonna have similar official picks. But to to kind of highlight how expected that that outcome is of Yukon over you know, Yukon and Purdue
the title game. To pick the exact result right now on DraftKings, it's a minus number for Yukon to beat Purdue and we don't even have them in the championship gave yet, and it's just you know, it's minus win twenty Yukon over Purdue plus three twenty Purdue to beat Yukon, and then everything else is a lot higher. If is it just Yukon minus one ninety five or Purdue plus two o five there's no real value to betting these plus sixteen hundreds on the other two, right.
Yeah, no, no value. NC State and Bama will not win the championship. We alluded to it a little bit earlier in the podcast. You can win four games in the tournament. It's impossible to win six if you're NC State Bama. It just doesn't happen.
I did it. I did a video on beck L.
Before the tournament, I had found all these historical trends of teams that could win it, and we came down to two teams that could win the whole thing. Houston and Purdue were those two teams. The criteria that Yukon didn't fit was since nineteen ninety a team that has had that only has three teams from their conference has not won a national championship. So the Big East only had three teams in. We'll see if Yukon can buck that trend. But Purdue crossed everything off the list, every
single one. Them and Houston were the two teams. So I'm gonna stick with that worm. I'm gonna be contrariing here and go with Purdue to win the whole thing. I think it is purduing Yukon, but uh, I mean, look, if you comm wins the whole thing, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm sticking with my theory though, Like I I'm getting Gonzaga Baylor vibes from this where.
That parallel I can't shake. Now that zagger, that's a really good one.
You know. It would be the same kind of spread where you come and be favored by like five and a half. And I mean Purdue matches up well with them, like Edie and Klingen head to head, Purdue's got tons of shooters on the outside, Like they want to play a slow game. Purdue can play that. They want to play to track meet, Purdue can play that. So I to me that, uh, that's that's what I'll go with. I I think I think it's Purdue's here worm I I think they're gonna win it.
That is a really compelling argument. When the when the brackets first came out and we did a couple of shows that first week, I add both you and the team rankings, Jason Lisk, is this Yukon versus the field? Or is just Yukon's a favorite? And the answer was no, it's not Yukon versus the field. They're the favorite, but there's a lot of really good teams. It sure feels like it should have been Yukon versus the field the way they have looked, the way this thing is played out.
I am really tempted by your your case for Purdue, and I think you might end up being right. But I'm just gonna say it's ukond of It'll be Ukon perdue in the championship game, and I'm gonna say I'll take Yukon because I've yet to see a reason why they won't blow everybody out. And I think there's a really really compelling case for Purdue, both narratively, both historically, both on the court.
I mean, again, they have the best player in college basketball. I totally get the case for him.
I just it's it's I need to see Yukon lose before I'm gonna pick them to lose.
And that's totally that's totally fair. That's totally fair. I mean I would bet Purdue, you know, plus the points. I bet a money line. But I mean, look, Yukon does look better. I mean, they do look better. We'll just have they really been challenged yet though in the tournament, Like I know, Illinois is a really good team and they really made them look suspect. But you know before that, it's like Produce had to go through Gonzaga really good,
had to go through Tennessee really good. So they played a tough non conference schedule. Both teams did, so we'll see. I just I don't know where is it like really gonna be this easy for Ukon? To repeat like, is somebody just not gonna give them a game?
We'll see what happens.
I don't know, but it sure looks that way right. I can't wait. If it is you come foror do that is going to be a fantastic game. I have no doubt.
So I'm excited to hopefully see that. PJ. Thank you so much for coming on. What do you got going on this week at back L.
Yeah, so we'll have our show send it in one to one thirty pm Eastern time. You can watch it on Twitch YouTube. You can watch it on x Instagram interactive show. People can chime in give their comments. We'll talk obviously Final four, also talk MLB NBA as well, and then I'll be on You Better You Bet tomorrow on Tuesday three to seven pm Eastern time as well.
People want to check that out.
He is PJ Glasser from bet QL. Thank you so much for joining us for the last couple of weeks.
PJ.
We'll see if I can talk you into We want to have a show next week to preview the championship game, but we might be able to talk you into a TikTok live or something on the Betting pros you know TikTok, so be sure to go follow us over there in case we get a little more tournament talk here before the end of everything.
For PJ, I'm Ryan Warman.
Thank you everybody for tuning in throughout March and we'll maybe see you again next week.
Thanks for listening to the Betting Pros podcast.
If you love the show, the best freeway to support us is by leaving a positive review on.
Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Follow us on x and TikTok at Betting Pros and Instagram at Betting Pros NFL. Also subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube dot com.
Slash Betting Pros
Was