Winners Club: March Madness Comes to a Close This Weekend
It’s the final day of March and the madness is still in full swing.
The women’s Final Four is set for Friday with the championship taking place on Sunday while the men’s Final Four tips off Saturday with the title game scheduled for Monday.
What’s more, it’s almost time for “a tradition unlike any other” at Augusta National. Let’s get into it all.
In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:
- Women’s, men’s Final Four schedule, spreads
- Best bets for FAU-SDSU, UM-UConn
- Betting favorites for the Masters
- Fantasy football team needs
- NFL free agency grades
- MLB picks and props for Friday
Women’s, Men’s National Champs Crowned in the Coming Days
Both NCAA tournaments are down to the Final Four.
In the women’s bracket, No. 3 LSU, No. 2 Iowa, No. 1 South Carolina and No. 1 Virginia Tech are still standing.
Below are the schedule and spreads for both national semifinal matchups Friday. The winners will advance to the national championship game Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
And read up on the showdown between Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s run before the games tip off.
7 p.m. ET (ESPN): No. 3 LSU (-1.5) vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech | Total: 133.5
9 p.m. ET (ESPN): No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 1 South Carolina (-11.5) | Total: 149.5
Darron Cummings / AP
As for the men’s bracket, No. 9 Florida Atlantic, No. 5 San Diego State, No. 5 Miami and No. 4 UConn are the last remaining teams.
The schedule and spreads for both games, which till take place Saturday, can be found below.
Find out how the Huskies went from rock bottom loss to the precipice of another title and how the Hurricanes and Jim Larrañaga have adjusted to the changes permeating through college basketball.
And here’s a best bet and game breakdown for FAU-SDSU and UM-UConn before the big showdowns.
6:09 p.m. ET (CBS): No. 9 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 5 San Diego State (-2.5) | Total: 131.5
8:49 p.m. ET (CBS): No. 5 Miami vs. No. 4 UConn (-5.5) | Total: 148.5
David Becker / AP
Men’s National Championship Future Odds
Connecticut -125
San Diego State +350
Miami +400
Florida Atlantic +550
Looking Ahead to the Masters Betting Field
The first major of the year at Augusta National is less than a week away.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite to repeat, something no golfer has done since Tiger Woods in 2002.
Below are the top six betting favorites to leave next weekend with a green jacket:
Scottie Scheffler +700
Rory McIlroy +750
Jon Rahm +800
Jordan Spieth +1800
Cameron Smith +2000
Justin Thomas +2000
Patrick Cantlay +2000
Read why each top contender could win and one reason why you should fade them.
And ahead of the tournament, see where the top golfers stand in the SI Golf World Rankings and Jeff Ritter also has an explainer about the qualification process for the 2023 Masters.
Fantasy Needs for Every NFL Team
Free agency has slowed down quite a bit and the NFL draft is just a few weeks away. So after a flutter of player movement, what do the league’s 32 teams still need?
Michael Fabiano wrote about the fantasy needs for every squad. Here are some of the highlights:
Kansas City Chiefs: RB, WR, OL
Los Angeles Chargers: RB, WR, TE
Seattle Seahawks: QB, WR, OL
He shared more details about each team’s additions and losses this offseason in the piece and wrote specifically about how some front offices may be able to address their deficiencies.
And while we’re on the topic of recapping free agency, Gilberto Manzano handed out grades for every AFC team. Some contenders did a lot to improve their Super Bowl chances. Others, not so much.
Below are a few highlights from the conference report card:
Notable additions: OG David Edwards, RB Damien Harris, OG Connor McGovern
Notable departures: ILB Tremaine Edmunds, QB Case Keenum, RB Devin Singletary
Grade: C+
Notable additions: ILB David Long Jr., CB Jalen Ramsey, QB Mike White
Notable departure: TE Mike Gesicki
Grade: A
Notable additions: DL Zach Allen, OT Mike McGlinchey, OG Ben Powers
Notable departures: RB Chase Edmonds, OG Graham Glasgow, DL Dre’mont Jones
Grade: B+
In Other News
MLB Best Bets for Friday’s Slate: Jen Piacenti came up with two run line bets to tail for the second day of the season as well as a pair of plus-money prop bets involving Mookie Betts and Yordan Alvarez.
Alabama’s Brandon Miller Declares for NBA Draft: The SEC Player of the Year is a projected top pick in this year’s class and he could go second behind presumptive No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama.
How Long Every Opening Day Game Lasted: See the effect of the pitch clock by looking at the length of all 15 games from Thursday. Two games clocked in at a quick 2:14.
Mets SP Justin Verlander Starts Season on IL: Verlander, who New York acquired in free agency in the offseason, was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a low-grade teres major strain.
Thanks for reading Winners Club! Enjoy your weekend and be sure to keep up with our coverage @SI_Betting and @SI_Fantasy. I’ll talk to you next week.
