Cashing In

Your "Bad Beat" for Monday is on:

Murray (minus 120) vs. Rafael Nadal.

The Suns imploding and not covering can certainly be categorized as a "Bad Beat" but today there is one even worse and it's certainly stepping out of the box a bit.

Different internet sportsbooks have different rules. When it comes to tennis some sites say that matches are deemed winning or losing if two sets of action have been completed. Other sites say the entire match must be finished. That is a big difference when it comes to guys (and gals) retiring from matches with injuries and that as the case very early on Tuesday morning, which I am going to still call Monday's "Bad Beat".

Andy Murray was in complete control against the defending Australian Open Champion Rafael Nadal. Murray took the first two sets 6-3, 7-6 and was on his way through to the semifinals. He even took the 3-0 lead in the third so it was just a matter of time before Murray advanced and his backers reaped the rewards.

Until...

Nadal retired with a knee injury right there at 0-3 and like I said above at some books Murray backers did NOT win, despite him winning and moving on!



Your winners for Tuesday are on:

5* Baylor (minus 2 1/2) vs. Kansas State.

3* DePaul (plus 15 1/2) vs. West Virginia.

3* Northwestern (plus 11) at Minnesota.

A losing 1* day on Monday as I lost the bigger 3* and hit the 2*.



Love the Baylor Bears today!

So many times you see home teams take care of business and especially so in the Big 12. Granted Kansas State is a legitimate top 15 or so squad as their guard play is amazing with Jacob Pullen and Dennis Clemente but the Wildcats are not traveling to Waco against a very very good Baylor squad and winning, no how no way.

This number should be at least 6 or 7 points as Scott Drew has his team playing lights out and at home are unbeatable right now. K State did pound Texas last week which showed a lot about Frank Martin's club but they then turned around and lost at home to Oklahoma State which also showed a lot about Frank Martin's club.

You know what Baylor is going to give you every single game. This team competes ferociously as they almost won at Kansas last week, where nobody even competes no less wins, and now at home will be more than fired up and win this thing well north of the cheap price!



I wish we had Mac Koshwal's big body in the middle but that just doesn't look like it's going to happen once again.

DePaul is not good and obviously not close to West Virginia in terms of talent, but any Big East squad at home to get more than to touchdowns with at least a semi improving squad is enough for me.

The Blue Demons are not what they used to be in the days of Ray Meyer and just fired their coach in Jerry Wainwright a few weeks ago because of it. The program is certainly on hard times right now and another loss is in their future today but they finally did win a conference game downing a solid Marquette team last week and in that last game covered at Notre Dame against Luke Harangody and the Fighting Irish.

Tracy Webster has given free reign to Will Walker to take over and we have seen the guy score a ton and help this team get a little better.

This game has 71-64 written all over it!



Nothing much has gone right for Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers this season, relatively speaking as they are still good and have won some games, and I can't pass up the points with what has become a really solid Wildcat team.

Northwestern has had a great season and they have beaten quality competition. It's not like Bill Carmody's team has pounded creampuffs at all. These guys downed Purdue, Notre Dame and most recently Illinois and also went to Ann Arbor as the seven point dog and beat Michigan.

John Shurna and Michael Thompson will bring it and with the Gophers reeling from that implosion last time out against Michigan State and with Smith's squad without their point guard I am all about grabbing the hefty points ith what is still a very undervalued Northwestern bunch.

Minnesota certainly should win the game but not by the double digit number the oddsmakers have deemed.