Most underrated sporting event in america...starts Sat Noon EDT on ESPN2
Gane 1 Penn State Yale....forget lacrosse for a second...you cain have the defending national champ (Yale) at +170 playing a team that NEVER won an NCAA tourney game before this year..AND YOU gave them their only loss (14-13 at Yale)....fools gold I think..
Here;s the deall...PSU has visually looked the best all year, the game against yale was in February AND in that game Yale won 26 of 31 faceoffs and STILL only won by 1 goal with all those extra posessions....Penn State is better all over the field except goalie (push) and they will likely lose the faceoff battle as Yale is best in nation (but no worse than 2 to 1 and prob 60-40)....
Given Yale;s big game experience edge, i find it hard to lay -185 w/ PSU BUT I a excited to lay 2.5 goals on the thinking they will show their dominance throughout the game and have a big crowd edge (games are at the Linc in Philly) 2u PSU -2.5
Game 2 Duke Virginia pickem.....I am surprised Duke is not favored..they did play during season...12-7 Duke at Duke in a game marred by 4.5 hour rain delay and was 5-5 at half in the mud....problem here is no kid on UVA has EVER beaten Duke....Duke has a key injury on defense but UVA;s achilles heel is their offensive depth..give a warm forecast on astroturf...I think that is the difference maker....close game and Duke pulls away in 4th...1u Duke (and if you can find UVA favored, split the bet and take Duke plus 1 goal if its out there)...
Totals 31.5 for PSU game 26 for Duke game... PSU averages 18 a game (monstrous number even with advent of 80 second shot clock) and Yale 15.8...HOWEVER, in games of capable opinents, PSU averaged more like 15.9....Yale is a 14-15 pt team in similar spots....I think the total is about a point high but if PSU is blowing them out, game could get crazy in 4th...lean under but no play....
Duke averages 12.2 a game and UVA 14.2...Duke is an 11 goal team against good competition and here is the rub..UVA is also only a 11-12 goal team (they routed some cupkes during the season..) THIS NUMBER IS HIGH.....1u under (or .5 under and .5 parlay Duke an under)
even if you have never watched lacrosse, this double header is excellent tv..I suggest turning it on..final is on memorial day