Bettor believe it!
Pro handicapper Lang gives tips for filling out brackets
Brandon Lang, whose life as a professional handicapper was immortalized in the 2005 movie “Two For The Money,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Al Pacino, has been battling oddsmakers for more than 25 years and headlines the world’s largest online sports handicapping community, http://www.BrandonLang.com.
Though Lang is 17-1-2 in his career picking Super Bowl winners, his first love is basketball, especially March Madness. He has used his skills to win seven tournament brackets in the past 11 years.
“The biggest mistake people make when filling in their brackets is looking for the Cinderella team that will advance deep in the tournament,” said Lang, author of the recently released book, “Beating the Odds.”
“Fact is, the George Masons and Davidsons don’t come along that often,” he said. “Last year, for example, 15 of your Sweet 16 finalists were No. 5 seeds or higher. The lone exception was No. 12 Arizona.
“The more teams you push through accurately on your bracket into the Round of 16 and the Elite 8, the better your chances of being alive come Final Four weekend. Might as well put Duke in the Sweet 16 right off the bat as they’ve reached that round 10 of the last 12 years.”
Lang has some tips for which teams will be standing at the end.
“Obviously the key to winning your office pool is getting as many of the Final Four teams correct,” he said. “Two tips for you: First, as you look forward in the bracket, keep in mind that only five teams outside of the BCS ‘power’ conferences have advanced to the tournament’s final weekend the past 17 years. That’s five out of 68 teams with the last being Memphis two years ago.
“Second, don’t fall in love with the No. 1 seeds. At least one — if not two — will go down. Two years ago was the first time in the tournament’s history that all four top seeds reached the Final Four. In fact, only three times since 1979 have as many as three No. 1’s advanced to the final weekend of play.”
Some additional NCAA Tournament first-round tidbits from Lang:
* No. 1 seeds are a perfect 100-0 in first-round play since the Tournament expanded to 64 teams 25 years ago. But there have been some near misses, including Western Carolina’s two-point loss to Purdue in 1996. And last March, Pittsburgh squeaked out a 72-62 win against East Tennessee State in what was a two-point game with 41⁄2 minutes to play.
* No. 2 seeds are 96-4 the past quarter-century with the last upset coming nine years ago when Hampton stunned Iowa State. The last close call was Belmont’s 71-70 loss to Duke two years ago.
* No. 3 seeds were 4-0 last year and are 85-15 the last 25 years. The last two upsets were Northwestern State over Iowa in 2006, and Bucknell over Kansas in 2005.
* No. 4 seeds are not impenetrable. They’re 79-21 since the field expanded, but last year Cleveland State upset Wake Forest. Two years ago Siena stopped Vanderbilt and San Diego stunned UConn.
* No. 5 vs. No 12 seed matchups get all the publicity, and it’s well deserved, because the No. 5 seeds are just 20-16 the past nine years. Three No. 12 seeds pulled off upsets last March: Western Kentucky, Arizona and Wisconsin.
* The No. 6 vs. No. 11 seed games get overlooked, but this pairing had produced just three fewer upsets the past 25 years than the 5-12 meetings. The No. 6 seeds are 69-31 the past 25 years — 20-8 the past seven.
Seton Hall seekin’ NIT home cookin’
With the Seton Hall Pirates sweating out Selection Sunday, there might be a silver lining should they fail to make the NCAA Tournament.
“We have applied for a home game with the NIT,” Seton Hall athletic director Joe Quinlan told The Post’s Tim Sullivan. “It’s certainly something that would be welcomed, and we’d be excited to participate in . . . should it come to that.”
The Pirates, for three seasons, have played at the Prudential Center in Newark. During The Meadowlands Era, the NIT often would send the Pirates on the road because of a potential small crowd, not to mention availability issues because of the Nets and Devils also playing there.
“There are some dates that we could host an NIT game at the Prudential Center,” Quinlan said. “It can be done.”
Bambino bat on the block
A rare autographed Babe Ruth model bat is now available as part of the “Yankees Legends Auction” at Steiner Sports (www.steinersports.com).
The brown bat, a promotional model circa 1933, was signed by the Bambino with a steel-tipped pen between the trademark and the branded signature, and has been authenticated by James Spence Authentication as one of the highest-rated Ruth pieces ever. Bidding on the Sultan of Swat signed bat closes on April 4.
‘Animal’ on Amazin’ run
Chris Carter came to Mets spring training virtually unnoticed.
The 27-year-old left-handed hitter was acquired from the Red Sox last September in exchange for Billy Wagner. On Monday and Tuesday he hit home runs in three consecutive at-bats, including two in one inning.
Manager Jerry Manuel dubbed the first baseman/outfielder “The Animal.”
“I’ve never seen a guy work harder,” Manuel said. “Every time I walk through the weight room or past the batting cage, I always see Chris.” Carter arrives at Tradition Field around 7 a.m. and works out for two-and-a-half hours. After a game, he usually works out for another three hours.
“This is the way I’ve been my entire life,” said Carter, a Stanford graduate. “I never take anything for granted and I know for me to make this team I have to stand out.”
Dibs on the ribs
A former New York sportswriter has traded in the laptop for melt-in-your-mouth ribs. Lou Bavaro, a 1991 graduate of Clarkstown South High School and native of New City in Rockland County, is a partner in Michelbob’s Championship Ribs, a company that is a colossal hit in Florida.
The outfit, which Bavaro is a partner in, will open in the Twins’ new home, Target Field, this season. The baby back ribs will be sold at a center-field concession stand.
Bavaro, who went to Columbia and later worked for Associated Press in New York and Minneapolis, tells The Rumble that the ribs are available at DeCicco’s in New City and at eight Kings’ locations in N.J.