If this is a prelude to my March Madness betting picks, then I’m in trouble. Then again, who knew Syracuse would take UConn to SIX overtimes? The Orangemen were 5.5-point sportsbook underdogs against the Huskies, who had already beaten Syracuse 63-49 at home this year. But in the longest game in the history of the Big East, the Orangemen outlasted the Huskies 127-117 in one of the most enthralling games I’ve ever seen. There are a number of stats that I can throw out there, but here are the most important:

Turnovers – UConn 27…..Syracuse 16

Free-throw percentage – UConn 57.1%…..Syracuse 78.4%

Ask last year’s NCAA finalists from Memphis. Teams who can’t shoot foul shots late in the game usually don’t pan out well on the March Madness betting front. And 27 turnovers? Ouch. If the Huskies want to remain near the top of the March Madness betting pile, they MUST take better care of the ball.