Stanford at Texas

This is technically a road game for both teams but it's being played in Houston. The Longhorns are 6-0 in NCAA Tournament games played in Texas the past five years. Even without that edge, we liked them in this matchup. The home-court helped North Carolina break out of an early tough-going yesterday and we think it can make the difference in this game too. We like the fact that Texas had a tough go of it vs. Miami. They held off a fierce Miami comeback from a 17-point defecit which shows heart and also prepares you well for future close games and tough situations. Texas has the decided offensive advantage, averaging 75.5 per game to Stanford's 71.2 (69.8 on the road) and the Longhorns are playing defense better than Stanford right now. Texas shows up for big games. They are 13-5 ATS vs. elite teams (those outscoring their opponents by 8+ ppg) in late-season play the past two seasons. Over that same span, they are 28-17 ATS off a win and 22-12 ATS off two straight wins. The Cardinal have the twin towers but Texas has the superstar guards. You may be tired of hearing it but it's true - the deeper you get in this tournament, the more important great guard play becomes. We like the "home" team in this one.