The Underdog

Episode 414: The Tournament is Here

This week on The Underdog:

March Madness Picks and Betting Talk
- 00:00 – 01:28
  - Chris and Matt open with March Madness excitement, joking about Matt’s “perfect” bracket.
- 01:28 – 06:00
  - Matt describes one of his largest bets: Bryant +17.5 vs. Michigan State.
  - He praises Bryant’s height advantage and suggests they could win outright.
  - The line drops to +17, possibly due to Matt’s influence.
- 06:00 – 09:00
  - Banter about live audience, “funky butt loving” (Rookie of the Year), and classic sports movies.
- 09:00 – 12:00
  - Chris laments Kansas losing early, killing a parlay with Texas A&M, UCLA, and Michigan.
  - Matt jokes about Calipari “being March.”
- 12:00 – 13:45
  - Chris explains the Sixers’ draft pick protections — they keep it only if it stays in the top 6.
🔍 Tournament Underdog Picks
- 14:00 – 16:30
  - Chris highlights lower-seeded picks:
    1. Colorado State (-1.5) vs. Memphis
    2. Grand Canyon (+10) vs. Maryland
    3. Liberty (+7) vs. Oregon
    4. UNC (11-seed but favored) vs. Ole Miss
- 16:30 – 18:00
  - Tangent: Matt discovers Colorado State football has a sumo champion defensive lineman, Hidetora Hanada.
📺 Pop Culture & Streaming TV
- 20:00 – 27:00
  - Chris and Matt discuss Scream franchise cast returning from the dead.
  - Jenna Ortega and Wednesday Season 2 updates; Chris reads cast details (Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi).
  - Debate about Severance — Chris praises it, Matt trashes it as boring and pointless.
- 27:00 – 30:00
  - Long Bright River with Amanda Seyfried gets reviews.
  - They discuss her odd love for taxidermy, including a collection of preserved animals.
🏀 Villanova Coaching Talk
- 30:00 – 33:30
  - Chris discusses Villanova’s head coaching options after Kyle Neptune’s firing.
  - His top picks: Ben McCollum (Drake), Ryan Odom (VCU), Richard Pitino (New Mexico).
  - Mike Nardi is the interim coach; debate ensues over his qualifications.
🧠 Sports Hypotheticals & NBA Crossovers
- 37:00 – End
  - Chris poses a Reddit-like question: “How many NBA players would you need to add to a 16-seed to win the NCAA tournament?”
  - Matt argues even Giannis alone isn’t enough — basketball is still a team sport.
  - Chris believes some elite NBA players could carry a weak team.