And just a note for any of you who are traveling out to Vegas ... The tournament is excellent fun, and though the casinos and lounge acts might compel you and your wallet at 3 a.m., remember that the city wasn't built on winners. If you want to keep your money try sitting at a low-limit poker game or betting on some games at the sports book. Blackjack is for suckers, and in spite of what you think there is NO SYSTEM that can beat roulette.
If you're betting on wrestling, I have a tip for you. Keep an eye on Cal Poly freshman Devon Lotito. Three weeks ago at the Keystone Classic the upstart bested then-No. 10 Levi Mele Northwestern. He's a big scorer and someone to make a bet on if you can find a sucker who doesn't know his name ... or his style.
125: No. 4 Alan Waters (Missouri) vs. No. 5 Trent Sprenkle (North Dakota State)
Both wrestlers are undefeated this season and have been wrestling well with some impressive results. Waters has a win over Oklahoma's Jarrod Patterson this year, while Sprenkle just defeated Minnesota's David Thorn. These two did meet last season with Waters winning 4-2. It's less objective, but with Sammie "The Bull" Henson in Waters' ear, it's tough to imagine he won't improve on last year's result and earn a few more takedowns and a set of back points.
Prediction: Waters dec. Sprenkle, 8-3
141: No. 2 Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 4 Michael Mangrum (Oregon State)
A rivalry from last season, Stieber and Mangrum should renew the rivalry they formed last season. The two wrestlers met three times during the 2011-2012 season, with Mangrum earning a victory in the first match, in the finals of the Cliff Vegas Invitational. Stieber earned the equalizer, before falling to the Oregon State wrestler during their rubber match at the NCAA tournament. Both earned All-American status. Though they've both found their way into this year's starting spot, it wasn't easy, with both Mangrum and Stieber both losing their team's wrestle-offs.
Prediction: Stieber dec. Mangrum, 3-1
149: No. 4 Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State) vs. No. 5 Jason Chamberlain (Boise State)
Whoever says the Pac-12 doesn't have its fair share of wrestling talent hasn't been paying much attention to 149 pounds, where the No. 4 and No.5 wrestlers in the country have been building a nice rivalry. Sakaguchi and Chamberlain face off for the second time this season. The opening salvo tilted in Sakaguchi's favor, but Chamberlain, who had a monster year off in 2012, won all five of their matches two seasons ago, each by three points or less.
Prediction: Chamberlain dec. Sakaguchi, 5-3 SV
165: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) vs. No. 10 Taylor Massa (Michigan)
Anyone who knows anything about wrestling has by now heard of Kyle Dake and his push to become only the third ever four-time NCAA Division I champion. To add to that feat he's attempting to do it at four different weight classes -- weight classes that have traditionally been the most stacked with talent. Massa, a true freshman from St. Johns, Mich., is the wrestler of the future, a thoroughbred of a human with ample coaching and workout opportunities in Ann Arbor. Though Massa took an early-season loss to Pitt's Tyler Wilps, it could very well have just been some freshman jitters or a mismanaged weight cut. Also remember that when Dake has lost, it has typically been early in the season. Could Massa pull the biggest upset of the tournament, and maybe the biggest upset of the season? No.
Prediction: Dake dec. Massa, 9-2
285: No. 2 Dom Bradley (Missouri) vs. No. 6 Chad Hanke (Oregon State)
The almost always entertaining Bradley was underwhelming at the Northeast Duals, winning in tiebreaker over Stanford's Dan Scherer. The Mizzou wrestler sat out the 2011-2012 season in hopes of making the Olympic squad, so his early fumblings might just be a repatriating to the folkstyle season. Hanke, who is also coming off an Olympic redshirt, is only wrestler to defeat Oklahoma State's Alan Gelogaev in the past 12 months. Look for both wrestlers to be aggressive on their feet (for heavyweights), but look for most of the points to come via escapes and riding time.
Prediction: Hanke dec. Bradley, 3-1
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