Chad Hartsock

Consultant

Chad is a teacher and minister by training, and a fantasy sports enthusiast and sports bettor by hobby. Chad lives in the Great Smoky Mountains, and he especially loves NCAAF, NFL, NCAAB, and MLB. Chad has been handicapping for Pickswise since 2022.

Live Picks 2

Live Parlays 0

Weekly News Articles 0

Location

Tennessee

Favorite Sports

Favorite Teams

Greatest Betting Win

I have two favorite betting memories. My favorite bet, and my biggest single win, was the 2022 Super Bowl exact result–Rams over Bengals. I placed the futures bet at the beginning of the playoffs when both teams were the #4 seed, and it carried something like +1500 odds. Those playoffs were fun.

Greatest Achievements

As a proud Baylor alum, it would have to be betting on Baylor basketball to win the 2021 national championship. I do not blindly back my team, but Baylor was an underdog to Gonzaga and I saw that win coming, so I emptied my account on it.

Education

Chad has a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman University, a masters of divinity from Baylor University, and an Ph.D. in biblical studies from Baylor University. He taught at the college level for 11 years (thus earning the nickname “the Professor” in some betting circles). Chad has published two books and numerous academic articles, but sports writing came along later, first as a hobby and now as a daily activity.

Experience

Chad has been playing fantasy sports since 2003, and betting for as long as it has been legal in Tennessee. Chad also loves casino sportsbooks and table games, and he frequently turns up at Harrah’s in Cherokee NC or the Hard Rock Casino in Bristol VA. He began his handicapping career with friends on a small website and podcast in 2021 (the now-archived ScoopAndScoreSports.com, a venture that fizzled out because none of them knew how to run a website properly.) He joined the Pickswise team in 2022, and he writes college football, college basketball, and MLB. Chad has been among the team’s best pickers in each of those sports, and he loves nothing more than getting a pick right for the Pickswise community, especially when the public is going the other way.

Favorite betting market / type

Same Game Parlays & Player Props.

Favorite bookmakers

Chad's Picks

Point Spread Pick

Arizona -12.0(-109)

Reasoning

The #9 seeded Utah State Aggies take on the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats in the West Regional. The Wildcats cruised past LIU on Friday, as expected, while the Aggies had to win a dogfight with Villanova. The Aggies pulled away late, but the game was back and forth for all but the final few minutes. Utah State is a good basketball team, but they are just outmatched here. The #1 seeds are #1 seeds for a reason, and we can expect Arizona to win by margin. Let’s take Arizona -12.

Utah State is a well-balanced team. They do everything well and nothing poorly. I have no real criticism for them. The issue in this game is that Arizona is just too good. The Aggies have no obvious advantages in the matchup, nothing that they can try to exploit to pull the upset. Arizona is more athletic and more talented at every position, and this is the time of year where talent wins. We shouldn’t really expect any of the 9 seeds to take out the 1 seeds, but we also shouldn’t really expect many of them to stay close either. Take the Wildcats.

Utah State vs Arizona Prediction: Arizona -12 (-110) available at the time of publishing. Playable to -14.5.

BET -11.5 NOW WITH

Chad Hartsock

Point Spread Pick

Virginia +1.5(-115)

Reasoning

The #3 seed Virginia Cavaliers take on the #6 seed Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday in Philadelphia in the Midwest Region. The Vols smoked Miami (OH) on Friday to get here, while Virginia beat Wright State. This game projects to be the tightest matchup on the Sunday slate, and these teams profile almost identically. Whatever happens, it is nearly certain that it will be a close game where every basket, every possession, is hotly contested. The Vols open as the favorite, but I like the Cavaliers a bit better. I will take Virginia at +1.5, but I would play the Money Line outright, if we get to that point.

When I say these teams profile similarly, they are near mirror images in terms of metrics. KenPom ranks Tennessee 32 and 13 in offensive and defensive efficiency, and Virginia checks in at 27 and 16. Both teams play slow on offense. Both pressure the ball on defense. Both thrive on the offensive glass (both in the top 10 there). We are really splitting hairs to find any advantages here, but I will point to two possibilities for the Hoos. First, UVA excels at defending inside the arc, and Tennessee isn’t really a 3-pt shooting team. Second, I am still not convinced that Nate Ament is fully healthy for the Vols. He is out there gutting it out, but he doesn’t look comfortable. I think Virginia might escape with this game.

Tennessee vs Virginia Prediction: Virginia +1.5 (-115) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

BET +1.5 NOW WITH

Chad Hartsock