PicksPal.com Contest Includes Point Spreads

CALIFORNIA – (PRESS RELEASE) -- No sixteenth seed has ever been favored over a top seed in NCAA Tournament history – then again – no tournament bracket has ever taken the point spread into account. The PicksPal.com Hoops 1001 Contest is the only tournament bracket that accounts for point spreads in its bracket picks, which is why a majority of its players are confident that heavily favored Duke and Connecticut will not cover their respective point spreads in their first-round games.

While tournament favorite Connecticut is favored by 22.5 points over Albany on Friday, Duke is favored by an astonishing 25.5 points Thursday against Southern. Contrary to odds makers' prognostications, tens of thousands of Hoops 1001 players believe neither of those games will end up in such a lopsided blowout. "Our players feel that Southern and Albany won't simply roll over against the number one powerhouses," said Tom Jessiman, Founder and CEO of PicksPal.com, "they've got faith in these teams' sense of pride."

Aside from factoring in odds for each game, PicksPal.com's Hoops 1001 Contest also boasts several other unique aspects to its tournament bracket. Unlike conventional tourney brackets, the Hoops 1001 Contest features:

- 5000 Points per Round – players can join during any round at any time

- Pick Flexibility – players DO NOT have to pick each game, only the games they know and feel confident about

- Up to 50 Picks per Game – aside from the winner and over/under, fun and exotic props (including halftime picks based on first half action) are available for each game

- Round by Round Prizes – the player with the most points at the end of each round receives an iPod Nano.

- Grand Prize – the overall tournament champion is awarded a 42-inch flat panel HDTV

With round by round prizes, grand prizes and 1001 picks over 65 games, Hoops 1001 players are already scrambling to accumulate their points – even if it means picking against Duke and Connecticut. "We always remind our players to pick smart and pick often," said Jessiman, "and that twenty-five and a half point spread may be too big to cover even for Duke."

For the thousands playing the Hoops 1001 Contest, the start of the NCAA men's basketball tournament signifies the beginning of a new level of interaction with their tournament brackets. After all, bragging rights, iPods, and a 42-inch HDTV are on the line.