March Madness 2022: Fortune Cookie Predictions for Thursday March 17

Every year March Madness comes and the week is filled with predictions, office pool strategies, and people offering betting angles.

At FortyEightMinutes, we can’t promise any sort of statistical edges when it comes to NCAA play, though we are making a valid attempt to accurately predict which teams will be the most fortunate over the next month through selecting a fortune cookie for each team and matchup as they go through tournament play.

We went through the entire bracket (with our own Chris Crouse and Keith Rollins recently conducting an Instagram Live), picking each matchup based on the fortune cookies they pulled.

A few notes on the production:

We opted not to give fortunes for 1-seeds in our bracket, automatically advancing them to the second round (so for Thursday, Kansas, Gonzaga, and Baylor auto advance).
Any team with a cookie without an actual fortune in it automatically advances (as it’s seen as good luck).
Nothing to do with the games but the history of fortune cookies in America is a pretty interesting tidbit.
Odds via PointsBet.

No. 6 Colorado State vs. No. 11 Michigan (-2.5)

No. 6 Colorado State	“Adversity is the parent of virtue.”
No. 11 Michigan	“a great pleasure in life is doing what others say you can’t.”
Our Pick	Michigan

No. 4 Providence (-2) vs. No. 13 South Dakota State

No. 4 Providence	“An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.”
No. 13 South Dakota State	“A good time to finish up old tasks.”
Our Pick	Providence

No. 3 Tennessee (-17) vs. No. 14 Longwood

No. 3 Tennessee	“Aspire to be great, then help others.”
No. 14 Longwood	“A happy event will take place in your home.”
Our Pick	Tennessee

No. 5 Iowa (-9.5) vs. No. 12 Richmond

No. 5 Iowa	“An upset is an opportunity to see the truth.”
No. 12 Richmond	“Although it feels like a roller coaster now, life will calm down.”
Our Pick	Richmond

No. 8 UNC (-2.5) vs. No. 9 Marquette

No. 8 UNC	“A refreshing change is in your future.”
No. 9 Marquette	“Ability is not something to be shown off.”
Our Pick	UNC

No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 9 Memphis (-2)

No. 9 Boise State	“A gathering of friends brings you lots of luck”
No. 8 Memphis	“Action is the proper fruit of knowledge”
Our Pick	Memphis

No. 5 UConn (-7) vs No. 12 New Mexico State

No. 5 UConn	“Alter ideas and you alter the world.”
No. 12 New Mexico State	“A clever crow will always paint it’s feathers black.”
Our Pick	UConn

No. 5 St. Mary’s (-2.5) vs. No. 12 Indiana

No. 5 St. Mary’s	“A pleasant experience is ahead, don’t pass it by.”
No. 12 Indiana	“Accept the next proposition you hear.”
Our Pick	St. Mary’s

No. 8 San Diego State (-2) vs. No. 9 Creighton

No. 8 San Diego State	“Accept the challenges so that you may feel the auxilation of victory.”
No. 9 Creighton	“Be happy with the person you are and don’t let anyone tell you otherswise.:
Our Pick	San Diego State

No. 4 Arkansas (-5.5) vs. No. 13 Vermont

No. 4 Arkansas	“The Great Wall didn’t got built in one day.”
No. 13 Vermont	“An investment in yourself will play dividends for the rest of your life.”
Our Pick	Vermont

No. 7 Murray State vs. No. 10 San Francisco (-1.5)

No. 7 Murray State	“A great pleasure in life is doing what others say you can.”
No. 10 San Francisco	“Be a good sport and you can’t fail.”
Our Pick	Murray State

No. 4 UCLA (-15) vs. No. 13 Akron

No. 4 UCLA	“A faithful friend is a strong defense.”
No. 13 Akron	“Be a winner.”
Our Pick	Akron

No. 2 Kentucky (-17) vs. No. 15 St. Peter’s

No. 2 Kentucky	“Awaken your divine nature within.”
No. 15 St. Peter’s	“A beautiful smart and loving fortune will come into (your) life.”
Our Pick	Kentucky