First, the results of last week’s predictions.
- NBA on ABC, Spurs/Mavericks. Prediction: 1.5. Final rating: 1.5. NBA ratings continue to rise on ABC. The 1.5 for Spurs/Mavericks last Sunday marks a 50% jump over the comparable Suns/Kings game in ’07.
- PGA Tour on NBC, WGC CA Championship. Prediction: 3.0. Final rating: 3.0. Despite competition from the NCAA Tournament and a rain-delayed finish, NBC managed a 3% increase for the final round of the CA Championship.
Ratings for the NCAA Tournament and sporting events from March 15-16 currently unavailable.
This week’s predictions:
- College basketball on CBS, Xavier/UCLA, 6:30 PM Saturday — UCLA is one of the marquee programs in college basketball, but their battle against Xavier may be hard pressed to match the 5.8 rating for Greg Oden and Ohio State’s victory over Memphis last year. Prediction: 5.5.
- College basketball on CBS, Louisville/North Carolina, 9 PM Saturday — North Carolina may not be as popular as Duke, but they can draw a big audience. Last year, UCLA/Kansas drew a 6.8; with a later start time, look for UNC/Louisville to break the 7.0 threshold. Prediction: 7.1.
- College basketball on CBS, Texas/Memphis, 2:30 PM Sunday — Under the right conditions, Memphis can draw well. The Tigers were involved in the second-highest rated college basketball game of the year, when their battle with Tennessee drew a 3.2 rating on ESPN last month. Last year, Florida/Oregon drew a 5.5. Prediction: 6.1.
- College basketball on CBS, Davidson/Kansas, 5 PM Sunday — Davidson may be the darlings of this year’s tournament, but their match-up against Kansas should be no match for the comparable Georgetown/UNC game last year. Prediction: 6.3.
- MLB on ESPN, Braves/Nationals, 8 PM Sunday — Having Opening Night in the middle of the NCAA Tournament was not a wise move. With Boston and Oakland having already started the season earlier this week in Japan, baseball enters its 2008 season with more of a whimper than a bang. Last year, Mets/Cardinals drew a 2.3 on ESPN2. Prediction: 1.8.
- NBA on ABC, Rockets/Spurs, 1 PM Sunday — Opposite the NCAA Tournament, a rating higher than 1.4 should be considered a win. While Rockets/Spurs may be a low-wattage match-up, expect the game to hold its own in the ratings. Prediction: 1.5.
- NHL on NBC, Rangers/Penguins, 12:30 PM Sunday — Outside of Penguins/Capitals, this is arguably the NHL’s most television friendly match-up. The Penguins and star Sidney Crosby have the second best record in the east, while the Rangers, from the top media market in the nation, are looking to make their third straight playoff appearance. Excluding the Winter Classic, NBC’s first six NHL telecasts have failed to draw a 1.0 rating. Prediction: 0.9.
- NASCAR on FOX, Goody’s Cool Orange 500, 1:30 PM Sunday — After a week off to avoid Easter, and the first round of the NCAA Tournament, NASCAR returns on Sunday. Against last year’s NCAA Regional Finals, NASCAR on FOX drew a 5.1. Prediction: 5.7.
