Hey. Readership. Check your calendar. It’s February 27th. We’ve only got today and tomorrow left in this ghastly month, and then we roll into March, and with it — March Madness! (aka the only reason to look forward to March, if you’re not going on spring break to Florida or anything. Does anybody still go to Florida for spring break?)

Ye gods, this is a sprawling tournament. Absolutely huge. So, from an online sports betting standpoint, where does one begin? It may sound like simplistic advice, but within the crowds of teams all vying for the NCAAB crown, it’s best to stick with the tried-and-true champions. This is definitely reflected by the glut of teams at +3000 in the March Madness betting lines — among them Missouri, Villanova, Michigan State and Arizona State. Are any of them worth putting down the cash? Let’s see…

Villanova, not so much. They’ve been flying low under the radar and they can really nut up against the big teams, but their struggles seem to come too easily, so I wouldn’t want to put a bet on them. Missouri is the same type of shaky bet — they look strong offensively, but their defense tends to suffer for it. Michigan State is a little more solid - thanks to coach Tom Izzo - and they’re coming up fast, so I’d take a good hard look at the Spartans when considering sportsbook bets.

Your best pick, in my opinion, is Arizona State. These kids are just deadly on the court, coming up right behind Washington in the Pac-10, and they’ve got a roster worthy of the NBA’s next stars. They’ve got the defense that Mizzou lacks, and soph guard James Harden is a reigning player. Look for the Sun Devils to take it all the way to the top.

Now that the All-Star game has come and gone, here we go with NBA betting!

Yes, the lines have been posted for championship odds, and although they’re a little shaky-looking, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at who the bookies are predicting for NBA glory. So here’s what we know so far: The teams with the best odds are the Lakers (+150) and the Celtics (+200), with many people already predicting a Lakers-Celtics showdown for the NBA championship odds. At this point in time, it wouldn’t be unfounded, given how both teams have performed in their respective divisions. The Lakers are riding high on the mad skills of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, while the Celtics have been destroying their competition left and right. (Kevin Garnett, anyone?) Even if nobody can pronounce the word “Celtic” right. (KEL-tick, not CELL-tick. Geez.)

As far as underdogs are concerned, I wouldn’t put it past the Cavaliers (+370) to be serious contenders in the East. They’ve been playing solidly this season, especially due to the efforts of one LeBron “King” James. You just can’t disregard this guy when you’re looking through the NBA lines — something tells me he’s going to be a difference-maker. And, again, also really foxy:

While I mentioned at the beginning of last entry that UFC is a good cure for the winter blues, another healthy solution is to - obviously - think summer-y thoughts. Invest in a good lamp. Check out the upcoming spring/summer ‘09 fashions. Buy self-tanning lotion. Browse summer sports futures at your sportsbook. Mainline some vitamin D. Do whatever you can to keep the cold, grey winter at bay!

And, of course, when I think summer, I think Major League Baseball.

It’s never too early to look forward at possible MLB rankings. Given last year’s blowout season - everybody loves a Cinderella story in the Rays, right? shame about those Phillies - and the hype already surrounding this year’s upcoming season, it’s no wonder that many sports betting fanatics are waiting with baited breath. So who’s got the best odds to take it all this season? Well, let’s see…

Chicago Cubs. My love for Chicago has already been documented here, but I like these guys, I really do. The “curse” has been holding them back, but all the elements are there for a big win, this year more than ever. They’ve also got great betting value at +700, so it can’t hurt to put some bucks down on the boys from Chitown (White Sox notwithstanding).

Also, if you can put aside the A-Rod scandal for a moment, can you really argue against the New York Yankees having a ball-busting season of greatness? Sure, you CAN argue that their star players are crazily overpaid, but perhaps this year we’ll see exactly why they deserve to get more money than God. Could a championship be in NY’s future? We’ll see.

I think I’ve found the perfect cure for the winter blahs, and it’s copious amounts of MMA every few weeks. Really, if you’re going to suffer through cabin fever at the brutal hands of old man winter, why not spend it watching a pair of UFC monsters suffer at each others’ brutal hands? It just makes everything better, somehow. Way to take out our vicarious anger at the dark, cold winter on each other, guys!

This is, of course, a leadup to a brief chat about the UFC 95 lines this Saturday. Aside from the excellent news that the event’s being shown for free on Spike - no shelling out ridiculous “cover” fees at a pub just to watch PPV! - the toplining matchup on this one is yet another big event: Daddy vs Nightmare, otherwise known as Joe Stevenson vs Diego Sanchez.

Of course, given that both fighters are wrestling specialists (minus the spandex tights and flying clotheslines), you could understandably figure that this match might be more snoozy than doozy. Yet I’m willing to give Sanchez an edge here, and not just because he’s got the cooler nickname — Stevenson hasn’t been able to measure up as well on the big stage, whereas Sanchez is just starting to find his true potential. He’s on his way up, and I’ve got the feeling he’ll be using Daddy as his next stepping stone.

As far as deeper UFC 95 picks go, my other focus is going to be on the Koscheck vs Thiago match. The savvy sportsbook guru knows that Koscheck’s odds have been looking pretty hot lately, and I’m willing to bet they’re just going to keep rising. Plus come on, how can you argue with a guy who looks like this?

Needs a fresh dye job to get rid of those roots, but somehow I doubt one’s hair color matters when you’re busy pounding a dude’s face into the mat. Saturday!

Okay, so we’ve got the Daytona 500 line AND March Madness odds to consider at the moment, but have you considered the second of this Sunday’s big sports fun: the NBA All-Star Game! Yes indeed, the NBA odds shouldn’t be overlooked this weekend, and my friend Roy over at Picks ‘N Roll has a good hoops betting preview for you. Check it.

As for my choices, maybe it’s the eternal teenager in me, but the events I’m most looking forward to seeing are the H-O-R-S-E contest and the dunk contest. I mean, how cool is it to see big basketball superstars indulging in games that millions of kids play on the neighbourhood tarmac every day? That’s what I love the best about all-star games, no matter what sport — that the athletes can put aside salary concerns and petty rivalries and just have fun for fun’s sake.

Speaking of fun, will anybody be able to beat Dwight Howard’s Superman moves in the dunk contest this year? My money’s on nobody, people. Dwight’s got this one in the bag, and your sportsbook can take that one to the bank.

Others to keep your eye on this Sunday include Kevin Durant, Tony Parker and of course, the almighty King LeBron James. Watch for this hoops stud to keep on cementing his legacy as the NBA’s Next Big Thing.

I love a man in a blazer.

Alright ladies, it’s February 10th, and I know what you’re thinking about (no, not just the NCAAB hotties of the March Madness picks coming up in a month): Valentine’s Day. It’s only four days until your partner goes out of their way/budget to shower you with tokens of affection and a night of passion (uh, shouldn’t he/she be showing you said affection and passion every day of the year?). But let’s not forget the big event happening the day after the Hallmark holiday: that’s right, we’ve got your Daytona 500 pick! (A lot more people will be looking forward to seeing fast cars crash than Valentine’s Day, trust me.)

Rev my engine, indeed!

Now, for those of us enterprising souls who’ll be betting on the Daytona 500, we’ve got a bit of a task ahead of us. All the big names are present for this one (which kicks off the NASCAR season, dont’cha know): Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Plus you can’t help but keep an eye on Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch — it’s going to be a tough race to handicap, indeed. Gotta say, though, I’m liking the looks of Tony Stewart; the Stewart-Haas Racing stable has got a bright future ahead of it, and I can’t see Tony losing to Ryan Newman again this year. In fact, I’m gonna run over to my sportsbook right now and put a wager on Tony to take it. As if I needed another reason to be excited for this weekend

Regardless, Carl Edwards will always finish first place in my heart.

Mmmmm…hockey. Hockey on a Tuesday night. Is there anything better? No, really, is there any other reason to look forward to Tuesday? It’s not as crappy as Monday, but then again, it’s not exactly Hump-Day Wednesday either. And so, by default - happily so - Tuesday is NHL Odds Day. Hurrah!

But before we get to tonight’s matchups, a matter of great importance: one of my favorite hockey sites, Mother Pucker Hockey, did up a fun little poll for all the hockey-lovin’ girls out there — to vote for the hottest NHLer. Round 1 and Round 2 were intriguing (full disclaimer: I voted for Toskala), yet the final winner ended up being Henrik Lundqvist.

Really, ladies? I mean, really? Okay, so I get the hot suit-n-tie thing, and I completely understand the goalie sex appeal, but…ah, I don’t know. I guess this means I should highlight a couple of the good-lookin’ menz of the NHL:

Fair admittance: I am a big sucker for Kyle Wellwood. “Well-fed” or no, he’s adorable, and his comeback is pretty darn admirable. Go Wellwood!

Taylor Pyatt. What a cutie. Mmmm, pretty eyes.

That’s a pretty big stick you got there, Louie.

Mike Fisher. Carrie Underwood is one lucky bitch, I can say that. (To say nothing for Elisha Cuthbert and all the notches on her puck-bunny belt…)

Also, Sheldon Souray. Just Sheldon Souray in general. He could be his OWN hockey team of hotness. SOURAY FOR NEXT GQ COVER PLEASE.

I do agree, however, that Ovechkin is hot as long as he keeps his mouth shut. He seriously looks like the long-lost Russian Gallagher brother.

Alright, back to the sportsbook business. Tonight is toplined by a monumental struggle for a playoff spot: the Penguins vs Canadiens line. Both teams have been looking a little shabby lately - a lot more so than in the first half of the season - so they’ve both got a lot on the line in this one. Still, my poor Pens just lost to my equally poor Leafs on Saturday, so there’s obviously struggles going on there. I’d put my wager on the Habs to win. I could also probably watch Luke Schenn take down Tyler Kennedy - MULTIPLE TIMES - all day long:

That’s right.