After a seemingly very long February (how is that month only 28 days?!), it’s finally time to get March Madness betting in gear — it’s Selection Sunday in only a few days, and right now we’re at the epicenter of the Pac 10 tournament, which is a great preview of the NCAAB teams lucky – and talented – enough to go from here to the big tourney.

Pac 10 this weekend is tricky, especially when you’ve got March Madness odds to consider. Personally, I think the safest bet here is either UCLA or Washington. The Bruins have won in two of the last three years, and so it’s obvious that they’ll be a favorite at the offshore sportsbooks; Washington, conversely, are ready to defend their constant regular-season domination.

However, it’s hard to overlook the Arizona Wildcats who, although they’re on the bubble, have made it into March Madness the last 25 times running.

These kids are scrappy and don’t like backing down without a fight, so look for them to make some noise against Arizona State. Although they’ve lost the last two matchups with their state rival this season, there’s a lot more on the line right now — including a possible match with Washington, against whom Arizona is 1-1. If the Wildcats can pull it together, they’ll be serious contenders in the Pac 10 Tournament lines; if all else fails, though, stick with UCLA. March Madness is just around the corner…