March Madness betting players are gearing up for the stretch run, and a lot of eyes will be focused on the Big East, which could have anywhere from six to 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Four of those teams will be in the spotlight in this weekend’s trends, along with the No.1 team in the country.

Syracuse Georgetown Betting – Saturday, 12:00 PM ET

Look for the No.11 Hoyas to be favored at home over the No.17 Orangemen, who are 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS in the nation’s capital. Georgetown is 8-7 ATS at home this season, while the Orangemen are 4-5 ATS away from home, and have won three straight after a big victory at Villanova.

St. John’s Villanova Betting – Saturday, 2:00 PM ET

Speaking of the No.15 Wildcats, they should be the home favorites against the No.22 Red Storm, who are 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS in their last five trips to the Pavilion. The Red Storm are also 4-5 ATS away from Madison Square Garden, while the Wildcats are 8-7 ATS at home, and they’ll be eager to get back
on the court after the Syracuse loss.

Duke Virginia Tech Betting – Saturday, 9:00 PM ET

The No.1 Blue Devils will be the road favorites in this ACC encounter, and they’re 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four trips to Virginia Tech, who are 6-5 ATS at home this season. Duke is 6-3 ATS away from Cameron Indoor Stadium, and they should be the popular pick at your favorite sports wagering sites

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With the 2011 NHL trade deadline looming, it’s a good time to look at the Stanley Cup odds to figure out who may be good value, and who could stand to improve their standing in your sportsbook.

Philadelphia (+400) and Vancouver (+450) are leading the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively, although the Canucks are currently with injuries on their blue line. The Flyers picked up Kris Versteeg from Toronto and didn’t have to give up much to get him. Versteeg was in Chicago when the Blackhawks beat the Flyers in last year’s Cup final, so the players will be very familiar with him. But you can never count out Detroit (+700), a group of veteran players who have been there before and know how to pace themselves throughout the season. Pittsburgh (+700) may be out of the race as injuries to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin robs the Penguins of their two biggest weapons.

A team who could take the Penguins’ spot amongst the favorites may be Boston (+1200), who are looking to add scoring ahead of the deadline, or even Tampa Bay (+1200), who still have to work out their defensive deficiencies. Lurking in the back are Washington (+1100) and San Jose (+1200), two teams who are known for great regular seasons, but falling short in the postseason. Now, they’re not lighting up the league in the regular season, but you never know; that could be the best thing for their odds when you’re doing your sports betting online.

Even those who bet on college basketball will check out Friday’s NBA matchups before a busy Saturday in college hoops, and here are a trio of games to check out as you head to your sportsbook.

Hornets Magic Betting (Friday, 7:00 PM ET)

The Magic will likely be the home favorites in this contest, but the Hornets may make it interesting as they’re 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five in Orlando. The Hornets are a respectable 13-12-2 ATS on the road this season, while the Magic have an almost identical 12-13-1 ATS at home.

Lakers Knicks Betting (Friday, 8:00 PM ET)

The Lakers should be the favorites on the road in the marquee matchup on Friday night, and they’re 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five visits to Madison Square Garden. The Lakers are 13-12 ATS away from the Staples Center, while the Knicks are 13-11-1 ATS at home, but they may have a bit of an edge as the Lakers will be in Boston on Thursday night. It won’t be a big edge, though; the Lakers are 8-1 SU in the second half of back-to-back games this season.

Suns Jazz Betting (Friday, 10:30 PM ET)

The Jazz should be favored at home in the Friday nightcap, but after the news that Jerry Sloan has resigned on Thursday may throw this line into disarray. The Jazz are 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS in their last five at home against the Suns, while posting a 12-16 ATS mark at EnergySolutions Arena. The Suns are 11-14 ATS away from home, but they have a great chance to pull off a sports betting win in Utah.

Super Bowl betting players are almost ready to make their big picks for Sunday’s showdown between Pittsburgh and Green Bay, and here is some final news to check out before heading to your sportsbook.

Steelers Packers Betting – Sunday, 6:00 PM ET

There are still conflicting reports on the health of center Maurkice Pouncey, whose ankle has been one of the leading storylines this week, Pouncey’s sprain is said to have improved, but is it improved enough to put him in the lineup against Green’s Bay B.J. Raji? As of Friday at 12:00 PM ET, Pouncey had to get through practice in order for coach Mike Tomlin to give the okay to his Pro Bowl rookie, so keep checking for news.

The Packers held veteran wide out Donald Driver out of practice on Thursday, but coach Mike McCarthy said it was more for precautionary reasons and that Driver would be ready to go on Sunday. Driver hurt his quadriceps on Wednesday, but was ready to practice on Thursday if it were up to him. McCarthy decided to keep his 12-year veteran on the sideline and not risk any further strain.

Green Bay is still a 2.5-point favorite heading into the Super Bowl, and the main factors remain the same? Which of these similarly-run defenses will play better? Can the Packers bring down Ben Roethlisberger? Can the Steelers deal with Aaron Rodgers when he spreads the field out? Can Rashard Mendenhall grind out yards on the ground and keep Rodgers on the sideline? We think that is the most important thing to look at, and the main reason why we would lay a sports bet on Pittsburgh on Sunday.