NHL Pay Head News: Original Six Clash Closes Out Shortened Week

An Original Six showdown between the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday will highlight a shortened week in the NHL. While the Red Wings are flying high at the top of the Western conference, the Canadiens are barely alive in the Eastern conference and fighting for something to hold on to. If Montreal is going to have any chance at turning their season around they will need to go on an extended run, and stringing together consecutive wins against Original Six opponents before the All Star break is a good place to start.

NBA Betting News: Lakers, Clippers Meet For Second Time Wednesday

The battle of Los Angeles has heated up in recent weeks with the Clippers emerging in the Western conference ahead of the Lakers, and with the two set to meet for a second time this Wednesday, it should get a ton of attention. Kobe Bryant’s 42 points weren’t enough for the Lakers in the first meeting between these teams, a 102-94 win for the Clippers, and Bryant will need his teammates to step up in a major way if they are going to have a chance to win the second meeting. A couple of other intriguing matchups for this week include the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics meeting for the second time this week on Thursday, and the New York Knicks heading to South Beach to take on the Miami Heat Friday.

Super Bowl Odds News: Patriots, Giants Rest With Pro Bowl Sunday Upon Us

While all of the coverage will be focused on a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, there will be over 100 of the most talented NFL players gathering in Honolulu, Hawaii for the 2012 Pro Bowl this Sunday. The Patriots and Giants will use this week to rest and get some practice in after New England opened up as three-point favorites for the biggest game of the year, and other than something noteworthy happening a those practices the line shouldn’t change much as weather conditions will not have an effect on the game at Lucas Oil Stadium. There should be more prop bets made available as the week progresses.

College Basketball Betting News: Tar Heels Host Wolfpack For In-State Showdown

The ACC schedule will feature an in-state showdown between the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels and North Carolina State Wolfpack on Thursday as two of the four one-loss teams in the conference meet for the first time this season. The Tar Heels bounced back from a devastating loss to the Florida State Seminoles with a win over Virginia Tech, but they lost Donald Strickland in that game with a torn ACL, and he will be out for the remainder of the season. North Carolina has the depth to push forward without him, and should be a good test for a Wolfpack team that has yet to play any of the other top four teams in the ACC.

NHL Betting News: Hunter, Muller To Make Coaching Debuts Tuesday

In a span of less than two hours on Monday, the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes both decided to make head coaching changes, in a pair of moves that ownership hopes will spark the team. Dale Hunter replaces Bruce Boudreau behind the bench for the Capitals following consecutive losses, and will make his debut on Tuesday night when Washington hosts the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes will turn to former Montreal Canadiens’ assistant coach Kirk Muller, who will make his debut for Carolina when they host the Florida Panthers as they open a homestand.

NCAAB 5 Dimes Review News: Buckeyes Host Blue Devils Tuesday

While it may seem like forever before we get the chance to see the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats battle the No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday, there are several key matchups to hold us over until then, including most importantly when the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes host the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils on Tuesday. While the Buckeyes are expected to contend for a national title with Jared Sullinger leading the way, the Blue Devils are expected to take a step back after winning an ACC title a year ago, and it will make for an interesting showdown Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the No. 4 Syracuse Orange will host the No. 10 Florida Gators Friday in another highly anticipated matchup.

NCAAF Pay Head News: Ducks Look To Clinch Spot In Rose Bowl Friday

The reigning national title finalist and current No. 9 Oregon Ducks will look to solidify their spot in this year’s Rose Bowl when they host the UCLA Bruins on Friday night. Oregon bounced back from a tough loss to the USC Trojans by dominating the Oregon State Beavers, and will have an excellent opportunity to finish strong against a UCLA team that has struggled to maintain a .500 record overall. Meanwhile, Ohio will battle at Northern Illinois in the only other game scheduled for Friday, one night after the No. 23 West Virginia Mountaineers attempt to end their season with a third straight win as they travel to face South Florida.

NFL Sports Betting News: Eagles Fly To Seattle For Thursday Night Showdown

In a midweek matchup that proves how hard it is to predict the outcome of an NFL season before it starts, the 4-7 Seattle Seahawks will host the 4-7 Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night in one of the most irrelevant contests of week 13. With both teams coming off of division titles, the NFL had to expect that they would once again be in contention for the postseason, which would have made this game another marquee matchup. Instead, both teams will need to win out and get a ton of help just to have a marginal chance, and at this point, it doesn’t appear as though either will happen. In related news, the NFL was able to change their Sunday Night Football game, which will now feature the Detroit Lions at the New Orleans Saints rather than the New England Patriots at the Indianapolis Colts.

College Football Betting Overview

There is always something interesting about two California-based schools meeting up in a critical BCS contest late in the season. Sixth ranked Stanford travels south to play the unranked USC Trojans in what has become a very interesting game to watch. USC is ranked 20^th on the AP Top 25 poll, but the Trojans do not appear anywhere on the BCS listing. When it comes down to positioning in bowl games, it is usually the BCS rankings that count. This Pac-12 battle is between two teams that only have one loss between them. The 6-1 Trojans blew their chance at a high ranking when it lost to Arizona State. But that does not mean that the Trojans cannot put it together and win this game.

The cost per head fans in Stanford are starting to believe that they are watching the beginning of a legend with quarterback Andrew Luck. The undefeated Cardinals were expected to compete this year, but a top-10 ranking seemed unlikely. Luck and his team have shown incredible resiliency. The fact that the closest score the Cardinals have seen this season was a 37-10 win over Arizona means that Stanford truly knows how to win. There is a reason why Stanford has earned a number six ranking, and one of those reasons is that the Cardinals never underestimate its opponent.

USC Trojans

The price per head services will agree that the USC Trojans have had some very impressive performances this season. But the performance that Stanford wants to be careful with is the USC win last week in South Bend over Notre Dame. The Cardinals are the first ranked team that the Trojans will face this season, but the battles between Stanford and USC have always been epic. The Trojans do not own the history of domination this season that the Cardinals have, but the Trojans do have a habit of winning games that it was not supposed to win. This could be the perfect ambush if the Cardinals are not careful.

Stanford Cardinals

Quarterback Andrew Luck has become one of the most anticipated NFL picks in recent history. Each loss by a lower-tiered NFL team has been referred to as another entry in the “Andrew Luck sweepstakes.” But it is easy to see why Luck will be so coveted when the draft opens in 2012. He knows how to win and he knows how to utilize his entire offense. Luck really spreads the ball around and can use any of his weapons at any time. The Stanford defense has proven to be an aggressive and effective group. Scoring points against the Cardinals is proving to be difficult, and the Trojans do not have much of a running game to support the passing game.

The Bottom Line

It may be considered a betonline scam to pick the Trojans over the Cardinals in this game, but it will be a very close contest. But Andrew Luck and his team will start to pull away at the end and show why the Cardinals deserve to be moved higher up the BCS rankings.

Pick: Stanford Cardinals

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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College football betting players have watched the ACC struggle this year, but they should get a good show on the hardwood as the defending national champions from Duke continues to roll, but they’ll get some competition.

Duke- The Blue Devils might be better this year if point guard Kyrie Irving lives up to the hype. He’ll have returning seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith with him, along with Miles and Mason Plumlee. The X-factor may be Seth Curry, who lit up the country at Liberty a couple of years ago, and should provide some bench scoring.

North Carolina- The Tar Heels have all the talent in the world, and in Harrison Barnes, they could have next year’s No.1 pick in the draft. But Barnes can’t do it all on his own, and if the Tar Heels are going to push their bitter rivals from Duke for the conference crown, they have to stop turning the ball over.

Florida State- The darkhorse in this race, along with North Carolina State, the Seminoles have a chance because they consistently play great defense, and they have a beast of a player in Chris Singleton, who can play inside and out. Xavier Gibson is going to have to help down in the post as the Seminoles look to
replace Solomon Alabi. If Gibson can be a force down low, with their odds, you may be tempted to throw some down on Florida State in your sports book.

There was some further moving and shaking in projected NCAA tournament outcomes this week, however, the real fun hasn’t even started yet. The Purdue Boilermakers held off disaster on Wednesday night to win a nail-biter against Minnesota, keeping their no. 3 national ranking as well as top spot in the Big Ten after jumping usurping Duke. Boilermaker Keaton Grant hit a jumper with just 7.7 seconds left on the clock to give his team the win, after star Robbie Hummel injured his knee in the first half, and had to be helped from the court. The severity of the injury is unknown, but Purdue coach Matt Painter said Hummel would be examined again on Thursday. An extended absence – or end to the season for Hummel could prove unfortunate for the Boilermakers, but it’s unclear the extent his absence might impact Purdue in the playoffs.

In other happenings, the University of Connecticut is back in the field after a very strong odds week, including a win over West Virginia. They are still on the bubble but based on brand name, they could get into the field of 64.

Meanwhile, Charlotte is out after dropping three in a row, and Wake Forrest falls big to an 8 seed. Memphis and Minnesota are also back in the picture after a series of strong performances. As the brackets continue to shake up and out and March draws closer, fans of sports betting are salivating at the prospect of the greatest tournament in college athletics (and of course, dominating their office pool).

Okay. Did Monday feel weird to any of you? After a solid four days of March Madness betting and general college basketball insanity – I know more than a few of us were happy for the invention of TiVo – yesterday there was just…nothing. Nothing but silence and the chance to reflect on the results of the first weekend of MM.

Then again, what wasn’t weird was the results of the tourney’s kickoff rounds. We’re now down to the “Sweet 16″ in the March Madness odds, and they’re pretty much the usual suspects: big teams like Pittsburgh, Louisville and Connecticut. If things keep up like this, it looks like we may just have four No. 1 seeds as the Final Four, appropriately enough. Win big or go home, boys.

So what have we got on our immediate radar for March Madness betting? Taking a look at the stacked Midwest region, it’s difficult to ignore the matchup between Louisville and Arizona. This is going to be a gong show through and through, and though sportsbook odds will definitely have Louisville on track for victory, it’ll be a game worth watching if only to see the fight Arizona puts up. They’ve worked hard to get where they are, and I don’t think they’ll go quietly. (But go they will, trust me. The Cardinals are my pick to win the thing, after all.)

The other half of the Midwest features No. 3 Kansas versus No. 2 Michigan State. As much as my heart tells me Michigan will take this match, this here is another good example of a show to tune in for just to see the game the Jayhawks bring. They’re young and slightly inexperienced, sure, but they’re adjusting to the MM pressure at a scary rate, and Cole Aldrich is carrying them along. A safe Northbet.com bet is Michigan; a skilled bet is Kansas. Choices, choices…

…And so we begin the epic three-week stretch of glory, excitement and intensity that is March Madness betting! The sun is out, the birds are singing, the sportsbooks are ready, and any good bettor worth their salt is throwing out picks and doing their best to cap this difficult tourney. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got for you in the immediate March Madness odds future (unfortunately, hotness factor of various teams and how cool their mascots are have no bearing on their odds):

No. 5 Illinois VERSUS No. 12 Western Kentucky – Thursday at 9:55 PM EST

This one ought to be today’s no-brainer. Apparently it’s NCAAB tradition for a No. 12 seed to overthrow a No. 5 seed, and Illinois vs. Western Kentucky odds should be good evidence of that. It doesn’t take a genius to see that the Illini have been slumping, as solid a team as they’ve been in the past, and although Western Kentucky hasn’t faced many opponents of that caliber, they landed the Sun Belt Championship and a winning streak to close out their season. How are these kids considered underdogs? Bet on the Hilltoppers tonight, peeps.

No. 5 Utah VERSUS No. 12 Arizona – Friday at 7:10 PM EST

Well, look at what we have here. Remember what I said earlier about Arizona? Self-fulfilling prophecy right in this matchup. As good as Arizona was to make it this far, I predicted before that they’ll fall against Utah, and I’m sure that’s exactly what’s gonna happen tomorrow night. Utah is on a roll right now – no basketball pun intended – and although Arizona is more experienced against higher-level teams, they’re too shaky right now to be trusted (much like many team in the March Madness lines). Pick Utah for the win here.

More madness to come, kids! Keep checking back with your girl Alice for top NCAAB picks…(and no, I won’t wear a cheerleader outfit for you, sorry)

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…

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.