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.