…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)

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.