Before the Big Dance begins next week there will be clashes in big conference tournament play as preparation for some March Madness attendees.  The Big 12 conference is home to the number one ranked team in the country, the Kansas Jayhawks.  Kansas won the Big Dance just 2 years ago and they have won the Big 12 Championship a sweet 6 times in a row.  They are almost a cinch to take the number one seed in the Big Dance but they are probably not going to be the only March Madness attendees from the Big 12.

Over a half dozen teams in the Big 12 seem to be headed for the NCAA Tournament next week.  Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Missouri are all expected to attend as well unless they have a train wreck in the conference tournament.  Texas was ranked number one in the country earlier in the season.

The Big East Conference is powerful as well.  The Syracuse Orange are 28-3 on the year and also were ranked number one in the country at one time.  They are favored to win the Big East tournament but there are some teams that might take exception to that.  Pittsburgh finished 24-7, West Virginia ended up at 24-6 as did Villanova.  Throw Marquette and Louisville in the mesh with 20 wins a piece and this one could be fun.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has taken a beating this year but the Duke and Maryland should still make things interesting.  Duke finished 26-5 while Maryland earned a 23-7 record.  Virginia Tech was also 23-7 while Clemson and Florida State both finished with 21 or more wins this season as well.  Many believe the ACC has lost its edge but I would not ignore this conference.  Those that shake them off may get surprised.

The Big 10 Conference looks good as well.  Purdue finished 26-4 and Ohio State 24-7.  Michigan State ended up at 24-7 as well and Wisconsin contributed a 23-7 season.  Michigan State wound up playing the North Carolina Tar Heels for the NCAA Championship last year but came up empty.  You can’t count these contenders down and out.  One of these teams could easily make a run again.  The excitement just keeps on building and it will continue to do so, you can bet on it.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Click here to bet on the 2010 NCAA Basketball Championship!

The after shocks have finally calmed down after the top 3 teams in the country Kansas, Kentucky and Purdue were upset this past weekend.  Some of my colleagues seem to be more surprised about Purdue losing Robbie Hummel and the effects it will have on the Boilermakers but although that is stunning for Purdue fans good teams have to overcome injuries.  Kansas and Kentucky lost without injuries and cannot afford to lose any more in the regular season.

Kansas and Kentucky should nail down number one seeds in the tournament unless they lose again.  The Syracuse Orange, who moved up to number one in the nation after the shake up, should earn a number one seed as well as long as they don’t stumble.  That leaves the fourth and final number one seed.  Some seem to think that Kansas State might sneak in but they would have to beat Kansas on their court and I don’t see that happening.

The Duke Blue Devils who are now ranked 4th in the nation are probably the best choice right now.  They are 14-2 in a weak division but in what what supposed to be a transition year they have competed rather well.  The North Carolina Tar Heels star, Tyler Hansbrough, player moved on last year and they are struggling.  Solid organizations find a way to win.  There is no I in Team.

Talent is important in competition.  However, other factors have to be figured in as well.  Great coaching is essential as is the right attitude.  They are all talented or they would not be on the court but sometimes a team that plays with heart and inspiration can play above their expectations.  The 4 number one seeds should be Syracuse, Kansas, Kentucky and Duke but anything could happen in the last few games of the season.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

The second half of ESPN’s Big Monday has Oklahoma visiting Texas. Neither team has played well of late but at least Texas can say they are going to make the NCAA Tournament. The Sooners don’t have much to look forward to as they probably won’t be making a college basketball betting post-season appearance. They have lost six straight overall and they are 1-8 in true road games this season.

Texas is a 13.5 point favorite at SBG Global with a total of 147.

Texas is coming off a 74-58 loss at No. 22 Texas A&M and they have lost seven of their last twelve. Oklahoma beat Texas last month in Norman by a score of 80-71.

That result seems unlikely on Monday considering the Sooners have not won a road game in the college basketball betting conference all year. In their last six losses they are giving up an average of 82 points per game. Oklahoma is led by freshman point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin who is averaging almost 20 points per game in his last 11 games. Willie Warren is still the team’s leading scorer but he has missed the last three games and is not expected to play on Monday.

Texas did not play well on Saturday against Texas A&M and guard J’Covan Brown strained his neck in that game and is listed as day-to-day. The Longhorns have already lost Dogus Balbay to injury so they have problems in the backcourt. The injury to Brown was just another thing that has gone wrong this college basketball betting season for Texas and head coach Rick Barnes is frustrated. “I look at it and it’s probably one of the — for whatever reason — as poor a coaching job as I’ve ever done because I haven’t been able to get the message across consistently,” Barnes said. “There’s nobody to blame for that but me. I can only tell you that I’m not going to quit trying because I do think that we’ve got the ability to put some things together and do what we think that we can do.”

Oklahoma has been abysmal on the road recently. They are 16-36-3 ATS in their last 55 road games. Overall, the Sooners are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games. The Sooners are 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings at Texas.

Texas has not played well either as they are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games. They haven’t been very good at home either as they are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games. The one positive for Texas is that they are 27-11 ATS in their last 38 Monday games.

Click here to bet on the 2010 NCAA Basketball Championship!

All top 5 ranked NCAA teams are playing this weekend.  The shock waves are beginning to be felt as #2 Kentucky falls to #19 ranked Tennessee.  The Volunteers shook the Wildcats 74-65 at home in Tennessee today.  DeMarcus Cousins poured in 15 points for Kentucky but J.P. Prince upstaged him with 20 of his own.  Will Kentucky still be #2 on Monday?

The after shocks from that one are nothing compared to the ones that will be spreading out from Oklahoma St. if #1 Kansas falls to the unranked Cowboys who are 7th in the Big 12 but leading the Jay Hawks by 14 with 6 minutes to play.   James Anderson has already sunk 20 points for the Cowboys.

The #3 ranked Purdue Boilermakers host the #14 ranked Michigan St. Spartans tomorrow.  This game has become even more important for Purdue with the #2 ranked team already defeated and the #1 team being shocked as well.  Purdue won their first match up with the Spartans 76-64.

The #4 ranked Syracuse Orange host #7 Villanova later this evening.  The Wildcats of Villanova won their last match up with Syracuse last year 89-86.  The Orange need to pull this one out at home if they want any chance of increasing their rankings.

The #5 ranked Duke Blue Devils host the unranked Virginia Cavaliers tomorrow night.  Duke won their last confrontation last February 79-64.  Duke has a chance to come out smelling like a rose in this top 5 shake up is over and the after shocks have subsided.

The road to March Madness just keeps getting better and better.  Will all of the top 5 lose this weekend?  It is not likely but it is nice to feel the hair tingle on the back of your neck as you wonder what lay in the unknown.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

March Madness is just around the corner so we thought it might be time to talk about the top 5 teams in the NCAA today.  There have been some surprises in the NCAA this year.  Last years National Champions the Tarheels of North Carolina are struggling while their rivals the Blue Devils of Duke are in the hunt.

The Duke Blue Devils are ranked 5th in the nation with a 23-4 record.  They are in 1st place in the competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.  They are fresh off of a 67-55 victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday. Coach K continues to work miracles with this team.  Kyle Singler had 25 points against Virginia Tech and is the spiritual leader on this team which should do well in March.

The Orange out of Syracuse are 26-2 and lead the Big East Conference.  They are ranked 4th in the nation.  They defeated Providence last night 99-85.  Rick Jackson dumped in 28 for the big orange.  Syracuse likes their chances in March and are up for the pressure.

Ranked 3rd in the nation are the Boilermakers of Purdue.  Their 23-3 record provides them with 1st place in the Big Ten Conference.  They beat Illinois 75-65 on Saturday night.  It was a strong overall effort with Mike Davis contributing 16 points.  Purdue is now in the drivers seat after passing Michigan State for the conference lead over the weekend.  Purdue runs the floor well and could be very competitive in March.

The Wildcats of Kentucky are ranked 2nd in the nation.  At 26-1 and leading the Southeastern Conference the Wildcats are the real deal.  However, on Saturday Kentucky struggled to get by Vanderbilt 58-56.  DeMarcus Cousins found the net for 19 points but Vanderbilt held this powerhouse to less than 36% accuracy from the floor.  Never the less, the Wildcats will be hard to corner in March.

The Kansas Jayhawks are ranked number 1st in the nation.  They have a 27-1 record and are 13-0 in the competitive Big 12 where they are 1st in the Conference.  Kansas stumbled on Monday and were embarrassed by the Oklahoma Sooners 81-68 providing them with their first loss of the season.  Xavier Henry found the hoop for 23 points but too much on this day.  Kansas clinched the Big 12 and are still the team to beat in March.

There is nothing quite like March Madness in the NCAA.  Once again the competition will be fierce.  It should be a lot of fun to watch.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

The ACC in college basketball has always been a very competitive division.  Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski can vouch for that.  Coach K as he is more lovingly known had led the Duke Blue Devils to a 20-4 record so far this season and a number 8 ranking in the nation.  Today at  1pm eastern time in Dukes Cameron Indoor Stadium the Duke Blue Devils will host the Maryland Terrapins who are 16-6 and are second in the ACC behind the Blue Devils.

The game today will be the 1000th game coached in Coach K’s amazing career.  He has an overall record of 853-278 over a 30 year span.  The future hall of fame coach has a pretty impressive resume and has been chased by many NBA teams in the past including the Celtics and the Lakers. Duke has been equally impressive their last 2 games defeating Boston College 66-63 and their North Carolina rivals the Tar Heels 64-54.  Maryland has only played 1 game in the last week due to prevailing snow and that was a 92-71 beating of the on their heels Tar Heels.

Duke leads this series 106-60 and have reigned supreme in their last 5 contests.  Duke is the top offensive team in the ACC while Maryland is number 2.  This should be a dandy. It is also Coach K’s 63rd birthday and as much as 2nd place Maryland needs a win here the Blue Devils would hate to lose on such a special day for their beloved coach.  Look for Duke to win this in a nail biter.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

A super college basketball matchup is on tap for Tuesday as North Carolina hosts Michigan State in a rematch of last April’s NCAA championship game. It is definitely a revenge game of sorts for Michigan State since the Spartans did not play well in the title game last year. “It should be a revenge game,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “When I say it’s a revenge game I mean any time you get embarrassed on the biggest stage you can play in, there’s got to be some revenge. I just hope we’re mature enough to say, more than revenge it’s about can you play well that next year? Can you play up to that competition?”

North Carolina is – 2 points favorite at SBG Global.

The Spartans come into this game ranked 9th in the country while North Carolina is ranked 11th. Both teams were in the Top 5 earlier this season but the Spartans lost to Florida while North Carolina was blown out by Syracuse. Michigan’s State loss doesn’t look so bad now that Florida is unbeaten and ranked in the Top 25 and even the North Carolina loss isn’t that bad considering Syracuse is rolling.

The Tar Heels have dominated this series against Michigan State of late, winning the last four games. They lead the all-time series 9-3. Here are more college basketball betting stats for Tuesday’s game. The Spartans are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 road games. The Spartans are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 non-conference games. The Spartans are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. the ACC. The Spartans are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings between the two teams.

The Tar Heels are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 vs. the Big Ten. The Tar Heels are 40-14 ATS in their last 54 non-conference games. The Tar Heels are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games. The favorite is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams and the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 matchups between the Spartans and Tar Heels.

The Over is 5-1 in the Spartans last 6 overall. The Over is 5-1 in the Spartans last 6 non-conference games.

Bet now at SBGGlobal.com!

Tomorrow night is Mixed Martial Arts night on CBS as Strikeforce brings the much anticipated bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers.  From Russia, Fedor Emelianenko is considered to be the best mixed martial artist in the world.  Brett Rogers on the other hand was changing tires in Minnesota a few years ago.  Rogers is the underdog but he can cement his place in history if he can find a way to beat Emelianenko Saturday night. More at UFC Betting!

The New York Yankees won their 27th World Series Wednesday night in their 40th appearance.  It was the first for the most famous MLB dynasty in their new stadium.  The Philadelphia Phillies put up a fight but the franchise with too many bucks to spend could not be subdued this time around. These Bronx Bombers are truly the best team money can buy.

The HSBC  Champions Golf event is well underway in Shanghai and Tiger Woods is edging close to a match up with Phil Mickelson  once again.  The front 9 consists of 7 Americans and until Friday no one was really making a run.  Tiger Woods took advantage of that and shot to the forefront with Nick Watney.  This World Golf Championship will be the last of the season.

Last year the Pittsburgh Penguins surprised the Hockey world by winning the Championship and this year they are off to a 12-4 start.  They did get clipped by the Los Angeles Kings Thursday night 5-2 but they are still looking like a serious challenger for another run at the Stanley Cup.

On Monday night the NCAA Basketball season kicks off.  Last years National Champions the North Carolina Tarheels open up at home against Florida International.  They begin this season ranked #6 perhaps because they no longer have Tyler Hansbrough to lean upon.  The #16 Ohio State Buckeys open up the same night hosting the Alcorn State Braves.  Kansas starts out the year at #1 and they open their season next Friday.

The Duke Blue Devils begin their year next Friday as well and begin the season ranked #9.  The NBA season is less than 10 games into a long season but the Boston Celtics are 6-0 and are in the front of the Eastern Conference while the Denver Nuggets are 5-0 and lead the Western Conference.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Best Online Sports Betting at BoDog.com!

The NCAA Tournament betting got off to a roaring start and the Final Four is set to launch. Amidst the tournament news and notes that have been dominating sports pages across the country, there has been a ton of NCAA news and speculation popping up outside of the tournament as well. As such fans have been flooding the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, BetUS.com looking for answers.

Once again beating everyone to the punch, expert oddsmakers at the site posted odds on a n entire NCAA Men’s hoops round-up. From Calipari and Kentucky in 2010 and coaches on the hot-seat to predictions on the rest of the tournament including technical fouls, fights, and bloody noses – BetUS is providing the answers.

Analysts at BetUS.com posted the following NCAA basketball odds on the 2009 Men’s Final Four and beyond:

To win the tournament:

• Connecticut  9/4
• Michigan State  21/4
• North Carolina  4/5
• Villanova  7/1

Odds on fan streaking the court:

• Yes  3/1
• No  1/5
• Male  1/3
• Female  2/1

Most likely to get in a brawl:

• Connecticut  2/1
• Michigan State  3/1
• North Carolina  3/1
• Villanova  5/2

Coach most likely to get ejected:

• Tom Izzo  2/1
• Jim Calhoun  1/1
• Jay Wright  5/2
• Roy Williams  4/1

Odds on who gains more weight in 2009:

• Magic Johnson  10/13
• Mateen Cleaves  10/11

Odds on Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson attending the same game:

• Yes  5/6
• No  5/6

Odds on each school returning to Final Four next year:

• Michigan State  5/2
• UConn  3/1
• Villanova  2/1
• UNC  1/2

Most points in the Final 4:

• AJ Price (Connecticut)  5/2
• Dante Cunningham (Villanova)  5/1
• Jeff Adrien (Connecticut)  6/1
• Kalin Lucas (Michigan State)  15/1
• Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)  12/1
• Ty Lawson (North Carolina)  3/1
• Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)  2/1

First technical of the Final Four goes to:

• Michigan Player  5/6
• UConn Player  5/6

Odds on a timeout called with none left:

• Yes  4/1
• No  1/7

CALIPARI AT KENTUCKY:

Odds on how long he lasts:

• Fired  1/2
• Quits  3/2

Odds to win NCAA Championship:

• 5/1

Odds to win SEC:

• 4/1

Will they make the Sweet 16:

• 1/3

Will they make the Final 4:

• 2/3

Odds to win Final Four MVP (MOP):

• AJ Price (Connecticut)  4/1
• Dante Cunningham (Villanova)  10/1
• Goran Suton (Michigan State)  10/1
• Jeff Adrien (Connecticut)  8/1
• Kalin Lucas (Michigan State)  7/1
• Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)  8/1
• Ty Lawson (North Carolina)  7/2
• Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)  2/1
• Rield (Any Other Player)  4/1

Highest Scoring Team:

• Connecticut  4/1
• Michigan State  8/1
• North Carolina  1/2
• Villanova  7/2

Player to record the most rebounds:

• Dante Cunningham (Villanova)  4/1
• Goran Suton (Michigan State)  5/2
• Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)  10/13
• Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)  2/1

Player to record the most assists:

• AJ Price (Connecticut)  5/2
• Kalin Lucas (Michigan State)  5/2
• Reggie Redding (Villanova)  6/1
• Ty Lawson (North Carolina)  4/5

Sports and Newsworthy odds can be found BetUs.com!

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is easily one of the most anticipated, most watched, and most interacted with sporting events in the US. Fans filling out predictive brackets, office pools, and round the clock news coverage are all part of the deal. Whether they are looking for an edge or looking for solace in their favorite team’s seed, fans turn to the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, Bet US.com for answers. This being the case, their analysts posted odds on ALL things NCAA hoops.

“March Madness always pushes our site traffic to record numbers,” stated BetUS spokesman Reed Richards. “And this year is no different. It’s a testament to the overwhelming level of interest in NCAA Men’s Basketball betting from the fans – the fact that they swarm our site daily for answers and predictions on who’s best or who’ll be best on a given day and most importantly – whether they’ll actually fill out a perfect bracket.”

BetUS.com posted the following odds on the 2009 Men’s NCAA Hoops Tournament:

Most likely team to get in a brawl

• Syracuse   4/1
• Siena   2/1
• Michigan St   4/1
• Gonzaga   5/1
• BC   5/1
• UConn   4/1
• Maryland   3/1
• Texas A&M   4/1
• Marquette   5/1

Most likely coach to get ejected

• Jim Boeheim   5/1
• Trent Johnson   3/1
• Roy Williams   4/1
• Tim Floyd   2/1
• Leonard Hamilton   5/1
• Mike Krzyzewski   8/1
• Jim Calhoun   3/1
• John Calipari   5/1
• Rick Pitino   6/1
• Jim Boylen   5/1
• Tom Izzo   6/1

Most likely tourney leading scorer

• Jeff Teague (Wake Forest)   5/1
• Chase Budinger (Arizona)   10/1
• De’Sean Butler (West Virginia)   10/1
• Sherron Collins (Kansas)   7/2
• Jerel McNeal (Marquette)   6/1
• DeMarre Carroll (Missouri)   8/1
• Jerome Randle (California)   10/1
• Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)   2/1
• Tyreke Evans (Memphis)   10/1
• Sam Young (Pittsburgh)   5/1
• James Anderson (Oklahoma State)   8/1
• Toney Douglas (Florida State)   5/1
• Dante Cunningham (Villanova)   10/1
• Kyle Singler (Duke)   4/1
• Tyler Hansbrough (UNC)   5/2
• Marcus Thornton (LSU)   4/1
• James Harden (ASU)   4/1
• Jonny Flynn (Syracuse)   8/1
• Manny Harris (Michigan)   8/1

First technical on tourney goes to

• Fran McCaffery   5/2
• Thad Matta   4/1
• Tim Floyd   2/1
• Jim Boeheim   3/1
• Jim Calhoun   4/1

Most likely team to be upset

• Oklahoma State   4/1
• Michigan State   3/1
• Kansas   3/1
• Utah   4/1
• Uconn   8/1
• Washington   5/1
• Marquette   5/1
• California   4/1

Most likely GPA NEXT season

• Over/Under   28.5

Odds that you fill out bracket 100 percent correctly

• 1 in 150 million

Odds of there being no upsets in the final two rounds

• 1 in 13.2 million

Sports and Newsworthy odds can be found at Bet Us!