Sweet 16 Predictions: Best Underdogs Left in Field
by Indian Cowboy - 3/26/2013

The NCAA Tournament field is now dwindled down to the Sweet 16. The First week of the Big Dance came with its expected excitement as much as it did its unexpected upsets. Sent home were No 1 seed Gonzaga, No. 2 Georgetown and No. 3 New Mexico. Of the remaining teams left dancing, this article examines the best trio of sleeper schools that have found a way to win at the betting window all season long. Here is a look at the top three underdogs and their successful ATS records along with some Sweet 16 predictions.

Sweet 16 Handicapping: Examining the Unexpected Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 3/26/2013

If everything went according to expectations, the Sweet 16 each year would be made up of all of the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds. Of course, it almost never works out that way. Eleven of the 16 teams in the next round are Top-4 seeds like they are supposed to be. Arizona is technically an outsider, but as a No. 6 seed they are hardly unexpected. There are always a few interesting party crashers, though, and this year is certainly no exception.

Sweet 16 Predictions: Five Biggest Questions
by Trevor Whenham - 3/26/2013

As bettors get ready for the next wave of NCAA Tournament games, there are all sorts of questions that bettors need to find answers for. The more right answers, the more money you’ll have in your pocket by Sunday night. Here are five of the biggest questions to ponder along with some Sweet 16 predictions:

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Updated Odds and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 3/25/2013

The good news is that my two NCAA Tournament Championship Game selections are still around, Duke and Indiana. Other than that, my bracket is probably in as bad of shape as yours is. If you can honestly tell me with a straight face that you had picked Florida Gulf Coast to reach the Sweet 16, well, then you clearly have a family member on the team or some other blind rooting interest. The Eagles are the first No. 15 to reach this round. It also should be noted that not a single bracket in the ESPN Challenge has all 16 correct teams still standing.

Sweet 16 Betting: Ranking the Best Games
by Trevor Whenham - 3/25/2013

I don’t know about you, but after four great days of basketball I am suffering some serious withdrawal. Come Thursday, though, we’ll see the start of eight more glorious games. The Sweet 16 is always good, but as both a fan and a bettor I find this collection of games particularly compelling. Here is how I ranked the eight games in terms of their betting intrigue:

NCAA Tournament Handicapping: Updated Futures Odds Sweet 16
by Dave Schwab - 3/25/2013

It took the First Four, the Round of 64 and the Round of 32, but the original field of 68 teams for this season’s NCAA Tournament has been pared down to the Sweet 16. This year’s Big Dance has its fair share of top seeds left with only one No.1 and one No.2 sent packing, but there also a few Cinderella’s trying to hold off the stroke of midnight, which for the first time in tournament history includes a No.15 seed.

NCAA Tournament Wins Props and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/21/2013

I touched on the total number of wins for the Big Ten, the nation's best conference, in an earlier NCAA Tournament props story and recommended “over” 13. Now let's look at the prop options for the other power six conferences in the Big Dance:

NCAA Tournament Handicapping: Can No. 16 Beat No. 1?
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/21/2013

The popular thing to say last year was that 2012 was finally going to be the year a No. 16 seed would beat a No. 1 seed. Alas, the predictions did not come true. No. 1 seeds improved to 112-0 against No. 16 seeds, quite possibly the most consistent trend in the history of sports.

2013 NCAA Tournament Props Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 3/20/2013

It’s time to buckle down and enjoy the ride as -- in my opinion -- the next three weeks or so are the best of the betting year. You can have your NFL Playoffs, but I'll take the NCAA Tournament Major League Baseball futures props and Opening Day and then the Masters.

NCAA Tournament Handicapping: Tourney Champs in March Madness
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/20/2013

No two conference tournaments are the same, and that is a major reason why conference championships can either be a gift or a curse once it comes time for the NCAA Tournament. With some tournaments ending Saturday night before Selection Sunday, others ending on Selection Sunday and even others ending over a week before Selection Sunday, teams head to March Madness on different rest and with different momentum working for them or against them.

2013 March Madness Bracket Predictions: South Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/19/2013

If scoring, well-choreographed offense, three-point marksmanship, and artful individual performances are what piques your college basketball interests, then I would say to avert your eyes from the South Region. The South Region is stacked with some of the best defensive teams in the country. Kansas (No. 1), Georgetown (No. 4) and Florida (No. 6) are all in the Top 10 in the country in field goal defense.

2013 NCAA Tournament Bracket Predictions: West Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/19/2013

There is already an emerging theme heading into this year’s NCAA Tournament: The Rise of the Little Guy. The concept is not a fresh one. In fact, it is kind of a tried-and-true axiom that March Madness is a time for underdogs as much as it is a time for champions. But this year’s tournament field seems to be taking that theme to its logical conclusion: at some point the Little Guy will eventually become the Big Guy.

2013 NCAA Tournament Bracket Advice and Tips
by Aaron Smith - 3/19/2013

March Madness is here once again, which means it is time to fill out those NCAA Tournament Brackets. Passionate sports fans have been following college basketball all year long, but everyone else is jumping on board this week as March Madness brackets have a way of bringing in the public by the bunches. Before the end of this week, you’re likely to hear a lot of talk about March Madness around the office. It’s one of the best times of the year for a sports fan, and filling out that bracket never gets old!

2013 March Madness Bracket Predictions: East Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/19/2013

The East is one of the most dangerous brackets in the tournament because I could realistically see any of five teams survive this region. At the same token, three of those teams I could also realistically see losing in the first round, and I think that all four of them will have to claw their way out of the opening weekend if they even want a chance at a berth in Atlanta.

March Madness Predictions: Reseeding the Brackets
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/19/2013

When seeding for the NCAA Tournament, the NCAA Selection Committee is hindered by certain guidelines. There are automatic qualifiers, there is a need to avoid conference rematches in the first two rounds, there are site locations to be aware of, etc. Las Vegas oddsmakers are bound by no such criteria when setting March Madness point spreads and NCAA Tournament future odds. It is not uncommon to see a No. 11 or No. 12 seed favored over a No. 6 or No. 5 seed.

Using Futures Odds to Fill Out Your NCAA Tournament Bracket
by Dave Schwab - 3/19/2013

The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee not only decides which at-large teams make it into the field of 68 after all the automatic bids have been handed out, but they also rank every team from No.1 to No.16 within one of the four regions based on past performance and future potential to make it out of that part of the bracket all the way to the Final Four.

2013 NCAA Tournament Bracket Predictions: Midwest Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/18/2013

The Louisville Cardinals earned the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed By virtue of being the best team from the best conference in college basketball. But that top seed is certainly a paper crown. And, if the Cardinals want to earn back-to-back Final Four appearances, they will have to fight their way through potential matchups with Top 10 staples Duke or Michigan State.

2013 NCAA Tournament Handicapping: Best Value Bets
by Trevor Whenham - 3/18/2013

Betting NCAA Tournament futures requires a very different mindset than filling out a bracket does. With a bracket you are interested in picking the teams you think are mostly likely to win. In futures you aren’t necessarily concerned about that. Instead, you are focused on teams that have a better chance of winning than the odds suggest. If a team is at 200/1, but they have about a 1-in-100 chance of winning in your eyes, then they would be a much more attractive bet over the long run than a team that has a 1-in-10 chance of winning but is paying 5/1.

2013 March Madness Handicapping: No. 5 vs. No. 12 Seeds
by Aaron Smith - 3/18/2013

With Selection Sunday in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to focus on this year’s NCAA Tournament. March Madness is such a huge event for a couple main reasons. First of all, NCAA Tournament Bracket pools are extremely popular with sports and non-sports fans alike. Second, March is the time of the year for the underdog, and there aren’t many people who don’t love a good underdog story.

2013 NCAA Tournament Betting: Tough Teams to Trust
by Trevor Whenham - 3/18/2013

A team seeded in the Top 4 in their region should, if things turn out as expected, make it to the Sweet 16. Of course, it doesn’t always turn out that way. There are some high seeds that you can feel very confident in — it would take a massive upset for them to fail to advance. Last year’s Kentucky team that went on to win the title is the best example of that in recent memory, though Louisville certainly qualifies this year.