NCAA Tournament Handicapping: March Madness Surprises
by T.O. Whenham - 3/20/2012

We’re only two games into the NCAA Tournament, but already more than three-quarters of the teams that made the field have been sent home. There have obviously been some surprises — Duke and Missouri certainly weren’t expecting to have this much free time on their hands at this point. Despite the early surprises, though, this tournament is running relatively close to expectations — and relatively short of drama so far as a result.

NCAA Tournament - Sweet 16 Futures Odds and Predictions
by David Schwab - 3/20/2012

The original field of 68 teams for this season’s NCAA Tournament has been pared down to the Sweet 16 through three rounds of games. And while a few top seeds fell by the wayside, the majority of the favorites, including all four No.1 seeds, are still in the hunt for this year’s national title.

College Basketball Betting: Hot or Not Handicapping Report
by David Schwab - 3/19/2012

This year’s NCAA Tournament’s field of 68 teams has been whittled-down to just 16 after three rounds of action. While all 16 teams head into the regional semifinals in solid form on the court, we are more concerned with their form where it counts the most; against the spread.

NCAA Tournament Betting Picks: Ohio University vs. Michigan Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/14/2012

The irony of Friday night’s second-round Midwest Region NCAA Tournament game in Nashville between Ohio University and Michigan is that Wolverines football Coach Brady Hoke refuses to call Michigan’s hated rivals Ohio State that full name just out of principle – the Buckeyes are simply referred to as Ohio. Well, the “real” Ohio is UM’s first opponent in the Big Dance and these Bobcats did something that their state-brethren Buckeyes didn’t in basketball this season: win their conference tournament championship.

NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Odds and Free Pick
by Alan Matthews - 3/14/2012

Last season when Bovada (then still Bodog) released the pre-NCAA Tournament odds, Kansas wasn’t the No. 1 overall seed but the favorites to cut down the nets. Thus, it was no surprise that Jayhawks star Marcus Morris, the Big 12 Player of the Year, was the opening favorite to win the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award. You aren’t going to win this award if your team isn’t playing for a National Championship, it’s as simple as that (it’s really the Final Four MOP award).

2012 March Madness Bracket Predictions: Midwest Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/13/2012

If you want proof of the mid-major invasion into this year’s NCAA Tournament you just have to look at the Midwest (St. Louis) Region. Teams from the six BCS conferences fill only seven of the 16 slots in this region. That is the second-fewest only to the West Region, which has just six slots filled by teams from the power conferences.

2012 March Madness Bracket Predictions: East Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/13/2012

What a difference a loss makes. Last week Syracuse was 30-1 and was the clear-cut No. 2 favorite to win the National Championship. At the same time, Ohio State was coming off a mammoth win at Michigan State to earn a piece of the Big Ten title and was positioning itself to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

2012 March Madness Predictions: Potential Cinderellas
by Darin Zank - 3/13/2012

Watching ESPN Sunday night almost made me sick, with that band of squares, also known as their board of “experts” going so top-heavy with their Final Four picks they laughed at themselves. How much do you need to know to take Kentucky, Michigan State, Syracuse and North Carolina to go to the Final Four? There's no big challenge in that.

NCAA Tournament Free Picks: Gonzaga vs. West Virginia Odds and Predictions
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/13/2012

Gonzaga got to the NCAA Tournament the same way they always do, by winning a few big nonconference games (Notre Dame and at Xavier) and finishing in the top two of the West Coast Conference. St. Mary’s won the regular season and postseason tournament, with the Zags finishing in second.

March Madness Betting Trends: Handicapping the No. 1 Seeds
by T.O. Whenham - 3/13/2012

For the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament there is nothing more prestigious that they could have earned heading into the tournament. While the top seeding ultimately guarantees them nothing, it does make their path to a championship easier than any other seed. A No. 1 has never lost a first-round matchup in 108 tries since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, 94 of those 108 teams have advanced to the Sweet 16, and 16 of the 27 tournament winners in that time have been top seeds.

March Madness Predictions: Reseeding the Brackets
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/13/2012

The NCAA Selection Committee and Las Vegas oddsmakers do not see eye-eye when it comes to seeding NCAA Tournament teams. That is quickly evident by a look at the March Madness point spreads and NCAA Tournament future odds. Of course, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will be favored by a large sum but it is not at all rare to see a No. 12 seed favored over a No. 5 seed.

2012 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Vulnerable Higher Seeds
by T.O. Whenham - 3/13/2012

If everything goes true to form then a team seeded in the Top 4 seeds of the NCAA Tournament should wind up in the Sweet 16. It virtually never turns out that way, but whenever one of those Top 4 teams loses on the first weekend it has to be seen as a real disappointment for them. Here are my 2012 NCAA Tournament predictions for four teams that seem as if they could indeed be disappointing by that logic — vulnerable Top-4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament (all odds are from Bovada):

NCAA Tournament Projections: Dangerous Lower Seeds
by T.O. Whenham - 3/13/2012

VCU made a remarkable run to the Final Four last year as a No. 11 seed, and in the process heightened the already burning desire in virtually every college basketball bettor to be able to spot the next big Cinderella team. That can be very profitable, and more importantly it can give the bettor all sorts of bragging rights.

2012 College Basketball: NIT Odds and Betting Predictions
by T.O. Whenham - 3/13/2012

It used to be that the NIT was a big deal — a tournament that teams cared about. There may still be some teams that care, but most fans sure don’t. Still, it’s another tournament to bet on, and it gets far less public attention than the NCAA Tournament so value could be easier to find — especially if you like betting on favorites.

2012 March Madness Bracket Predictions: South Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/12/2012

If Kentucky wants to claim another banner for the Bluegrass State it certainly is going to have to earn it. The Wildcats are the consensus No. 1 team in the country and they are the overall No. 1 seed in the entire tournament. They are the clear-cut favorite to win the National Championship at +185 and will be the sweetheart pick of the majority of brackets filled out this week.

2012 March Madness Bracket Predictions: West Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/12/2012

Think small. The West (Phoenix) Region of the NCAA Tournament features mammoth Michigan State and its rugged frontcourt matched up against a seemingly endless roster of small, quick, guard-oriented teams. This region will be playing basketball at a frenetic pace and if you like little guards running and dunking and chucking up three-point shots then this is the region for you.

2012 March Madness Brackets Advice and Tips
by T.O. Whenham - 3/12/2012

It’s just three days until March Madness tips off for real (only one day until Dayton starts, but I still find it hard to care). That means that there are just three days to fill out the brackets that will win your pools and gain you fame, fortune, and a year’s worth of bragging rights. To help you fill out your best possible bracket here is some prime March Madness bracket advice and tips:

2012 March Madness Brackets Help: NCAA Tournament Bracketology 101
by David Schwab - 3/12/2012

It is that time of year again and whether you are filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket for the local office pool or entering one in a high-stakes contest in Las Vegas, there are a couple of basic things to keep in mind before scribbling your way to the Final Four. The following are a few tips and strategies for March Madness brackets help to increase your chances of successfully navigating your way through this year’s field of 68 teams.

College Basketball Betting: Hot or Not Handicapping Report
by David Schwab - 3/12/2012

The field of 68 for this year’s NCAA Tournament has been set with the eight-team first round set to kick things off on Tuesday followed by the full-blown madness of Thursday and Friday’s second round. One of the tricks to successfully handicapping this initial onslaught of games is to uncover the teams that come in ‘hot’ against the spread and as well as the ones that do not. The following is a brief look at a few teams that qualify on either end.

National Championship Game Picks: Butler vs. UConn Odds and Predictions
by T.O. Whenham - 4/4/2011

Butler and Connecticut for all the marbles -- just like you imagined it, I’m sure. This is a wildly unpredictable final, but that seems fitting in a year when the only dependable thing in college basketball was surprise. There weren’t many teams that seemed elite, and those always found a way to disappoint just when it seemed like they were on track.