Conference play is about halfway through, and that means that we are well on our way to the 2012 March Madness schedule! Check out some of the teams that are well on their way to success in the dance and how they shake out on the odds to win the NCAA Tournament!

**Click Here For The World’s Greatest Basketball Betting System**

It is clear that the team with the most talent in the country is the Kentucky Wildcats (Odds To Win National Championship: 7 to 2 @ Bovada Sportsbook). Sure, Head Coach John Calipari has never found a way to win the big one, but he took a team last year that was largely considered to be a year away from being a real contender and made it a Final Four team. This year’s team is even more talented. Anthony Davis is one of the best big men in the game, and he is just one of the many future NBA stars that are donning the blue and white right now. The question is in the backcourt, where there are nothing but youngsters. Doron Lamb, the big time returner of the bunch is going to have to have a big time NCAA Tournament for the Cats to win it all. That being said though, UK is still well on its way to being the top overall seed in March Madness, and we would be shocked to see them be anything but the favorites to win it all when the brackets are released in a few short weeks.

We still tend to think that the Ohio State Buckeyes (2012 March Madness Odds: 9 to 2 @ Bovada Sportsbook) are as good as advertised as well. Jared Sullinger is just a man amongst boys for the most part, and William Buford is rounding into one of the best guards in the Big Ten. Teams are having a hard time challenging the Buckeyes, especially in Columbus, and there are already some huge wins that have been racked up against some of the best teams in the land this year both at home and on the road. Last year’s shocking exit in the Sweet 16 (to none other than this Kentucky team) is going to be burned into the minds of everyone at Ohio State, and the desire is going to be there to make it a heck of a lot further than that this time around in the dance.

List Of NCAA Tournament Basketball National Champions (Since 2000)
2011 NCAA Tournament Champions: Connecticut Huskies
2010 NCAA Tournament Champions: Duke Blue Devils
2009 NCAA Tournament Champions: North Carolina Tar Heels
2008 NCAA Tournament Champions: Kansas Jayhawks
2007 NCAA Tournament Champions: Florida Gators
2006 NCAA Tournament Champions: Florida Gators
2005 NCAA Tournament Champions: North Carolina Tar Heels
2004 NCAA Tournament Champions: Connecticut Huskies
2003 NCAA Tournament Champions: Syracuse Orange
2002 NCAA Tournament Champions: Maryland Terrapins
2001 NCAA Tournament Champions: Duke Blue Devils
2000 NCAA Tournament Champions: Michigan State Spartans

There is no doubt that in terms of sheer talent, the North Carolina Tar Heels (2012 NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: 11 to 2 @ Bovada Sportsbook) are about as good as it gets as well. This team has the best frontcourt in the country with John Henson, Tyler Zeller, and Harrison Barnes, but the truth of the matter is that the backcourt just isn’t there now that Dexter Strickland is out for the season. The Tar Heels have days where they look dominating, and days when they aren’t so hot. They only have four losses on the year, but that fourth one to the Duke Blue Devils might be the one that comes back and stings them when it comes time to see who will be a No. 1 seed on the brackets this year. North Carolina absolutely can still win the NCAA Tournament though, and there aren’t all that many teams in the land that we reasonably think can say that.

We go from a team that has a dominating frontcourt to one that has a dominating backcourt. At 30 to 1, we love taking the Florida Gators (Odds to win the NCAA Basketball Championship: 30 to 1 @ Bovada Sportsbook). Sure, Head Coach Billy Donovan and the gang were beaten and beaten soundly at Rupp Arena by Kentucky, but there was no shame in that loss. UF has a good history in the NCAA Tournament, and Kenny Boynton, Bradley Beal, and the rest of a tremendously deep backcourt picked up a lot of experience in last year’s dance. We all know that guard play is the key to the NCAA Tournament, and if that’s what it really comes down to, we like the chances that the blue and orange have of a deep run.

There are always those teams that you look at and wonder why they have odds that are just so ridiculous. Enter the Temple Owls (Odds to win the 2012 NCAA Basketball Championship: 200 to 1 @ Bovada Sportsbook). Sure, we know that the Owls have had a terrible history in the NCAA Tournament, and we know that they are nowhere near a lock to get into the dance quite yet. However, they have the best team in the Atlantic 10, likely will win the conference tournament, and might be in the Top 5 seeds when the brackets are released. Ramone Moore and Juan Fernandez are experienced guards that can put up some big time numbers, and the Owls have already proven that they can beat some of the best in the country when they took down Duke at the Liacouras Center not all that long ago. Temple has Sweet 16 potential, and as we have seen in the past from some of these smaller schools with experienced players, anything can happen from there.

Odds to Win the 2012 NCAA Tournament @ Bovada Sportsbook (as of 2/9/12):
(Get a HUGE 20% Bonus at Bovada.lv When Using This Link)

Kentucky Wildcats 7 to 2
Ohio State Buckeyes 9 to 2
North Carolina Tar Heels 11 to 2
Syracuse Orange 6 to 1
Duke Blue Devils 10 to 1
Kansas Jayhawks 12 to 1
Missouri Tigers 12 to 1
Baylor Bears 18 to 1
Michigan State Spartans 25 to 1
Florida Gators 30 to 1
Georgetown Hoyas 30 to 1
Louisville Cardinals 30 to 1
Connecticut Huskies 35 to 1
Indiana Hoosiers 40 to 1
Marquette Golden Eagles 40 to 1
UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 40 to 1
Vanderbilt Commodores 40 to 1
Wisconsin Badgers 40 to 1
Florida State Seminoles 50 to 1
Virginia Cavaliers 50 to 1
West Virginia Mountaineers 60 to 1
Gonzaga Bulldogs 65 to 1
Kansas State Wildcats 65 to 1
Memphis Tigers 65 to 1
Michigan Wolverines 65 to 1
Texas Longhorns 65 to 1
Creighton Blue Jays 75 to 1
Harvard Crimson 75 to 1
Illinois Fighting Illini 75 to 1
Mississippi State Bulldogs 75 to 1
Pittsburgh Panthers 75 to 1
Purdue Boilermakers 75 to 1
St. Louis Billikens 75 to 1
San Diego State Aztecs 75 to 1
St. Mary’s Gaels 75 to 1
Washington Huskies 75 to 1
Xavier Musketeers 75 to 1
Alabama Crimson Tide 100 to 1
California Golden Bears 100 to 1
Cincinnati Bearcats 100 to 1
Miami Hurricanes 100 to 1
New Mexico Lobos 100 to 1
UCLA Bruins 100 to 1
Wichita State Shockers 100 to 1
Arizona Wildcats 125 to 1
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 125 to 1
Seton Hall Pirates 125 to 1
BYU Cougars 150 to 1
Minnesota Golden Gophers 150 to 1
North Carolina State Wolfpack 150 to 1
Oklahoma Sooners 150 to 1
Stanford Cardinal 150 to 1
VCU Rams 150 to 1
Ole Miss Rebels 200 to 1
Oregon Ducks 200 to 1
Temple Owls 200 to 1
Virginia Tech Hokies 200 to 1
Colorado Buffaloes 250 to 1
Texas A&M Aggies 250 to 1
Arkansas Razorbacks 300 to 1
Butler Bulldogs 300 to 1
LSU Tigers 300 to 1
Maryland Terrapins 300 to 1
Oklahoma State Cowboys 300 to 1
Tennessee Volunteers 300 to 1
Washington State Cougars 300 to 1
Iowa Hawkeyes 500 to 1
South Florida Bulls 500 to 1
Villanova Wildcats 500 to 1
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 500 to 1

March Madness is drawing nearer, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are keeping a close eye on some of the best teams in the country that are going to have a shot to cut down the nets at March Madness 2012. Check out the college hoops TV schedule for the week ahead!

Bold Games Denote Nationally Televised Games

Complete College Basketball Broadcast Schedule for Monday, January 23rd (1/23/12)
7:00 ET Syracuse @ Cincinnati (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
7:00 ET Northeastern @ Old Dominion (ESPN3.com)
7:00 ET Iona @ Siena (ESPN3.com)
9:00 ET Texas A&M @ Kansas (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
9:00 ET Arkansas Pine Bluff @ Prairie View A&M (ESPNU)

Big Monday once again pits some big time teams against some very interesting challengers. Syracuse might not be the No. 1 team in the country after losing for the first time this year at Notre Dame over the weekend, but the Orange are going to be back on the court with a very short turnaround on the road at Cincinnati. UC badly needs this win to keep pace in the big time Big East. Meanwhile in the nightcap, Kansas tries to continue to roll in conference against a Texas A&M squad that plays vicious defense and won’t back down from the trip to Allen Fieldhouse.

NCAA Basketball On TV for Tuesday, January 24th (1/24/12)
7:00 ET Michigan @ Purdue (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
7:00 ET Tennessee @ Vanderbilt (ESPNU)
7:00 ET Akron @ Ball State (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
8:00 ET Baylor @ Oklahoma (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
8:00 ET South Florida @ Marquette (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
9:00 ET Miami @ Georgia Tech (ESPNU)
9:00 ET Iowa State @ Texas (Longhorn Network)
9:00 ET Kentucky @ Georgia (ESPN, ESPN3.com)

Tuesday is a big day for the Big XII. Baylor and Iowa State are both going to be tested in a big time way the road. The Bears have to visit an Oklahoma team that has already pulled off some upsets this yin Norman, while the Cyclones take on the Longhorns in Austin in a very tough fixture at the Erwin Center.

The double dip on ESPN should be great as well, though. Michigan tries to buck the trend of all of the home teams dominating in the Big Ten when it pays a visit to Purdue in the early game. Meanwhile in the late game, Kentucky, who will potentially be sporting the No. 1 ranking in America, head down to Athens to tango with the Bulldogs.

College Hoops TV Coverage for Wednesday, January 25th (1/25/12)
7:00 ET Villanova @ Louisville (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
7:00 ET Florida State @ Wake Forest (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
7:00 ET DePaul @ Rutgers (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
7:00 ET Western Michigan @ Ohio (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
7:00 ET Providence @ Pittsburgh (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
7:00 ET West Virginia @ St. John’s (ESPNU)
7:00 ET BYU @ Virginia Tech (ESPN3.com)
7:05 ET Missouri State @ Illinois State (ESPN3.com)
7:30 ET Missouri @ Oklahoma State (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
8:00 ET LSU @ Mississippi State (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
8:00 ET Notre Dame @ Seton Hall (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
8:00 ET Alabama @ South Carolina (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
8:00 ET Sam Houston State @ Stephen F. Austin (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
8:00 ET Evansville @ Wichita State (ESPN3.com)
8:05 ET Creighton @ Drake (ESPN3.com)
9:00 ET Duke @ Maryland (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
9:00 ET Auburn @ Arkansas (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
9:00 ET Kansas State @ Texas Tech

As always, Wednesday night is a huge night on the collegiate hardwood. Duke is once again in the spotlight on Hump Day, as it has to go on the road to College Park against a Maryland team that seemingly always gives it troubles. The Dookies are coming off of their first loss at home in eons against Florida State, which also travels to Wake Forest on Wednesday.

Notre Dame @ Seton Hall is one of the only major games in the Big East on this night, and it is a shame that the game isn’t on national television. If there is a game that you want to fire up on your computer on ESPN3.com on Wednesday night, this is the one, as the Irish and the Pirates are on a roll right now, and both are hog that they can make a big move in the conference. Instead, we have Villanova trying to get back on track at a Louisville team that is continuing to struggle on ESPN at 7:00 ET.

Missouri and Creighton are both headed on the road in TV games on Wednesday night, while UNLV, Ohio State, and Michigan State are all playing on locally televised duels as well to round out the Top 25 clashes.

College Basketball TV Broadcasts for Thursday, January 26th (1/26/12)
7:00 NC State @ North Carolina (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
7:00 ET Florida @ Ole Miss (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
7:00 ET Furman @ Charleston (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
7:00 ET Nebraska @ Iowa (ESPNU)
7:00 ET Fresno State @ Louisiana Tech (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
7:00 ET St. Peter’s @ Rider (ESPN3.com)
8:00 ET Butler @ Milwaukee (ESPN3.com)
8:00 ET Troy @ Middle Tennessee State (ESPN3.com)
8:00 ET Georgia Southern @ Samford (ESPN3.com)
8:00 ET Valparaiso @ Green Bay (ESPN3.com)
9:00 ET Nevada @ New Mexico State (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
9:00 ET Indiana @ Wisconsin (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
9:00 ET Boston College @ Virginia (ESPNU)
9:05 ET Hawaii @ Utah State (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
11:00 ET Gonzaga @ Portland (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)

The battle on Tobacco Road on Thursday night should be a good one that really covers the whole map. The suddenly surging Wolfpack are in bad need of a signature win to get back on the right side of the bubble, and they’ll have a shot at doing that when they take on North Carolina at the Dean Smith Center.

In the SEC, the Gators are going to try to run the Rebels off of the court in Oxford. Meanwhile in the Big Ten in probably the best game of the night, the Hoosiers and Badgers will get it on. These two teams are hoping to make a big impact this year in the Big Ten. Indiana has proven that it can win some big games at home, but it has really yet to log that big time road win.

Boston College and Virginia have at it in the ACC as well on ESPNU at 9:00, but in the nightcap on the Deuce, Gonzaga and Portland will wrap up the night for all of you West Coast Conference fans.

Basketball TV Broadcasts for Friday, January 27th (1/27/12)
7:00 ET Iona @ Fairfield (ESPNU)
7:00 ET East Tennessee State @ South Carolina Upstate (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
9:00 ET Boston U @ Stony Brook (ESPNU)

As always, there isn’t much going on in terms of college basketball on Friday night. Check out some mid-majors that could be in the NCAA Tournament, though. Iona is the top dog in the MAAC, and it will have its hands full on the road against Fairfield. Meanwhile in the late game, Stony Brook and Boston U duke it out in a battle of teams that very well could end up playing for the automatic bid to the dance from America East.

College Hoops TV Schedule for Saturday, January 28th (1/28/12)
11:00 ET Ball State @ Ohio (ESPNU)
12:00 ET Marquette @ Villanova (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
12:00 ET Wake Forest @ Clemson (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
12:00 ET St. John’s @ Duke (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
1:00 ET Arkansas State @ North Texas (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
1:00 ET West Virginia @ Syracuse (ESPNU)
1:00 ET Texas @ Baylor (CBS)
1:30 ET Mississippi State @ Florida (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
1:30 ET Texas Tech @ Missouri (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
1:30 ET Arkansas @ Alabama (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
2:00 ET Valparaiso @ Milwaukee (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
2:00 ET Kansas @ Iowa State (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
2:30 ET Virginia Tech @ Maryland (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
3:00 ET Wofford @ Charleston (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
3:00 ET Tennessee Tech @ Morehead State (ESPNU)
4:00 ET Purdue @ Northwestern (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
4:00 ET Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M (ESPN3.com)
4:00 ET Kentucky @ LSU (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
4:00 ET Georgetown @ Pittsburgh (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
4:05 ET Southern Illinois @ Illinois State (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
5:00 ET Northern Iowa @ Missouri State (ESPNU)
6:00 ET Cincinnati @ Rutgers (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
6:00 ET Bowling Green @ Eastern Michigan (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
6:00 ET Auburn @ Tennessee (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
7:00 ET Washington @ Arizona (ESPN, ESPN3.com)
7:00 ET South Carolina @ Ole Miss (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
7:00 ET Oklahoma @ Kansas State (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
7:00 ET Butler @ Green Bay (ESPNU)
8:00 ET Eastern Illinois @ Murray State (ESPN3.com)
8:00 ET Virginia @ NC State (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
8:00 ET Louisville @ Seton Hall (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
8:05 ET Bradley @ Creighton (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
9:00 ET St. Mary’s @ BYU (ESPNU)
9:00 ET Wichita State @ Drake (ESPN3.com)
9:30 ET Fresno State @ New Mexico State (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
11:00 ET Cal State Fullerton (ESPNU)
11:05 ET Hawaii @ Idaho (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)

Saturday is always the biggest day of the week for college hoops betting action, and this is no exception this weekend. Some of the top teams in the country are playing in lesser games, which gives us a chance to look at some of the action elsewhere in bubble territory.

Washington and Arizona face off in a rare Pac-12 national telecast, and with the conference holding on to perhaps just one bid into the NCAA Tournament this year, this game is crucial. Earlier in the day, Purdue and Northwestern get it on in what could be a bubble battle as well.

Marquette isn’t in any trouble at the moment, but it might be if it drops to a Villanova team that is suddenly one of the worst in the Big East, just as Virginia might find itself sliding with a tough road test against an NC State team in bad need of quality wins in Raleigh. Pittsburgh is still trying to get on track again after just an atrocious start to the Big East season, but it won’t find the sledding easy against a visit herd of Hoyas, while St. John’s looks to steal a big one in the ACC by taking a game a Cameron Indoor Stadium. Don’t think that the Dookies are just going to lie down and accept a second straight home loss, though.

Texas and Baylor meet in what probably amounts to be the game of the day on CBS at 1:00, but at the same time on ESPN3, you might want to pay attention to Florida vs. Mississippi State, the only battle of the day pitting two Top 25 teams against each other.

NCAA Basketball On TV for Sunday, January 29th (1/29/12)
12:00 ET Notre Dame @ Connecticut (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
1:00 ET Michigan @ Ohio State (CBS)
1:00 ET Miami @ Boston College (ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court)
2:00 ET Providence @ South Florida (ESPN3.com)
4:00 ET Manhattan @ Niagara (ESPN3.com)
6:00 ET Georgia Tech @ North Carolina (ESPNU)
8:00 ET Indiana State @ Evansville (ESPNU)

The only nationally televised game of the day is as good as it gets in the Big Ten. Michigan and Ohio State absolutely cannot stand each other, and they will renew their rivalry in Columbus, where the Buckeyes will look to make a big statement against another Top 25 foe. Elsewhere on the slate, Miami takes on Boston College in the ACC, while Notre Dame looks to keep its momentum going from last weekend’s upset of the Orange when it hits the road against the defending champs from UConn.

If we’re heading towards the end of the football season, that means that it is time to start talking about the 2012 brackets! Here at Bankroll Sports, we are discussing our current 2012 Bracketology picks and trying to figure out which teams are going to be on which lines for the 2012 NCAA Tournament if it were to start right now!

Note: Italic represent projected conference winner, automatic bid

1 Seeds – Kentucky Wildcats, Syracuse Orange, Duke Blue Devils, Ohio State Buckeyes

There is very little debate right now about Syracuse and Kentucky as top seeds. There are any combination of teams that could be on the No. 1 line right now as well. We still tend to think that even with three losses, the Selection Committee would see the Buckeyes in great shape thanks to having a tremendously talented team and one that could go a long way once again in the NCAA Tournament. Don’t be shocked if this is actually what ends up happening come Selection Sunday.

2 Seeds – Baylor Bears, Missouri Tigers, Kansas Jayhawks, North Carolina Tar Heels

Carolina is the team that is sliding after getting just absolutely trounced by Florida State last weekend. Baylor just suffered its first loss, which in our eyes, takes it off of the No. 1 line considering how weak the schedule really has been for the Bears. However, Kansas moves up onto the 2 line after winning that game against Baylor, though we think that it has to be careful this weekend against Texas. Missouri has a great record, but we still aren’t all that sure that the Tigers are going to be strong enough to hang in the Top 10 in the country for the rest of the Big XII campaign.

3 Seeds – Michigan State Spartans, Connecticut Huskies, Georgetown Hoyas, Florida Gators

The debate here would be whether the Gators would be worthy of being this high in the bracket or not. Right now, we tend to think that, in spite of the fact that their losses are a bit ugly, that they would get the nod. UConn and Georgetown, of course get higher bids because of the fact that they are from the Big East, while Michigan State has just been rolling every since suffering two losses early in the season to UNC and Duke. Even with the loss to Michigan this week, we still think that Sparty would be on the 3 line if the dance started today.

4 Seeds – UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, San Diego State Aztecs, Creighton Blue Jays, Indiana Hoosiers

Holy mid-majors, Batman! UNLV and San Diego State are definitely worthy of being called majors at this point though, as they have been stalwarts in the Mountain West for a number of years. These two programs are just fantastic, and with as strong as their RPIs and SOSs are, they are both deserving of good seeds in the dance. We think that Creighton will be rewarded for its rich history and the fact that the Valley is as strong as it has been in years. Indiana is sliding, and keeping it as a No. 4 seed might be a tad high, but we do think that wins over teams like Ohio State and Kentucky are worthy of keeping the Hoosiers right here on the 4 line.

5 Seeds – Murray State Racers, Michigan Wolverines, Seton Hall Pirates, Vanderbilt Commodores

Michigan’s win over Michigan State this week was huge, and it helps remove most of the doubts as to whether the Wolverines will be in good shape for the dance this year or not. Murray State is the team that no one wants to put on their bracket. We think that they are worthy of a Top 5 seed, but most don’t, and that will probably include the Selection Committee. Vandy gets the benefit of the doubt of playing in the rough SEC East, while the same could be said for a Seton Hall team that we are puzzled as to why it isn’t ranked in the Top 25 in the country.

6 Seeds – Gonzaga Bulldogs, St. Mary’s Gaels, Virginia Cavaliers, West Virginia Mountaineers

It’s not often that you can say that a loss helps out a team, but the way that UVA lost at Duke might go a long way towards proving that this team is legitimate. Gonzaga and St. Mary’s basically have the exact same resumes right now, and this year, with good victories out of conference for both and the addition of the normally highly ranked BYU Cougars to the WCC, both should have no problems dancing this year.

7 Seeds – Louisville Cardinals, Illinois Fighting Illini, Marquette Golden Eagles, Harvard Crimson

It is going to be very hard to justify putting Harvard in the top half of the bracket this year, knowing that any losses in the Ivy League are going to be damning, but this is a team that does have some big time ‘W’s this year to fall back on. Louisville and Marquette are both starting to fall victim to the Big East blues, and conference problems are starting to plague the Illini as well. All three teams really need to get back in shape in a hurry.

8 Seeds – Mississippi State Bulldogs, Xavier Musketeers, Wisconsin Badgers, Purdue Boilermakers

Do we have the X-Men rated too highly in this field at this point? Many would argue that they maybe shouldn’t even deserve to be in the dance right now. Still, we believe in the Musketeers when they are at full strength, something that they haven’t always been this year due to suspensions. Purdue and Wisconsin are basically the same team at this point, and Mississippi State is definitely reeling after losing to Ole Miss on Wednesday.

9 Seeds – Wichita State Shockers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Stanford Cardinal, Florida State Seminoles

The Pac-12 really might be a one-bid league this year, and if that’s the case, the Cardinal, in spite of their 15-3 record, had better make sure that they build upon this resume in a big time way before the Pac-12 Tournament. Alabama was a bubble team last year that probably got hosed, but this year, at least for the time being, it is okay. Florida State seems to be on the bubble every year, but the win over North Carolina in such convincing fashion might go a long way towards keeping the Noles safe. Wichita State should be fine as long as it doesn’t lose too many conference games this year as the second team out of the Valley.

10 Seeds – Kansas State Wildcats, Texas Longhorns, Dayton Flyers, California Golden Bears

Richard Solomon being ruled academically ineligible isn’t good for the Golden Bears, who could have a tough time justifying a spot on the dance floor without the Pac-12′s automatic bid. Texas can’t win a big time game, but it gets another chance this week at home against Kansas. Dayton might be one of the teams that ends up in bad shape because the A-10 beats itself up this year.

11 Seeds – Iona Gaels, Northwestern Wildcats, St. Louis Billikens, New Mexico Lobos

We’ve hit the mid-major line, and that means that there are a lot of teams from this point on down that are really hoping that these teams make the NCAA Tournament. Iona has a great resume to date and some solid wins, and Davidson has a rare upset at Kansas to its resume. St. Louis was once a Top 25 team in the nation. Northwestern hasn’t been dancing in ages, but a solid year in the Big 10 will change all of that. New Mexico’s loss to San Diego State on Wednesday didn’t help matters, and now, it is back firmly on the bubble once again in our eyes.

12 Seeds – BYU Cougars, Temple Owls, Cincinnati Bearcats, Iowa State Cyclones, Memphis Tigers, Minnesota Golden Gophers

Any of these six teams could be play-in game material right now, as we really don’t think any of them have that great of a resume. Cincinnati’s win against UConn probably makes it the best of the bunch, while Memphis’ loss to UCF probably puts it in the worst shape. Minnesota’s ugly 2-4 record in the Big Ten had better improve, as it won’t be dancing if it finishes up with a losing record in conference play and an early exit in the conference tournament. Temple is riding right now on the back of its one major win over the Dookies.

Southern Miss might have the best resume right now in Conference USA, which is saying something with four teams that hope to go dancing. At just 12-6, there isn’t much margin for error for the Tigers, who badly need to win some more games. They would be lucky to be in one of the play-in games right now.

14 Seeds: Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, Cleveland State Vikings, George Mason Patriots, Long Beach State 49ers

At some point, all four of these teams either have thought or will think that they have a shot at going dancing. Long Beach State played an absolute horror of a schedule to start off the season, and it gets a major pass for some of its defeats. George Mason was the first of these Cinderella sweethearts to make it in the dance, and Head Coach Paul Hewitt has experience in the Final Four as well with Georgia Tech from back in the day. This is a formidable set of foes foe certain.

15 Seeds: LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, Nevada Wolf Pack, Bucknell Bison, Weber State Wildcats

Some nice records here, but aside from that, there isn’t a heck of a lot to look forward to in terms of upset picks. LIU Brooklyn at least tried to run like the dickens against North Carolina last year, but it just didn’t work out all that well. Perhaps that tourney experience can help the Blackbirds this year against the right matchup.

16 Seeds: Stony Brook Seawolves, UNC Asheville Bulldogs, Akron Zips, Norfolk State Spartans, Texas-Arlington Mavericks, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils

Mississippi Valley State is almost sure to finish with a below-.500 record, but so is everyone else in the MEAC… Texas-Arlington would be dancing for the first time, while other teams like Stony Brook and UNC Asheville would just be happy to stay out of the play-in games. None of these teams are serious contenders to beat the top seeds, as the bottom of the dance right now looks to be as weak as ever.

First Four Out – NC State Wolfpack, Notre Dame Fighting, Marshall Thundering Herd, Colorado State Rams

The truth of the matter is with as many mid-majors as there are that could steal bids, all of these teams are in some trouble right now. Marshall and Colorado State will have their chances in their conference tournaments, while both NC State and Notre Dame both could become those teams that play their way into the field of 68 due to their conference opponents, or they can just continue to lose the important games and drift into oblivion and fall straight into the NIT.

Handicapping the teams that are going to get into the NCAA Tournament is tough as it is, but here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking aim at some NIT Bracketology as well. Check out the teams that could be in the NIT and get a 2012 NIT Tournament preview with our March Madness picks!

**Click Here For The World’s Greatest Basketball Betting System**

Before we begin, here’s how the NIT works. There are 32 teams that make it into the field, and before there are any other teams that are put into place, any team that won its conference regular season crown but didn’t make it into the NCAA Tournament gets an automatic spot. That’s what makes NIT Bracketology so tricky, is that we never know who is really going to be in the field of 65 in terms of the bubble, and we don’t know how many spots are going to be available for the tournament. Top seeds in conference tournaments didn’t fare all that well last year, and as a result, there were only about half the spots in the NIT to fill with other teams.

In order to do NIT Bracketology, we have to assume that we are going to see the top seeds in each of the conference tournaments earn bids to the NCAA Tournament, leaving all 36 slots open, though we know in actuality, that won’t be the case.

Last Six Teams In NCAA Tournament
BYU Cougars
Temple Owls
Cincinnati Bearcats
Iowa State Cyclones
Memphis Tigers
Minnesota Golden Gophers

Note: These are the last eight teams that we have in the NCAA Tournament, and we figure if they are bounced out of the dance that they will automatically drop into the NIT

And now, we will go by conference to show who is on the bubble and who is in good shape right now in each of the conferences. We are also skipping leagues that won’t have a team make it to the NIT unless there is a regular season conference winner that fails to make the NCAA Tournament.

Atlantic 10
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Massachusetts Minutemen, La Salle Explorers
NIT Bubble: Duquesne Dukes, Richmond Spiders, St. Joseph’s Hawks
La Salle has an NCAA Tournament type of resume this year, which should at least put the Explorers in the postseason. We’re not all that sure about the rest of this conference beyond UMass though, and even the Minutemen could find themselves on the wrong side of the NIT bubble if things don’t improve and if the bubble shrinks. That 11-0 home record speaks volumes, though. Richmond and St. Joe’s really need to get a move on to get back into the NIT discussion.

ACC
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: NC State Wolfpack, Maryland Terrapins, Miami Hurricanes, Virginia Tech Hokies
NIT Bubble: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
We’re still trying to figure out how Maryland got left home from the NIT last season… This year, the Terps will be just fine. Virginia Tech and NC State are going to bounce back and forth all season long between the NCAAs and the NIT, but they’ll both be in one of these two tournments. Wake Forest needs to finish above .500 and needs probably a total of seven conference wins to be in NIT consideration.

Big 12
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies
NIT Bubble: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma and A&M would almost certainly be in the NIT right now if the tournament was selected today. Okie State would need to get above the .500 barrier to avoid the drop into either the CBI or the CIT. Iowa State could drop into the NIT with some more bad form as well, as could Texas, but aside from that, the Big XII looks pretty darn cut and dry.

Big East
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: South Florida Bulls, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Pittsburgh Panthers
NIT Bubble: Providence Friars
The argument could be made that every team that finishes at least .500 in the Big East should be in the NIT, but save for South Florida and Notre Dame, there really aren’t any teams that are in good shape right now. Even Pitt might fall clear out of the NIT if it doesn’t get its act in gear, though we still think that this team will get its act together at some point and move on from this 0-6 start to the season. Rutgers has played some darn good basketball of late, and it has the potential to win this tournament from a middling seed if given the chance.

Big 10
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: None
NIT Bubble: Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa Hawkeyes
We think that the Big 10 is in good shape right now in terms of dancing, as we hink that the biggest bubble teams, Northwestern and Minnesota are both getting into the field. That really isn’t going to leave much in terms of teams for the pickings for the NIT, because we really don’t think that Iowa or Nebraska, in spite of the fact that both beat Top 25 teams in the last week, are really NIT material yet.

Colonial
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Drexel Dragons, VCU Rams
NIT Bubble: Georgia State Panthers, Old Dominion Monarchs
Though VCU’s resume isn’t nearly as good as it was a season ago, we do think that the Rams are going to comfortably be in the postseason of some sort. Drexel is a team that is seemingly in this tournament as a middling seed every year. Of course, ODU feels like a team that should be in the NIT with a 6-1 start to the conference slate as well. George Mason which is currently the top seed in the league, would drop into the NIT as a lock as well if it didn’t win the regular season conference title.

Conference USA
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Marshall Thundering Herd, UCF Knights
NIT Bubble: None
UCF probably moved itself off of the bubble and put itself into the NIT by beating Memphis on Wednesday night. Marshall, though leads Conference USA right now, we are assuming will not end up that way, which would leave either Southern Miss or Memphis, both of which we have in the dance if it started today, winning the regular season conference crown.

Horizon League
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: None
NIT Bubble: UW-Milwaukee Panthers OR Cleveland State Vikings
We really don’t like the chances for the Horizon League this year in the NIT if whichever one of these teams ends up as the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament wins the auto bid to the NCAAs. Cleveland State has the better resume right now than Milwaukee does, but neither one is really all that great. The winner of this conference will go dancing, and it seems as though no one else will be here in the NIT unless it is the No. 1 seed and doesn’t mak the tourney.

Missouri Valley Conference
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Northern Iowa Panthers
NIT Bubble: Drake Bulldogs, Illinois State Redbirds, Missouri State Bears
We see all of this talk that Lunardi has about Missouri State being a potential tourney team in spite of an 11-9 record, and we just don’t buy it. Teams like that don’t often even get into the NITs, as they get overlooked for teams that just have more wins. NIU is in fine shape for the NIT, and it should be a lock for the postseason in some respect. We think that at least one of Drake, ISU, or SMS will come to the field of 32 when it is said and done as long as the field doesn’t shrink that much.

Mountain West
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Wyoming Cowboys
NIT Bubble: None
If you’re going under the assumption that four teams are going dancing from the MWC (and right now, we are), there might not be a lot more for the NIT to decide upon. Wyoming will win 22 or 23 games this year, and that will be good enough to get it into the NIT in all likelihood, and though everyone in this conference might finish above .500 when it is said and done, without a team like Air Force really going on a run, this is, at best, a one bid league to the NIT.

Pac-12
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Washington Huskies, Oregon Ducks, Arizona Wildcats
NIT Bubble: UCLA Bruins, Colorado Buffaloes, Oregon State Beavers
With the Pac-12 likely only guaranteeing itself one bid to the dance and probably getting no more than two, the question is raised whether there could be six or seven teams in the NIT. We tend to think that the prospects of UCLA if available are good, and after they played so well in this tournament last year, the Buffaloes have to be considered as an NIT candidate as well even though both resumes are lacking. Oregon and U-Dub have good histories, as does Arizona, which is why we think that all three teams are in right now.

SEC
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Arkansas Razorbacks, LSU Tigers
NIT Bubble: Ole Miss Rebels, Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs
Unless the SEC really beats itself up this year, LSU and Arkansas seem like the two best candidates for the NIT. Georgia and the two other teams from the SEC West just don’t strike us as postseason contenders this year, but again, after watching Alabama do so well in this tournament last year, perhaps the NIT voters will be more inclined to welcome more teams to the SEC this year to the NIT than ever before.

Southern Conference
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: None
NIT Bubble: Davidson Wildcats OR Charleston Cougars
Davidson looks like a postseason team regardless of what goes down over the course of the next few weeks. It has a two game lead in the SoCon right now, and that would be good enough to give it the automatic bid here. If Charleston and Davidson both play well enough this year to finish with 20+ wins, both could head to the NIT, though any chances of an at-large bid from this conference really only seem to rest with Davidson.

Last season, college conference realignments really shook the landscape of college football as we know it. Now, the Boise State Broncos are in the Mountain West, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are in the Big 10, the Big 10 has 12 teams, and the Big 12 has 10 teams… not to mention that the artists formerly known as the Pac-10 are now known as the Pac-10 after taking the Colorado Buffaloes and Utah Utes. However, conference expansion certainly isn’t done yet, as there are shockwaves that are already rumbling across the country about how conference realignment might pan out.

Here’s what we already know: Next year, the ACC is going to have at least 14 teams in it. The Syracuse Orange and the Pittsburgh Panthers are heading to the ACC to make that conference have 14 teams. It is likely that the ACC is going to be looking for two more teams to add into the fold for an even 16.

We also know that the Big East is at least getting one team back in the TCU Horned Frogs, who made the commitment last year to jump from the Mountain West to the Big East once this athletic year is over.

The Texas A&M Aggies are trying to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, and though the SEC has openly welcomed the Aggies with open arms, there are still schools in the Big 12 like Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor that are trying to block the move. Odds have it, they won’t be successful, and in 2012, A&M will be in the SEC.

The question for the SEC though, is who the 14th team is going to be. There are some thoughts that perhaps TCU could go back on its word to the Big East and try to head to the SEC, but the West Virginia Mountaineers are trying to make the move as well. If this happens, it is clear that the Big East is just a dead conference waiting to be partitioned the rest of the way.

To make matters worse for the Big East, the ACC is also reportedly in pursuit of the Connecticut Huskies and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights for their Super Conference. This would round out the conference at 16 teams and would likely lock in the conference for the foreseeable future without any further expansion or departure… or does it???

The new realigned SEC Coference would have 14 teams with the additions of Texas A&M and West Virginia, and it would need two more schools. You just know that there won’t be small, unproven schools coming to the SEC, so the conference will do all that it can to poach from a bigger conference. Remember how the ACC thought it was set? Not so fast. Don’t be shocked if Florida State and Clemson headed to their instate rivals Florida and South Carolina and joins the SEC.

And that would leave the ACC with two open slots again to fill…

And that’s only the half of it. The Pac-12 is in talks with the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners about coming to their conference, and if that happens, the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Texas Tech Red Raiders will almost certainly be on the move to make that conference the Pac-16 as well.

That being said, the Big 12 would only be left with Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, Kansas, and Missouri. Kansas State and Kansas seem to be a package deal, and they could be headed to the Big 10, and that is the preferred conference for the Tigers as well. Iowa State and Baylor would be hung out to dry and might have to join lesser conferences. The 16th team for the Big 10? You’d like to think since this is probably going to ultimately signal the dawn of a college football playoff down the line, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are probably going to have to join, and this is the conference that makes the most sense.

And if you’re keeping score at home, the Big East could only be left with TCU, South Florida, Cincinnati, and Louisville, with the prospects of Villanova joining the FBS ranks for football in the coming years.

So let’s go back to the ACC, which has two slots to fill. Louisville and Cincinnati make relatively close travel partners, and the conference location does fit those schools, and though really any of the holdovers, or the possibility of South Florida and UCF coming into the ACC together exists, we tend to think that it would be the Bearcats and the Cardinals that enter into the ACC.

Thus, the dawn of the college football super conferences that we’ve been hearing all about… And right now, this is what we really could end up seeing when this alignment is said and done…

Proposed College Football Realignment & New Super Conferences
(College Footall Teams in Italics Designate New Teams Entering Conferences)

ACC “Super Conference”: Wake Forest, Maryland, NC State, Boston College, North Carolina, Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Miami, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Louisville

Pac-16 “Super Conference” (the old Pac 10): California, Stanford, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, USC, Arizona State, UCLA, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech

Big 10 “Super Conference”: Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri

SEC “Super Conference”: Florida, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Florida State, Clemson

Still, that leaves a lot of questions to be answered… Baylor, TCU, South Florida, and Iowa State all wouldn’t have places to go, though they could all come together in Conference USA. BYU is another team that is basically left out in the cold for all of this, and save for going to the WAC and hoping that eventually the WAC and the MWC combine, it could end up as an independent for the foreseeable future without a conference, and potentially without a spot in college football’s prospective playoff.

And then of course, there’s Boise State, the team that thought it was going to a conference in the MWC that could have been a powerhouse… until BYU opted for independence, TCU left for the Big East (or did they???), and Utah went to the Pac-12. There are going to be very, very unhappy teams in all of this, and in all likelihood, these are going to be the unhappy campers that are left out of the super conferences of college football.

The other question is what is left to do with the rest of the Big East Conference in basketball. Teams like Georgetown, Marquette, DePaul, and Villanova could be headed to the Atlantic 10, while that conference might have to eliminate some of its members at the bottom of the totem poll to try to get all of these teams under the same conference umbrella.

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The time is here for Final Four predictions, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’ve got our choices all ready and raring to go for the MVP of the Final Four. Check out our Final Four MVP picks for this weekend!

The man that is obviously the favorite to beat the odds to win the Final Four MVP is Connecticut Huskies superstar Kemba Walker (2 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook). Is Walker the best player on the best team in this dance? Possibly. He’s certainly the best player in the tourney, but he might not be on the best team. This is the right end of the draw for Walker to be on to win this honor, though. At some point, he was probably going to have to go through the Kentucky Wildcats anyway, and he is going to need to come up with one of these games like he had against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Sweet 16 when he rolled off a 14-1 personal run all by himself. You know that Walker is scoring the most points on the Huskies in virtually any game that they play. The question is whether UConn is winning it all or not.

There are doubts about every other player in this tournament though, as there isn’t a bona fide superstar that we know is going to be the most likely candidate to win the honors from his team assuming that that squad wins it all. We hate the odds to win Final 4 MVP on Brandon Knight (2.50 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook), just due to the nature that we could get Kentucky at 1.40 to 1 to win it all with or without Knight winning MVP. However, getting great odds on Terrence Jones (8 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook) is where it’s at if you’re loving Kentucky. Jones has really been tempered in this tournament due to the fact that he has gone up against some of the best big men in the nation, and he knows that these next two challenges should be significantly easier. Teams have been cueing in on Jones instead of Josh Harrellson, but there is no way that Harrellson is taking down the MVP honors for this tournament.

If there is a man like Harrellson that will be winning this award, it is Matt Howard (10 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook) from the Butler Bulldogs. Howard is one of these scrappy characters that just puts up some great numbers game after game without you even realizing it. He’s a great rebounder on the inside, and you know that he can shoot the ball on the outside just as easily as he can take it to the hole from the low block. Howard is the most dynamic player on the court for the Dogs, and he is the most likely candidate to get the job done in our opinion, even more so than Shelvin Mack.

Another type of player in the same sort of mold that could have great Final Four MVP odds is Bradford Burgess (20 to 1 @ BetUS Sportsbook) of the VCU Rams. First off, VCU is only 6 to 1 or so to win it all, meaning we’re getting better than 3 to 1 odds that Burgess is going to win the MVP of the game should the Rams win it. Those are some tremendous odds. Sure, Jamie Skeen could trump us, and we wouldn’t be overly, overly surprised if that were to happen, but the odds differential here is just insane. Burgess can get a double-double against an undersized Butler team relatively easily, and he is the type of man that can turn around that next game and hit all of those huge shots against either the Huskies or Wildcats from the outside that turns the tide of the game.

2011 Final Four MVP Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 4/1/11):
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Alex Oriakhi 15 to 1
Bradford Burgess 20 to 1
Brandon Knight 2.50 to 1
Brandon Rozzell 20 to 1
Darius Miller 15 to 1
Doron Lamb 15 to 1
Jamie Skeen 12 to 1
Jeremy Lamb 8 to 1
Joey Rodriguez 18 to 1
Josh Harrellson 10 to 1
Kemba Walker 2 to 1
Matt Howard 10 to 1
Shelvin Mack 6.50 to 1
Terrence Jones 8 to 1
Field 8 to 1

The Kentucky Wildcats and Connecticut Huskies met earlier this season at the Maui Invitational, and little did we know that this team that would go on to have a horrible record on the road and the other, which was unranked at the time, would be playing for the right to go to the National Championship Game. Check out how the Final Four odds stack up in this one!

Trends Of Note
Considering the fact that both of these teams ended up winning their conference tournaments this year, it’s no wonder why both have a heck of a lot of March Madness trends on their side in this one.

Kentucky has gone 5-1 ATS over the course of its last six games overall, and its only ATS loss in there was that escape from the Princeton Tigers in the first round of the tourney. UK is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 NCAA Tournament games as favorites. It is also 16-5-1 ATS in its last 22 games against Big East teams.

Connecticut has played six neutral site games in which it has been the underdog since the Big East Tournament, and it is a perfect 6-0 in those games. The Huskies are also 8-1 ATS since that magical run in the Big East Tournament started, and the lone failed attempt at a cover came against the Arizona Wildcats in the Elite 8. UConn is 7-2 ATS in its last nine NCAA Tournament odds battles and is 23-8 ATS in its last 31 games as an underdog. Head Coach Jim Calhoun and company are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games overall and are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 against the SEC.

We’ve already mentioned the 84-67 win for UConn in this series at the Maui Invitational earlier this year, but there are also two other meetings that these teams have had since 2006. Kentucky won 64-61 at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic last season at Madison Square Garden, while the Huskies pulled out an 87-83 win in the NCAA Tournament when these teams met in 2006.

Players To Watch
For Connecticut, this is a simple game plan. Get the ball in Kemba Walker’s hands and let him do his thing. Walker can really do anything and everything that is asked of him. He has averaged 23.9 points, 5.3 boards, and 4.5 assists per game this year, and he already has 74 swipes of the rock as well on the defensive end of the court. This is the leading scorer amongst players left standing in this tournament, and save for perhaps BYU Cougars’ Jimmer Fredette, there is no man in this entire tournament that is more feared than Walker. He also has played all but six minutes during the dance for Calhoun and company.

There are really only six men in the rotation for the Wildcats this season, and though men like Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb tend to get all of the accolades, Josh Harrellson is really the difference maker this year on this team. For a man that, for all intents and purposes, was nothing more than a stiff at the outset of the season, Harrellson has come on strong and averaged 14.8 points and 9.0 boards per game in the dance. He’s coming up with the big plays in the paint over and over again, and Calipari knows that his team would be forgotten if not for the play of Harrellson.

Keys to the Game
Connecticut has to find some players to step up aside from Walker. Jeremy Lamb, just a freshman, has really matured beyond his years in the postseason this year. He carried the team in the win against the DePaul Blue Demons, and since that point, he has had nine straight double digit scoring games. Lamb is a heck of a shooter, and he is likely going to end up being the man that has to take this team over after Walker is gone, and whether it is him or Alex Oriakhi that is picking up the slack, one of them just has to help out Walker.

For Kentucky, the trick is going to be staying out of foul trouble. When Walker is cutting to the basket on a regular basis, he tends to be able to lure some fouls out of some of the most disciplined teams in the nation. The Wildcats just cannot afford to do stupid things, because the team just isn’t deep enough. Calipari complained about turnovers and dumb fouls about this team all season long, and if those issues rear their ugly heads again in this one like they were at times this year, the Cats are in a ton of trouble.

The Butler Bulldogs and the VCU Rams are arguably two of the most unlikely teams to ever make it to the Final Four. Here at Bankroll Sports, we have all of the ins and outs that you need to know about the first of the two national semifinals in Houston, TX.

Trends Of Note
The Rams have absolutely stormed through five games in the NCAA Tournament this year, accounting for five covers on the March Madness odds and five outright victories as underdogs, something that is just unprecedented by any standards in most any sport. They are now 9-0 ATS over the course of their last nine NCAA Tournament games overall, though they have never been in this type of a spotlight before in school history. However, if there is one bugaboo surrounding this team, it is that it is just 1-4 ATS over the course of its last five games played on Saturdays.

Butler has had a remarkable run as well, and it has some significantly more important NCAA basketball trends on its side. Sure, the Dogs are 4-0 SU and ATS as well in this tournament, something that is absolutely remarkable, but more importantly, they are 17-5 ATS over the course of their last 22 games played in the dance, many of which have come under Head Coach Brad Stevens. The Bulldogs are a whopping 21-4-2 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600, and they are 40-16-2 ATS in their last 58 games played outside of the Horizon League. Butler is also 15-2 ATS in its last 17 neutral site games, which includes some great duels against fantastic teams both in and out of conference.

Players To Watch
For VCU, the men to really watch out for are Jamie Skeen and Bradford Burgess. These two make the perfect inside, outside combination, and they can both do a ton of damage from all over the course. Burgess actually had his quietest game against the Kansas Jayhawks over the weekend, as he only scored nine points. However, just like we saw against the Florida State Seminoles, he can be unconscious from beyond the arc and just knock down triples like it’s nothing. Skeen, a transfer from the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, stood toe to toe with Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris on Sunday, and the end result was one of his best games of the year with 26 points and 10 boards. He rarely takes time off in games, and he can stretch the entire court as well.

Of course, Butler has its own version of a dynamic inside, outside twosome with Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack. These two were key in the run to the finale last year in the dance, and they are both doing it once again. Howard is the gritty player that really probably doesn’t have all that much talent, but can really get the job done just through hard work. He’s always getting those tough boards, and he’s got a great shot from the outside as well. Howard has six straight games with at least 14 points scored, something that is really key for his team. Mack can just go off as he did against the Florida Gators, scoring 27 points on Saturday in the Elite 8. He also had 30 against the Pitt Panthers. The better the foe, the better this man plays, and this should be his time to shine now that he doesn’t have to split outside shots with the departed Gordon Hayward.

Keys to the Game
The trick for VCU is going to be three point shooting. March Madness betting fans know that this is the key to these mid major teams equalizing against the big boys, and the Rams have taken full advantage of it. Just listen to these three point stats from the games in this tournament… 12-of-25 against Kansas, 12-of-26 against Florida State, 8-of-21 against Purdue, 12-of-25 against Georgetown, 9-of-24 against USC… and all of this comes for a team that was shooting less than 36 percent from beyond the arc at the start of this tournament!

For Butler, obviously, defending the triple is going to be of paramount importance, but it seems like keeping Howard on the court is the bigger key. Howard is really the grit of this club, and if he isn’t in the fold, Butler is hard pressed to find a replacement for him. Over the course of the last two seasons in the dance, the Bulldogs were just significantly better with Howard out there than with him on the bench, and if he can stay out there, he should be able to provide Skeen with a heck of a battle in the paint. It’s not about the numbers. It’s just about keeping him and his presence out there on the court at all times.