Just when you thought that you did haven’t anything to do with the NFL that you could bet on… The 2013 Madden Cover Contest is on and here at Bankroll Sports, we are handicapping the 2013 Madden Cover contest and trying to figure out which player will be on the cover of the Madden NFL 2013 game! All Madden cover odds courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook!

The top dog for this year’s Madden cover is none other than the Carolina Panthers’ QB Cam Newton (2013 Madden Cover Odds: 5 to 2 @ Bovada Sportsbook). Newton clearly had the best year that a rookie has ever had, and he is one of these figures that is hard to hate at this point. He does it all, and there really isn’t a player that he can run into on the bracket that could possibly upset him until perhaps the third round against someone like a LeSean McCoy or Larry Fitzgerald. Even then, it just doesn’t seem likely. Don’t be shocked if Newton makes it all the way, as he is clearly one of the more popular players and is deserving of being on the Madden cover, even if he is just in his second year.

It’s not all that often that we talk about the prospects of a tight end being on the Madden cover, but there is no doubt that Rob Gronkowski (Odds To Be On Madden Cover: 6 to 1 @ Bovada Sportsbook) is going to be a man that takes deep run into this tournament. Gronk is another one of these figures that really came out on nowhere to be a force this year, and he is in a bracket that just isn’t all that hard when push comes to shove. There shouldn’t be a player challenge him until Round 3, where the likes of Arian Foster or Calvin Johnson could be waiting. Remember that Gronk also has the Boston market on his side, and though playing with the New England Patriots does turn off a ton of fans, it also helps get the support of his own huge market.

List Of All Madden Covers Players
Note: Before 1999, John Madden was on the cover
2013 Madden Cover – ???
2012 Madden Cover – Peyton Hillis (Cleveland Browns)
2011 Madden Cover – Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
2010 Madden Cover – Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals) and Troy Polamalu (Pittsburgh Steelers)
2009 Madden Cover – Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers)
2008 Madden Cover – Vince Young (Tennessee Titans)
2007 Madden Cover – Shaun Alexander (Seattle Seahawks)
2006 Madden Cover – Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles)
2005 Madden Cover – Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens)
2004 Madden Cover – Michael Vick (Atlanta Falcons)
2003 Madden Cover – Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Rams)
2002 Madden Cover – Daunte Culpepper (Minnesota Vikings)
2001 Madden Cover – Eddie George (Tennessee Titans)
2000 Madden Cover – Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions) and Dorsey Levens (Green Bay Packers)
1999 Madden Cover – Garrison Hearst (San Francisco 49ers)

At the top of that bracket though, is the quarterback that we think can get the job done. Aaron Rodgers (Odds To Be On Madden 13 Cover: 5 to 1 @ Bovada Sportsbook) of the Green Bay Packers won the league’s MVP award last year, and he probably would have been a virtual lock to be on the Madden Cover had he led his team to a second straight Super Bowl title. He has absolutely no one in his draw that should be a threat to his crown until perhaps running into Drew Brees in the third round, but even then, with all of the negativity that is floating around in the Bayou right now, we just don’t think that Brees is going to be the one that gets the job done.

Every now and again in a contest like this one, you see some screwy results. The fans of the Oakland Raiders are crazy, and Florida State Seminoles football fans flock all around the country. There aren’t many that would say anything bad whatsoever about one of their fan favorites Sebastian Janikowski (Madden NFL 13 Cover Odds: 100 to 2 @ Bovada Sportsbook). Okay, sure. We get it. Janikowski is a kicker. That being said, he is going against Maurice Jones-Drew in the first round of this tournament, a man that probably has no business being a No. 3 seed in this bracket, and neither Matt Forte nor Patrick Willis really seem like that much of a threat either. Janikowski has made all sorts of history in the past with some of his outrageous field goal attempts, and now, he can make even more history if he can become the first kicker or punter to be on the cover of a Madden game.

Full List of 2013 Madden Cover Odds @ Bovada Sportsbook (as of 3/24/12):
(Get a HUGE 20% Bonus at Bovada.lv When Using This Link)
Cam Newton 5 to 2
Aaron Rodgers 5 to 1
Rob Gronkowski 6 to 1
Victor Cruz 10 to 1
Arian Foster 12 to 1
Calvin Johnson 12 to 1
Maurice Jones-Drew 12 to 1
Drew Brees 15 to 1
Larry Fitzgerald 15 to 1
LeSean McCoy 15 to 1
Matt Forte 15 to 1
Ray Rice 15 to 1
Tim Tebow 15 to 1
Darrelle Revis 25 to 1
Jared Allen 25 to 1
Antonio Gates 35 to 1
Marshawn Lynch 35 to 1
Chris Johnson 50 to 1
DeMarcus Ware 50 to 1
Dwight Freeney 50 to 1
Stevie Johnson 50 to 1
Dwayne Bowe 60 to 1
Patrick Willis 60 to 1
AJ Green 70 to 1
Reggie Bush 70 to 1
Brandon Lloyd 80 to 1
Matt Ryan 80 to 1
Troy Polamalu 80 to 1
Brian Orakpo 100 to 1
Sebastian Janikowski 100 to 1
LeGarrette Blount 125 to 1
Joe Haden 150 to 1

To say that Tim Tebow is a polarizing character is a bit of an understatement. He will be making his debut with the New York Jets on Monday, and he is going to inevitably be used in a ton of packages this year for the boys from the Big Apple. Check out our 2012 New York Jets predictions, complete with a look at how Tebow fits with the Jets. These are our 2012 Tim Tebow props!

Will Tim Tebow start at least one game for the Jets in 2012?
Betting this prop is going to be a bit of a crapshoot. We tend to think that if something happens to Mark Sanchez in terms of an injury, it would be Greg McElroy that ends up getting the nod as the starter and not Tebow, though we know that the pressure and the temptation to get No. 15 in the game is going to be there for Head Coach Rex Ryan. The Denver Broncos melted under the pressure of the fans last year to put Tebow in, and it turns out that they were probably right to want to see their former first round draft pick in action. That being said, Ryan isn’t the type of man that is going to give into the media or the fans all that easily, as he beats to the tune of his own drummer. We tend to think that Tebow is going to at least start all 16 games on the bench this year for the Jets, though we are aware that even starting off the game as a Wildcat quarterback just once would ruin our bet as well.

Tim Tebow rushing TDs in 2012 Over/Under 4
Sanchez has had some problems over the course of his career in the red zone, and we have to think that that means Tebow is going to come in and try to pound the ball into the end zone when the Jets are down close this year. We’ve seen good ol’ No. 15 do it before, and we surely will see it again. Ryan and the Jets still have to have nightmares about Tebow running into the end zone against them after a long drive that beat them in Denver late in the season, and that is likely going to be exactly what the coaching staff tries to get done with Tebow this year. Four is a generously low number for his rushing TDs this year, knowing that he is probably a better power back than Shonn Greene is.

Tim Tebow passing TDs in 2012 Over/Under 1
One? Really? Just one? We at least see it as a possibility that Tebow is going to be a starter at some point this year, and we could see a number of games in which he comes off of the bench to try to give the team a spark. Offensive Coordinator Tony Sparano isn’t an idiot, and he knows what it is going to take to run this Wildcat to perfection. Tebow is going to have no choice but to throw the football out of this formation. Whether it be a bit of a razzle-dazzle play, or whether it is a jump pass, or even just a flat out drop back and throw, we have to think that Tebow is going to get at least one TD pass on the campaign, and that number might be a heck of a lot more when it is said and done with.

Full List of 2012 Tim Tebow/New York Jets Props @ Bovada Sportsbook (as of 3/24/12):
(Get a HUGE 20% Bonus at Bovada.lv When Using This Link)
Will Tim Tebow start at least one game at QB for the Jets in the 2012 regular season?
Yes -150
No +110

Tim Tebow – Total Rushing TDs in the 2012 Regular Season
Over 4 -115
Under 4 -115

Tim Tebow – Total Passing TDs in the 2012 Regular Season
Over 1 -130
Under 1 Even

Will either Tim Tebow or Mark Sanchez catch a pass in the 2012 regular season?
Yes -140
No +110

Bovada Sportsbook has another great set of NCAA Tournament props available for you to bet on for all of the big games of the day! Check out some of the top props on the board, as well as a list of Elite 8 props for you to sink your teeth into!

Total Three Point Shots Made By Kenny Boynton Over 2.5
The time is here for Boynton to really step up and have a great game. He has been wildly inconsistent in this tourney, but he hasn’t been afraid to jack up the three point shot when he has the chance to either. Remember that this junior knocked down 108 triples on the season, and he shot 41.1 percent from downtown. Sure, things have been rough for the most part in the tourney, and we know that the Louisville defense is going to be stifling to say the least, but in the end, we think that all of the penetration and kicking out to the perimeter is going to give Boynton all of the opportunities in the world to get to these three made triples.

Total Points and Rebounds for Patric Young Under 16.5
In all likelihood, Young is going to draw Gorgui Dieng in this game, and if that turns out to be his defensive assignment, there had better be a heck of a lot of rebounds that this forward gets if he wants to reach this number. As it is, Young only had 10.2 points and 6.4 boards per game this year, and we have to remember that he hasn’t had the greatest games here in the dance either. Sure, he was able to go off for 21 and nine against the Kentucky Wildcats a few weeks ago, but he also has had a total of just 26 points and rebounds combined in the last two games. Dieng is going to be too tough of a draw for Young to get his stats on in this one.

Total Free Throw Shots Made By Peyton Siva Under 2.5
This is a prop that just doesn’t make all that much sense to us. Siva only averages getting to the charity stripe 3.2 times per game, and though he was a 73.0 percent foul shooter this year, that number is in the high 60s for his career. So, what needs to happen here to beat us is that Siva needs to get to the foul line a lot more often than he normally does, and he needs to hit at least one more from the line than he normally does to beat us. Laying -150 in this case just doesn’t seem like it is that unrealistic to do for a man that only made a grand total of 84 free throws on the season.

Two of the top teams in the whole NCAA Tournament are going to square off on Thursday night in Beantown, and we are set to make our Elite 8 predictions with our Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Syracuse Orange keys to the game.

2012 Elite 8 Matchup: #2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #1 Syracuse Orange
East Region Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Elite 8 Date/Time: Saturday, March 24th, 7:05 p.m.
Ohio State vs. Syracuse Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: Someone is going to have to take over the role of Fab Melo in the middle
Syracuse has been able to use a strong enough defense to get the job done against some of the other teams in this tournament, knowing that none of the three opponents that the team has faced has scored more than 65 points. That being said, there really hasn’t been that dominating big man that would be able to penetrate into the teeth of that 2-3 zone like Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas will likely be able to. It is hard to see how anyone else is going to be able to anchor the middle of this defense for a lineup that is suddenly quite small, and if no one can take to the task at hand, the big boys for the Buckeyes are going to have a field day assuming that the guards take care of the basketball and can work it inside.

Elite 8 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Ohio State Buckeyes -3
Syracuse Orange +3
Over/Under 135.5
Click Here to Bet Your Elite 8 Picks!

Key #2: Aaron Craft has to make sure the OSU offense keeps up at a good clip
It’s hard to always identify which one of the Ohio State guards is truly the point guard, but Craft is the man that has to make a lot of the big time passes to get the ball inside in the post. He did a remarkable job of this against the Cincinnati Bearcats, another team from the Big East, and another team that plays a heck of a lot like these Orange do. We know when Sullinger and Thomas get the ball in their hands, they know what they are doing with it. They shot a combined 17-of-30 from the floor and had 49 points between them, and they also had 18 boards. The key is going to be keeping them involved and getting the ball to them in the post as early as possible. If that’s the case, not only will the inside game be working, but the outside game is going to likely get involved as well when the others in the Syracuse backcourt are crashing down to help out and double team.

Key #3: Kris Joseph has to kick his game into gear
Joseph is a man that averaged shooting the ball over 10 times per game in the regular season, and he shot 42.2 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from downtown. He is the man that is almost certainly going to have to step up and hit the big time shot down the stretch. However, the problem is that he has now had six straight games with 12 points or fewer, and all of those games are below his scoring average, which currently sits at 13.5 points per game. It is going to take senior leadership to get the job done in this one against an Ohio State team that is likely a heck of a lot more talented than the Syracuse team that is going to be on the court.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Elite 8 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

Either the Florida Gators or the Louisville Cardinals are going to claim the first spot in the Final Four on Saturday, and we are going to try to nail down the winner of this one with our Elite 8 picks to start the weekend.

2012 Elite 8 Matchup: #7 Florida Gators vs. #4 Louisville Cardinals
West Region Location: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
Elite 8 Date/Time: Saturday, March 24th, 4:30 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Louisville Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: It’s all about the intensity
You aren’t going to find two teams that go at it on either side of the floor with the intensity that the Gators and the Cardinals bring to the table. This is the exact matchup that we were hoping to see, because Head Coaches Billy Donovan and Rick Pitino both get the most out of their players. Are these two teams amongst the most talented eight in the land? Probably not. However, there is no reason to think that either of these teams are going to back down right now. The pressure that is going to be put on both of these teams with full court pressure and the offenses that try to get up and go, and the team that wins this one very well could be the one that has the more intense runs of the two.

Elite 8 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Florida Gators -1.5
Louisville Cardinals +1.5
Over/Under 131.5
Click Here to Bet Your Elite 8 Picks!

Key #2: Gorgui Dieng has to have a huge game
What really made the difference in Florida’s win over the Marquette Golden Eagles is that the team found a way to take the Marquette big men out of the equation. It goes without saying that the Gators are a group that love to run and do so with at least three, and usually four guards on the court. Dieng is the big man that can really do a lot on both sides of the court. You might look at the five points that Dieng had against the Michigan State Spartans and think that he had a bad game. Then look closer at the box score. He had nine boards, seven blocks, and three steals and altered a slew of what MSU tried to get done. We know what Florida does; this is a team that loves to drive the ball and kick it out to the perimeter and take three point shots if the layup or short jumper isn’t open. Dieng can change all of that when push comes to shove, and he should be able to throw his body around. If he does that and stays out of foul trouble, UF had better hope that it is hitting its outside shots without all that many difficulties, or it will be in a lot of trouble.

Key #3: It’s time for Kenny Boynton to play like a veteran
Boynton only had 11 points in the Sweet 16 against Marquette, and he has been wildly inconsistent in the postseason. He only had two points against the Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC Tournament Final, and he had just eight against the Virginia Cavaliers. That being said, he also had 20 against the Norfolk State Spartans. This is a man that averages 16.0 points per game and shoots 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. There is a lot of pressure on Boynton, though there has been a heck of a lot of production from Bradley Beal and the others. We just don’t know if that’s going to be able to keep up in the rest of this tournament. The Gators really need their leader to play like one.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Elite 8 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

Many think that the NC State Wolfpack are going to be the team to get the job done and become that coveted double digit seed to make it to the Elite 8. However, the Kansas Jayhawks are one of the favorites on the March Madness odds, and we know that they aren’t going to go down without a fight. Check out our Sweet 16 predictions for this big time clash!

2012 Sweet 16 Matchup: #4 NC State Wolfpack vs. #1 Kansas Jayhawks
Midwest Region Location: Scottrade Arena, St. Louis, MO
Sweet 16 Date/Time: Friday, March 23rd, 10:15 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Kansas Television Coverage: TBS

Key #1: The Wolfpack have to play this game loose
It is tough to say that a team from the ACC has to play like it has nothing to lose, knowing that this is a side that has gone up against the likes of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils this year. However, what we have found over the course of the last few weeks is that NC State is really playing with a different sort of swagger about it. The team doesn’t feel like it is choking away those pivotal games that it needs to get into the dance, and though it didn’t ultimately make it to the ACC Tournament Final, it sure looked like one of the best teams in the conference. CJ Leslie has to keep his head on straight, and the team has to do whatever it can to get the ball in the hands of Scott Wood from long range. He is an assassin and a veteran, and he is the type of player that can put the whole team on his back and lead the club to a tremendous victory.

Sweet 16 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
NC State Wolfpack +8
Kansas Jayhawks -8
Over/Under 142.5
Click Here to Bet Your Sweet 16 Picks!

Key #2: The Jayhawks need to dominate in the paint
You read that right: Dominate. This is what the Jayhawks just haven’t been doing in this tournament. There have been too many shots from the outside, and players like Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson, though are getting their stats, just don’t seem to be anywhere near as dominating as they were at times during the Big XII campaign. This also means that the little guys have to get into the paint and do some slashing, and it almost seems like the moment has been too big for Tyshawn Taylor to withstand even though this is now his second year here in the tourney. Robinson and Withey both have double-double potential, but they are going to have to be imposing to a somewhat undersized Wolfpack outfit that might not be in the greatest of shape coming into this one to compete on the glass.

Key #3: The defensive pressure has to be there for Kansas
This more or less goes right along with the fact that the Jayhawks have to be a dominating team in the paint. Every now and again, you see this defense go to sleep. We saw it at home against the Missouri Tigers when they went on that big time run in the comeback at Allen Fieldhouse, and we saw it in spurts with Robbie Hummel and the Purdue Boilermakers. Still, this is a team that ranks in the Top 50 in basically every major defensive category, and if it is going to play like that team, it is going to take a truly remarkable shooting effort for the Jayhawks to get knocked out. Getting lazy on the defensive end of the court can, and has been this team’s downfall in the past, and we are afraid that the only way that Rock Chalk gets booted here in St. Louis, a de facto home court, is if it doesn’t have the mindset to get the job done.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Sweet 16 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

The South Region will send its last team to the Elite 8 on Friday night, and the Indiana Hoosiers and the Kentucky Wildcats duke it out for that spot. We’re set to make our Sweet 16 predictions for the clash in Hot ‘Lanta!

2012 Sweet 16 Matchup: #4 Indiana Hoosiers vs. #1 Kentucky Wildcats
South Region Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Sweet 16 Date/Time: Friday, March 23rd, 9:45 p.m.
Indiana vs. Kentucky Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: Marquis Teague has to keep up with his strong tourney
Teague is still the freshman of the bunch that is under the most pressure. He is the point guard for this team, and he is the catalyst that has to get the job done. It’s not that he has to be a big time scorer, though he clearly was with his 24 points against the Iowa State Cyclones last weekend. However, Teague has to make smart decisions and take care of the basketball, and that is what we are wondering whether an inconsistent freshman is really going to be able to do. Again, it’s important to state, so far, so good for Teague, but we know that things might not stay that way as the competition gets stronger and stronger. You can bet that the Indiana guards are going to be licking their chops at having another shot at Teague in this one.

Sweet 16 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Indiana Hoosiers +9
Kentucky Wildcats -9
Over/Under 144
Click Here to Bet Your Sweet 16 Picks!

Key #2: Indiana has to weather the storm and keep its head above water
Remember that for as young as Kentucky is, the Hoosiers aren’t all that much more experienced. Cody Zeller is just a freshman, and there are no Final Four runs for any of these players in the past. It was remarkable to think that Christian Watford was able to get the job done and knock down the biggest shot of his career and arguably the biggest shot that a Hoosier has knocked down in a decade to beat #1 Kentucky. We know that the Wildcats are going to come out angry and looking for revenge, and there are going to be times in this game when their talent takes over and they are able to go on a run. This is where Head Coach Tom Crean has to coach the biggest game of his career. He has to make sure to keep his team grounded during every timeout period and make sure that he uses his stoppages wisely. The Wildcats are beatable when they get frustrated, but if they frustrate the Hoosiers, there is going to be no encore performance out of the boys in red.

Key #3: The Kentucky bigs have to be big
Save for perhaps the North Carolina Tar Heels, there isn’t another team in the nation that can rebound the basketball with as much talent and authority as the Wildcats can. If is very clear that if Anthony Davis, Terrence Jones, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are all approaching the double-double line, Kentucky is going to be insanely hard to beat. This isn’t a team that takes all that many fouls, and it has to stay that way. Odds have it, a man like Davis and one like Zeller will counter each other. The question is whether Gilchrist-Kidd and Jones are going to be able to really step up and prove that they are the superior athletes in this game. If so, this could be a cakewalk for the boys in blue. If not, it might be Heartbreak Hotel in St. Louis for the Wildcats.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Sweet 16 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

The lowest rated team left in the dance, the Ohio Bobcats, are going to try to beat the NCAA basketball betting lines for a third time and make for another March Madness odds upset when they take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Gateway to the West.

2012 Sweet 16 Matchup: #13 Ohio Bobcats vs. #1 North Carolina Tar Heels
West Region Location: Scottrade Arena, St. Louis, MO
Sweet 16 Date/Time: Friday, March 23rd, 7:45 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. North Carolina Television Coverage: TBS

Key #1: North Carolina’s guards need to keep the tempo of this game moving
It’s all about the tempo in this one. We already know that the Tar Heels have been slowed down this year by the loss of Dexter Strickland from February, and now, the question is there as to whether or not Kendall Marshall is going to be able to play. Marshall had a screw inserted into his wrist to try to stabilize it, and it is still highly questionable as to whether he is going to be out there or not. Even if he is, there is a real question as to how effective of a player he can be. The Ohio guards tend to play stingy defense, and DJ Cooper, even at just 5’11″, is going to be a nuisance to try to get around. He has quick hands and averages well over a pair of steals per game. If the tempo stays hot like Carolina wants it, it is going to be hard for those guards to be off to the races in transition while the Tar Heels are standing still. This is one of the only ways that we can see the Bobcats even remotely hanging in this one, and if UNC neutralizes it by keeping the ball moving when it is on offense, Ohio won’t be able to keep up.

Sweet 16 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Ohio Bobcats +10.5
North Carolina Tar Heels -10.5
Over/Under 143
Click Here to Bet Your Sweet 16 Picks!

Key #2: The Bobcats can’t get killed on the boards
Ohio doesn’t have a player on its team that averages more than 5.0 rebounds per game, and Cooper, which it bears repeating is just 5’11″, is one of the team’s top guys on the glass. John Henson, Harrison Barnes, and Tyler Zeller just love matchups like this one, and when they run into teams that are brutally undersized, it’s almost as if they are all competing with each other to be the first to log a double-double. The Bobcats have to clear the defensive boards, and they can’t let Carolina get all that many second chance points. There is no way, save for some luck, that Ohio outrebounds the Tar Heels, but it can’t just be embarrassed on the boards, or it is going to be far too hard to keep up with the North Carolina offense. Trying to stop this squad once is hard. Twice or more times on the same possession is virtually impossible.

Key #3: Ohio can’t have too many empty possessions
Going against the length of the North Carolina defense is always hard for any team, but particularly one that isn’t all that athletic, big, or quick. That being said, the Bobcats do have some veteran ball handlers that make sure they don’t turn the ball over. It is going to be hard to get anything in terms of offensive rebounds in this one, and that’s part of the reason that we are so insistent that Ohio gets off as many shots as it can on possessions. Having the ball and turning it over is the recipe for a disaster, and the team just cannot get anywhere near its 12.9 turnovers per game, or it is going to take just a phenomenal shooting performance to have a chance of sticking inside of double digits in the Sweet 16.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Sweet 16 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.