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.

The NCAA Tournament continues into its second weekend starting on Thursday, and before you make your Sweet 16 picks, be sure to check out this March Madness trends and picks sheet to help you out through the big weekend on the collegiate hardwood.

Thursday, March 24th, 7:15 ET: #3 Connecticut Huskies vs. #2 San Diego State Aztecs
March Madness Odds: Connecticut -1
March Madness Trends of Note
The Huskies have covered four straight games as favorites
Connecticut is 6-0 ATS in its last six against teams with a winning percentage above .600
The Aztecs are 21-8-1 ATS in their last 30 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600

NCAA Tournament Notes
The Huskies are putting on one of the more remarkable runs that we have ever seen a team go on in the postseason, as they won seven games and covered seven spreads in a span of just 12 days against some of the best teams in the land. Kemba Walker just seems to be unconscious right now, and the argument could be made that he is the most important player left in this tournament. The Aztecs have only won two NCAA Tournament games in their history, both of which happened to be here in this tournament. SDSU will have the decided home court advantage playing in Anaheim. These two teams have never met before on the hardwood.

Thursday, March 24th, 7:27 ET: #3 BYU Cougars vs. #2 Florida Gators
March Madness Odds: Florida -3
March Madness Trends of Note
BYU is just 30-62-2 ATS in its last 94 games as an underdog
The Gators are 6-0 ATS in their last six NCAA Tournament games as favorites
Florida is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven games following an SU victory

NCAA Tournament Notes
Could it be sweet revenge in the Sweet 16 for the Gators? Head Coach Billy Donovan hopes so, as these Cougars knocked the Gators out of the dance last season the first round in a 99-92 game that was decided in overtime. Both of these teams look remarkably similar to their forms from last season, as the only real absence from last year is Brandon Davies, who was kicked off of the BYU roster a few weeks ago. Still, the Gators have a great history here in the Sweet 16, and they are trying to make it back to their fourth Final Four in the Donovan era. BYU is just trying to prove that it belongs and that it should have been the No. 2 seed of these two teams in this region.

Thursday, March 24th, 9:45 ET: #5 Arizona Wildcats vs. #1 Duke Blue Devils
March Madness Odds: Duke -8.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Wildcats are just 1-5 ATS in their last six games against the ACC
Duke has covered five in a row against the Pac-10
The Blue Devils are 6-2 ATS in their last eight NCAA Tournament games

NCAA Tournament Notes
The Blue Devils have all to play for right now, as they are just four steps away from retaining their National Championship, something that many didn’t give them that great of a chance to do just last week. The trick is going to be coping with the long trip out to Anaheim, as Arizona will have a decided home court edge, just as SDSU will against UConn earlier in the night. The Wildcats have now won two games thanks to the prowess of Derrick Williams in the post, and he is going to be the key, while the Dookies are going to hope that the good health of Kyrie Irving can set them apart in this one. These two last met in 2001 in the National Championship Game, and Duke knocked off the Wildcats 82-72 as short four point underdogs.

Thursday, March 24th, 9:57 ET: #8 Butler Bulldogs vs. #4 Wisconsin Badgers
March Madness Odds: Wisconsin -4.5
March Madness Trends of Note
Butler has covered six straight March Madness betting battles
Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in its last six games played outside of the Big Ten
The Bulldogs are 21-5-2 ATS in their last 28 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600

NCAA Tournament Notes
Butler really has a great chance of pulling off the upset in this one if it can shoot the ball as well as it has in its first two games in this tournament against the Old Dominion Monarchs and Pittsburgh Panthers, especially late in games from long range. This is largely the same team that was in the finale last season that lost by a whisker, save for the fact that sharpshooter Gordon Hayward is now in the NBA. The Badgers haven’t had a great history once they reach this point in the dance, but they do have a tremendous defensive team and one that can really shoot free throws in clutch spots. If it’s a close game, Wisconsin will have the huge upper hand. Back in January 2001, Butler went into the Kohl Center and knocked off the Badgers 58-44 in the most recent meeting of these two Midwest schools.

Friday, March 25th, 7:15 ET: #11 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. #2 North Carolina Tar Heels
March Madness Odds: North Carolina -4.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Golden Eagles are 23-11 ATS in their last 34 games against teams with a winning percentage greater than .600.
North Carolina is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games in the NCAA Tournament
The Tar Heels are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games overall

NCAA Tournament Notes
UNC really has had the look of an incredibly dominating team of late, as it really hasn’t played a truly remarkable game since the regular season finale against the Duke Blue Devils. Still, the Heels have a great set of bigs to work with that can get the job done on the inside (John Henson and Tyler Zeller) and on the outside (Harrison Barnes). Marquette is quickly developing into the sweetheart of this tournament, especially knowing that it has 14 losses to its credit already this season. Still, of all of the Big East teams that were in this field, this is clearly the least likely one to do any further damage and would be the most surprising team to reach the Final Four.

Friday, March 25th, 7:27 ET: #12 Richmond Spiders vs. #1 Kansas Jayhawks
March Madness Odds: Kansas -10.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Spiders are 10-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall
Kansas is 4-0 ATS in its last four games against the Atlantic 10
The Jayhawks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 NCAA Tournament tussles as favorites of 7.0-12.5 points

NCAA Tournament Notes
These two teams do have a history with one another, and you can bet that the Spiders will not be intimidated by going against the No. 1 seed in the Southwest Bracket. Richmond won at Allen Fieldhouse back in 2004, scoring a 69-68 triumph. Little did we know that Kansas was going to eventually roll off 69 straight wins there through this season. Still, these two teams are built totally differently, as the Spiders really need to play this game in the 60s to have success, while the Jayhawks are content to run and gun into the 70s or even into the 80s. Kansas, of course, is still working to try to erase the memory of that brutal loss in the second round last year to the Northern Iowa Panthers, and you can bet that Head Coach Bill Self will have this team ready even though Richmond is another “mid major” team.

Friday, March 25th, 9:45 ET: #4 Kentucky Wildcats vs. #1 Ohio State Buckeyes
March Madness Odds: Ohio State -5.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Big Ten
Ohio State is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games following an SU win of 20 or more points
The Buckeyes are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 March Madness matches as favorites

NCAA Tournament Notes
This is one of the most intriguing games of the entire tournament to date, as this one pits one of the No. 1 seeds from last year’s tournament in Kentucky, against the No. 1 overall seed in the dance in Ohio State. The talent is there for these two to really put on a tremendous show, as both teams definitely have the full complement of big guys and sharpshooters. Either one could win a game in the 50s just as easily as it could win one in the 90s. One thing is for sure, and that’s that there certainly will be no lack of talent on display. Both of these teams have played some absolutely fantastic basketball to reach this point, and you can bet that both will want to put their best foot forward to get into the Elite 8.

Friday, March 25th, 9:57 ET: #11 VCU Rams vs. #10 Florida State Seminoles
March Madness Odds: Florida State -3.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Rams are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games in the NCAA Tournament
VCU is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against ACC opponents
Florida State is 2-6 ATS in its last eight neutral site games as a favorite

NCAA Tournament Notes
This is certainly the most unlikely of the eight matchups in the Sweet 16, as it isn’t all that often that we see a pair of double digit seeds pitted against each other, especially this late on. The Rams are the Cinderella stories for sure, as they had to come out of the First Four to reach this point. They’ve done so with great shooting from the outside and a tenacious full court defense, and the Georgetown Hoyas and Purdue Boilermakers haven’t even stayed remotely close to them. As a result, Head Coach Shaka Smart, who is suddenly the hottest young coaching commodity out there, has his team in the Sweet 16 for the first time Florida State had never won an NCAA Tournament game under Head Coach Leonard Hamilton before this year. This is its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1998 when it was ironically also a double digit seed. Chris Singleton is hoping to be able to make full contributions for the Seminoles this week after playing limited minutes in the first two rounds of the dance. FSU’s defense has been second to none in this tournament, as the Texas A&M Aggies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish just had no chance of getting around this very athletic team.

March Madness picks kick off on Tuesday with the first round of games in Dayton, OH. Today, we analyze the odds to win the Southwest Region and all of the March Madness betting lines for the big event!

The team that maybe should have been the No. 1 overall seed in this tournament was the Kansas Jayhawks (2 to 1 Odds to Win Southwest Region at BetUS Sportsbook). This is an NCAA Tournament about redemption for Rock Chalk after last year’s debacle and embarrassment of getting knocked out in the second round of the dance. Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris are arguably the best duo of inside players in the entire nation, and in a bracket that could be very shallow and narrow, this is a dangerous, dangerous team.

There really aren’t many teams outside of the box of the top seeds that can probably win this bracket. Before this season started, the Purdue Boilermakers (5 to 1 NCAA Tournament Odds at BetUS Sportsbook) would have been one of the favorites for the Final Four. We know that Robbie Hummel isn’t here anymore after tearing his ACL, but JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore are still two of the best players in this entire bracket. Don’t be surprised if one of the preseason favorites turns out to ultimately be one of the last teams standing in the Elite 8, or maybe even the Final Four.

If there’s a team that can go on a roll, it is the Georgetown Hoyas (30 to 1 March Madness odds at BetUS Sportsbook). The Hoyas would be in great shape this season if they had Chris Wright, but he has been out of the lineup for the last few weeks. Georgetown’s issue here though, is that it limps into the NCAA Tournament off of four straight losses. Still, Julian Wright, Austin Freeman, and company have the complete package of players, and this crew really can catch fire in a hurry and do a ton of damage.

2011 Southwest Region Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/13/11):
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Kansas Jayhawks 2 to 1
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4 to 1
Purdue Boilermakers 5 to 1
Louisville Cardinals 5 to 1
Vanderbilt Commodores 35 to 1
Georgetown Hoyas 30 to 1
Texas A&M Aggies 80 to 1
UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 30 to 1
Illinois Fighting Illini 30 to 1
Florida State Seminoles 80 to 1
USC Trojans 100 to 1
VCU Rams 150 to 1
Richmond Spiders 100 to 1
Morehead State Eagles 150 to 1
St. Peter’s Peacocks 150 to 1
Akron Zips 200 to 1
Boston U Terriers 200 to 1

Every single year in the NCAA Tournament, there are teams that come out of absolutely nowhere to pull off a huge upset or that unexpectedly end up in the Sweet 16 or even the Elite 8. Here are the Top 10 March Madness sleeper teams that are flying under the radar that you might need to be paying attention to once the dance gets started.

Wofford Terriers: The Southern Conference champs gained a lot of experience from last year in the NCAA Tournament, as they nearly took down the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the dance. Noah Dahlman was fantastic last season, but this year, he is doing even better, averaging right at 20 points per game. There are a ton of big guys on the inside for the Terriers to rely on, but they can really get up the court and scoot as well. Don’t be shocked if the BYU Cougars end up having their work cut out for them.

Oakland Golden Grizzlies: Depending on the matchup, the Golden Grizzlies could prove to be a real nightmare for a solid club as well. Oakland can shoot the daylights out of the building when given the chance, and it absolutely runs up and down the court for the full 40 minutes without any real exceptions. This is a team that is averaging 85.6 points per game this season, second in the nation. If big man Keith Benson gets off and running, the Grizz are hard to stop. Don’t believe us? Just ask the Tennessee Volunteers, who were beaten by these guys at home earlier this season.

Washington Huskies: Okay, so the Huskies really aren’t a “shocking” team to pull off a first round victory, but this is definitely a club that can make some real noise and come out of a No. 8 seed or so to do some tremendous damage. U-Dub underachieved all season long, and it really has to come to life in the Pac-10 Tournament the rest of the way to instill some more confidence in us, but Isaiah Thomas is fantastic, and Matthew Bryan-Amaning is certainly a force on the inside. Head Coach Lorenzo Romar’s team has a sneakily solid defense in spite of some shoddy numbers, and it all could equal another nice run in the dance.

Old Dominion Monarchs: Defense, defense, defense. That’s the motto for an ODU team that snared the automatic bid from the Colonial League. We have to remember that the CAA has produced a Final Four team before when the George Mason Patriots got the job done a few years ago, so this definitely wouldn’t be unprecedented. The only problem that this mid major has is that it has already proven to some of the best teams in the land that it can play at a very high level, and it isn’t sneaking up on anyone.

VCU Rams: Sometimes, teams that really don’t expect to get into the NCAA Tournament end up making some real magic happen. VCU was the third team out of the Colonial League this year, and it might really make some teams nervous. Does this sound familiar? Remember the George Mason Patriots from a few years ago? That was a team that many thought didn’t belong in this field out of the CAA, and they ended up in the Final Four.

Long Beach State 49ers: The 49ers are a No. 15 seed, but they are for real and have some legitimate sharpshooters on this team. All five starters are back from last year’s team that was considered an up and coming team that lost in the Big West Final to UC Santa Barbara, and now, all five are averaging double digits in scoring. This is a team that can rebound, can shoot, can slash, and can defend. Sure, the level of competition hasn’t been great, but if there’s a team that can come out of absolutely nowhere to pull off a shocker, this is the one.

Belmont Bruins: You don’t win 30 games on accident. The Bruins did just that this season in an Atlantic Sun conference that proved to be a lot better than people really though. Sure, the bottom of this conference stunk, but when you looked at the teams that were in this tournament, squads like Jacksonville, East Tennessee State, and Lipscomb were at least serviceable teams. The Bruins averaged 80.4 points per game this season, and they shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. When everyone on your team can shoot, you’ve got a really great thing going, and that’s exactly what Belmont will bring to the table as a No. 13 seed or so.

Missouri Tigers: Just like Washington, Mizzou isn’t the team that you think about when you’re thinking of a sleeper team, but one look at the projected March Madness brackets show that the Tigers are probably going to be one of these pain in the butt seven or eight seeds that could wreck your entire bracket. It’s really, really hard to prepare for the full court press that this team brings to the table in such a short period of time, and especially if a No. 1 or No. 2 doesn’t have fantastic ball handlers or a heck of a lot of experience, there is a real chance at this team to go far. Head Coach Mike Anderson knows what it takes to go far in this tournament, as this has been a Sweet 16 team a number of times in the past. Don’t be shocked if it happens again.

Butler Bulldogs: Why can’t last year’s Cinderella be this year’s Cinderella? Butler has really proven to be a great story over the course of the last two years. This is a program that is rich with history and tradition in this tournament, and now it has a Final Four run on its resume as well. Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack know what they’re doing, and though the Dogs aren’t sneaking up on anyone this year, this team knows exactly what it coming. The Horizon League was very, very tough this season, and Butler did very well just to survive.

Bucknell Bison: If you want your team that is going to really have the chance to do some major damage for a long time in this tournament, Bucknell is your squad. Look no further than this stat: The Bison shoot 40.6 percent from long range. Bryson Johnson and Bryan Cohen will shoot it from anywhere on the court, and GW Boon can knock down a ton of long balls as well. The Bison still have some work to do to win the Patriot League, but if they do, they are going to provide a tremendous fight for at least one, and maybe several teams along the way, just like the Cornell Big Red did last season.

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March Madness picks kick off on Tuesday with the first round of games in Dayton, OH. Today, we analyze the odds to win the Southeast Region and all of the March Madness betting lines for the big event!

Haven’t we seen this story somewhere before? The Pittsburgh Panthers (2.50 to 1 Odds to Win Southeast Region at BetUS Sportsbook) end up as a really high seed in the NCAA Tournament, they rough it through a few early games, and then get beaten in a squeaker by another fantastic team. Get used to that story. That’s probably how this one will end up playing out again this season.

If you’re looking for the team with all of the experience in the Southeast Region, you go with the Florida Gators (4 to 1 NCAA Tournament Odds at BetUS Sportsbook). The blue and orange have all five of their starters back from last year’s team. There are a lot of past demons for this team to conquer in this bracket, including the team that beat it last year (BYU), the one that it beat for the National Championship a few years back (UCLA), and the one that once beat it for a title (Michigan State) though, so this is going to be a harsh road to Houston.

Ah, those tricky BYU Cougars (8 to 1 March Madness odds at BetUS Sportsbook)… Almost for certain, in the exact same season without getting Brandon Davies kicked off the team, the Cougs would have been a No. 2 seed (and Florida probably would’ve been the 3). However, the Selection Committee just didn’t buy into how good this team is. Well excuse us! All the Cougars have done this year is getting beaten by another No. 2 seed (San Diego State) and twice by the New Mexico Lobos, a solid team in their own right. Jimmer Fredette is the nation’s leading scorer, and he could easily end up dropping 40, or heck, even 50 on a team if the opponents aren’t careful.

The Kansas State Wildcats (12 to 1 Southeast Region Odds at BetUS Sportsbook) could be sneaky if Jacob Pullen gets going, though. Sure, the Cats are in that dreaded No. 5 hole, but this is a team that has already proven it can play with the best teams in the land, and Pullen can shoot the rock from just about anywhere on the court.

2011 Southeast Region Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/13/11):
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Pittsburgh Panthers 2.50 to 1
Florida Gators 4 to 1
BYU Cougars 8 to 1
Wisconsin Badgers 9 to 1
Kansas State Wildcats 12 to 1
St. John’s Red Storm 14 to 1
UCLA Bruins 40 to 1
Butler Bulldogs 70 to 1
Old Dominion Monarchs 45 to 1
Michigan State Spartans 28 to 1
Gonzaga Bulldogs 20 to 1
Utah State Aggies 20 to 1
Belmont Bruins 60 to 1
Wofford Terriers 150 to 1
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 150 to 1
UNC Asheville Bulldogs 300 to 1
Arkansas Little Rock Trojans 300 to 1