Well everyone it is that time of year again when the weather turns cold, leafs fall off the trees, college football is winding down the regular season, and the college basketball season is quietly getting under way. That’s right college hoops are here and time to put some focus on the hardwood. The college basketball season usually does not get the most attention until the majority of the football season is over, but for college basketball enthusiasts our time is here. Over the last 24 hours the first games of the regular season have been played as we anticipate the long exciting season so there is no better time to take a look at some of the teams to watch out for in 2009-2010 basketball season.

The Kansas Jayhawks young talented team has taken the top spot in the polls which should be a surprise considering how well the Jayhawks played in the NCAA Tournament with an inexperienced roster. However, our focus for this article is to shy away from the top 5 teams in America who are receiving all of the attention and spot the potential sleepers who will come on strong. Remember last year we nailed 3 out of the 4 NCAA Bracket winners including the big underdog in Villanova and we have a few teams on our watch that you should keep on your radar throughout the year. Take a look at a few teams that are not receiving a ton of attention, but could be shining brightly in the spotlight by season’s end.

The Mountaineers finished the regular season in 2008 at a mark of 21-10 despite being beaten up by the brutal conference play down the stretch. The fact is that West Virginia would have been a top 10 team all season long if they played anywhere outside the Big East considering how stacked the conference was last year. Coach Bob Huggins now enters his 3rd year in Morgantown and considering the difference he has made in his first two years the program is definitely headed in the right direction. Huggins now has most of his own players running his style of play which will make all the difference. The key player on the West Virginia roster will be sophomore forward Devin Ebanks. Ebanks got off to a slow start last year reaching double digits just 9 times through the first 25 games. However, the young talent really came on strong scoring at least 10 points or more in 13 of the final 15 games giving tons of promise for the 2009-2010 season. Leading scorer Da’Sean Butler will also be back after averaging 17 points per game a season ago. Butler gives the team the dangerous ability to get hot and is dangerous all over the court. If junior transfer Casey Mitchell can come in and give immediate help, the Mountaineers will have the best inside presence in the conference. Look out for freshman Kevin Jones who could make a similar big presence on the inside well with some time as well. If the Mountaineers can find one guy to become a big shooter on the outside to compliment the inside game, dare I say Final Four?

I know what most are thinking when they see Butler, but do not be fooled. The Bulldogs return everyone from the starting rotation a year ago that finished 25-4 on the season. Sure Butler plays a weak schedule, but their style of play proved to cause problems for many different teams last year. The Bulldogs took down Xavier and Davidson during the regular season and fell by a single basket to Ohio State who many had as preseason best in the Big Ten for 2008. Butler also fell just short of knocking off number 2 seed Tennessee who was the best team in the SEC keeping them out of the sweet 16. However, with everyone back things should only get better. This could be the only team in the nation that could put 5 guards on the court and get away with it. Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward will be critical youngsters for the team as veteran senior Willie Veasley will provide the leadership the team will need. How far could Butler go? Well that may be hard to tell, but they will be a team that is extremely difficult to guard and it would not be a big surprise if this shaped up to be a Cinderella Story.

The Gamecocks may be a stretch to make a ton of noise this season, but they deserve a lot more attention than they are getting. South Carolina currently is not even ranked, but they will change after a few short weeks. Senior guard Devin Downey is one of the most exciting players in the SEC to watch with tremendous hustle. Downey scored 19 points per game in 2008 and led the conference with 3 steals per game. The talented senior will be the key guy when South Carolina needs to pull out close wins as he did multiple times in 2008. However, the entire team is on the rise behind Coach Darrin Horn who is in just his 2nd year as head coach. The team may have its best years ahead, but that is not to say they can do some damage in the SEC this year. South Carolina took down Florida once and Kentucky twice in the regular season and they will match-up well with everyone again this year. The Gamecocks will need senior Dominique Archie to have an even bigger season this year especially on the boards. Archie averaged 16.5 points and 8 rebounds last season, but South Carolina really needs him to control the boards as they lack the single big man needed to be really strong. However, this is a quick team that will give everyone a hard time and we would put them ahead of some of the over hyped Big Ten teams already ranked in the top 25.

One of those Big Ten teams that are not over hyped is the Purdue Boilermakers. While Michigan State is receiving the overwhelming attention in the Big Ten and rightfully so, Purdue will have every opportunity to be the dark horse that could steal the thunder. In fact, this is most of the same team that blew out the Spartans by nearly 20 points in late February of last season. The lethal weapon of the team will be forward Robbie Hummel who averaged 13 points and 7 boards last season. Hummel will be even better this year and the Boilermakers will be a force. Purdue as a team has all the players in the right positions to expect big things. JaJuan Johnson is the big guy in the middle and senior guard Chris Kramer will need to improve a bit. However, freshman guard D.J Byrd could be the biggest difference for the Boilermakers. It is usually not a good sign to place a lot of responsibility on a freshman, but Purdue really needs a consistent hot hand from the perimeter. Bryd could do that right away depending on how quickly he adapts at the next level. However, if he can knock down a few shots each game Purdue has all the making to contend in the Big Ten.

The 2009 College Football Season kicks off Thursday night with 9 different games that will take the spotlight as college football enthusiast tune in to the opening night of football. South Carolina travels to North Carolina State in the opening premier match-up which will be followed by a battle between top 25 teams No. 16 Oregon at No. 14 Boise State. There will be plenty of action throughout opening night and surely bettors will be eager to get an opportunity to make some quick cash and get things off to a good start to their seasons. Of course, most will be betting on the game totals and over/unders. However, we take a look at some interesting prop bets from BetUS Sportsbook (100% football bonus using this link) & Sportsbook.com (50% football bonus using this link) for the first night of football and break down unique ways to cash in and earn some money while watching these games.

Free Prop Bet Pick #1 – South Carolina Gamecocks at North Carolina State Wolfpack 

Double Result Odds:
South Carolina/South Carolina +250
South Carolina/Tie +2000
South Carolina/North Carolina State +500
Tie/South Carolina +2000
Tie/Tie +8000
Tie/North Carolina State +2000
North Carolina State/South Carolina +600
North Carolina State/Tie +1800
North Carolina State/North Carolina State -200

The “double result” bet is perhaps one of the simplest exciting bets with the opportunity to really make some money. If you are not familiar with this type of bet, you are basically predicting initially the winner of the first half and then the winner of the 2nd half. There are 9 different scenarios that can play out and all of them usually have profitable odds. North Carolina State will enter the game as 4 point favorites due to a strong offense behind the young talented quarterback of Russell Wilson. However, we tend to warn that Wilson and company may not have an easy task of overcoming the South Carolina defense. The Gamecocks secondary ranked 2nd in the country last season holding teams to just 159 yards per game through the air. South Carolina may have lost a large portion of that secondary, but they have a history of producing a strong secondary and have put plenty of cornerbacks in the NFL over the past few years. The Gamecocks defense will also be very solid up front and should get a lot of pressure making it difficult for the Wolfpack offense. The big question will be if the South Carolina offense can deliver. The quarterbacks had plenty of trouble last year throwing more interceptions than any team in college football (27). Stephen Garcia will be the man behind center this year and he has a lot of upside if he can be accurate. Even with 4 interceptions in the first half last year, the Gamecocks routed the Wolfpack in a 34-0 blowout on opening night. The Wolfpack should have no trouble getting on the board this year, but that is not to say they will have tons of success. The Gamecocks defense should get the job done again and it could be similar scenario despite what the media may be predicting.

Free Football Pick – South Carolina/South Carolina

Free Prop Bet Pick #2- Oregon Ducks at Boise State Broncos

Who will score first?
Oregon -105
Boise State -115

This particular game will highlight two very talented offense in what could very well turnout to be a high scoring shootout. The Ducks offense ranked 7th nationally in 2008 gaining 484 yards per contest while the Broncos ranked 18th racking up 440 yards per game. The over/under total is listed at a lofty 64.5 points a game so touchdowns are to be expected. However, who will score first? Well that could be simple if we first knew who would get the ball first? Well that may be a stretch, but both offenses should get the better of the defense. However, we all know how offenses some time take some rhythm before they spark early in the year especially in the opening match-up. Last year, it took Oregon until the end of the season before the offense became alive. Even if they are to come out ready this Thursday night they will play a solid Boise State defense that ranked 20th overall in 2008. The Broncos on the other hand will go against one of the worse pass defenses from 2008. Oregon ranked an extremely disappointing 111th last season against the pass allowing 270 yards per game. Add to the fact that the Broncos have only lost two games on their home field in the last ten years and there is plenty reason to think they will be the first to ignite on offense. Oregon will give them a run for their money, but they will likely make a late charge.

Free Football Pick – Boise State -115

Free Prop Bet Pick #3 – Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes

First Quarter Betting Line:
Utah State +4.5
Utah -4.5

The Utah Utes became college football’s version of a Cinderella story last year after an undefeated season that was captivated by a heroic and convincing victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Utah will enter opening night as the number 19 team in the nation when they travel to take on inner state foe Utah State. Utah had an impressive offense in 2009, but despite popular perception it was the defense that made the difference. The Utes will return 8 of those starters that contributed to the nations 11 best defensive unit. Utah State on the other hand returns one of the worse defenses in the land. The Aggies barely ranked inside the top 100 allowing 412 yards per game. The Aggies will have a solid quarterback in Diondre Borel, but it may be a difficult task overthrowing the Utes tough defensive front. The Utes should be able to control the Aggies fairly easy and that is a big reason they are 20 point favorites. America’s new favorite team should control this game from start to finish and the defense should keep the team from getting behind even if they are to come out flat. Points should be easy to come by and the Utes will led by two scores at the end of the first quarter.

Free Football Pick – Utah -4.5