The 2013 NBA playoffs are set to begin, and today at Bankroll Sports, we are going to be keeping a close eye on the series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers. These two should be going at it in a great set of battles, and we are going to have our NBA playoffs predictions and scores update on a nightly basis for this and all of the great series throughout the playoffs. Check back to this page often, as we will be updating our final scores and our series analysis so you can make the most informed NBA picks every step of the way in this series.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Playoff Schedule

Spurs Win Series 4-0

Game 1: Los Angeles Lakers 79 – San Antonio Spurs 91
Game 2: Los Angeles Lakers 91 – San Antonio Spurs 102
Game 3: San Antonio Spurs 120 – Los Angeles Lakers 89
Game 4: San Antonio Spurs 103 – Los Angeles Lakers 82

Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs Series Odds at
GT Bets Sportsbook
Los Angeles Lakers +34000
San Antonio Spurs -100000
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Lakers vs. Spurs Series Update
Game 1: G Steve Nash came back into the lineup and played 30 minutes for the Lakers, but it is clear that they are going to need a whole heck of a lot more than that if they are going to ultimately find a way back into this series. They just had nothing going offensively right out of the blocks, scoring just 15 points in the opening quarter, and they were never able to get back on track. San Antonio got 18 points from G Tony Parker and 17 points and 10 boards from F Tim Duncan to take the first game of this series with ease. Spurs 91 – Lakers 79 (Spurs Lead Series 1-0)

Game 2: LA was better offensively in the second game of this series, but unfortuantely for Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, so were the Spurs. San Antonio got 20 points from G Tony Parker and solid contributions from four others that scored in double figures. The bench players combined to go 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, and that really made the difference for the hosts. Spurs 102 – Lakers 91 (Spurs Lead Series 2-0)

Game 3: The Lakers were back at home, but they had to play without G Steve Nash, G Steve Blake, and several others. F Metta World Peace played just 17 minutes and was benched for the second half after going scoreless with just one assist. G Andrew Goudelock, a D-League star, scored 20 points, while G Darius Morris scored 24. That being said, all of that, combined with a triple-double from F Pau Gasol weren’t nearly enough. San Antonio pulled away with a 30-18 first quarter and never looked back, shooting a blistering 61.2 percent from the field for the game, including getting 12-of-16 from F Tim Duncan. Spurs 120 – Lakers 89 (Spurs Lead Series 3-0)

Game 4: Isn’t it poetic justice that C Dwight Howard was ejected out of what could have been his final game as a Laker? Howard was dismissed after picking up two technical fouls, and the rest of the team just could not pick up the slack from his departure. No one on the team scored more than 16 points, and LA was simply overmatched without G Kobe Bryant, G Steve Blake, G Steve Nash, and F Metta World Peace all on the sidelines. San Antonio didn’t have a particularly sharp game, shooting 46.4% from the field and 31.2% from beyond the arc, but G Tony Parker’s 23 points were more than enough to lead the way to the series sweep. Spurs 103 – Lakers 82 (Spurs Win Series 4-0)

2013 Lakers vs. Spurs Series Preview

History will tell you that the potential is there for this to be a dramatic series. The Spurs and the Lakers have done plenty of big battles before, and these should be no exception either. However, with G Kobe Bryant out of the lineup, there is a real question as to just how close LA can really stay with one of the most talented teams in basketball.

The Lakers did win 30 of their last 42 games, but it still feels like they have a lot of questions that beg to be answered. Can F Pau Gasol and C Dwight Howard really co-exist together in big time spots? Is F Metta World Peace really healthy enough to play 35-40 minutes per game after coming back from series surgery during the season? Is G Steve Nash really going to be able to get back in the lineup and be effective when it seems like his body is simply breaking down? Are there enough guards to really carry this team through the postseason? All of these questions are very fair to ask, knowing that the light schedule really helped this team down the stretch of the season.

Of course, there are almost as many questions on the other side of the court as well. F Tim Duncan, G Tony Parker, and G Manu Ginobili each sat out this season for games here and there, and all three really didn’t spend a ton of time on the court together, relatively speaking. The Spurs played like garbage down the stretch, losing seven of their last 10, including dropping a crucial game to these Lakers at the Staples Center in the final week of the regular season. It’s just not good enough, to say the least. Now, C Tiago Splitter is playing with some sort of undisclosed injury, F Kawhi Leonard has been ailing, and G Tracy McGrady was signed to play in the NBA for the first time this year.

As much as we really don’t want to lay the -1000 with a team that is playing this poorly, this San Antonio outfit is the one team that we think really can flip a switch and become a dominating team again. We really don’t think that this series is going to be all that close when push comes to shove, and we think that all four of these games could end in double digit victories for the Spurs. As we see it, the Lakers don’t win a single game against the Spurs and get swept out of the second season.

Spurs vs. Lakers Series Prediction: San Antonio Spurs in 4

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The 2013 NBA playoffs are set to begin, and today at Bankroll Sports, we are going to be keeping a close eye on the series between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks. These two should be going at it in a great set of battles, and we are going to have our NBA playoffs predictions and scores update on a nightly basis for this and all of the great series throughout the playoffs. Check back to this page often, as we will be updating our final scores and our series analysis so you can make the most informed NBA picks every step of the way in this series.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat NBA Playoff Schedule

Heat Win Series 4-0

Game 1: Milwaukee Bucks 87 – Miami Heat 110
Game 2: Milwaukee Bucks 86 – Miami Heat 98
Game 3: Miami Heat 104 – Milwaukee Bucks 91
Game 4: Miami Heat 88 – Milwaukee Bucks 77

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat Series Odds at
5Dimes Sportsbook
Milwaukee Bucks +150000
Miami Heat -450000
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Bucks vs. Heat Series Update
Game 1: About all that the Bucks can say out Game 1 is that G Monta Ellis and G Brandon Jennings combined for 48 points, but the rest of the team only scored 39 points, and that obviously isn’t going to beat the Heat. F LeBron James had a ho hum 28 points, 10 boards, and eight assists, and he shot 9-of-11 from the floor in doing so. There was never a doubt as to which one of these teams was. Heat 110 – Bucks 87 (Heat Lead Series 1-0)

Game 2: The Bucks were once again stymied by the Heat in the second game of this series, but at least this game was a little bit closer than the first. Milwaukee at least played a good defensive game, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to get the job done. Miami once again just flexed its muscles, pulling away by outscoring the Bucks 30-21 in the fourth quarter. Heat 98 – Bucks 86 (Heat Lead Series 2-0)

Game 3: Milwaukee took a 30-21 lead in the first quarter against the Heat on Thursday, and there had to be a little bit of hope that perhaps this could still be a series. Unfortunately, the lead didn’t make it through the third quarter. G Ray Allen came off of the bench and scored 23 points, making up for the fact that G Dwyane Wade scored just four points and turned the ball over six times. Six Bucks scored in double figures, but once again, it just wasn’t nearly enough. Heat 104 – Bucks 91 (Heat Lead Series 3-0)

Game 4: The Heat were really never challenged in this series, and they really weren’t challenged in this game either. In spite of the fact that neither F Chris Bosh nor G Ray Allen played 30 minutes and that G Dwyane Wade didn’t actually play in the game, Miami raced out to a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter and ultimately won by 11. The defense held the Bucks down to just 36 points in the second half. Milwaukee simply couldn’t overcome the combination of G Brandon Jenning and F Ersan Ilyasova shooting 4-of-20 from the field between them. Heat 88 – Bucks 77 (Heat Win Series 4-0)

2013 Bucks vs. Heat Series Preview

If you believe that this series is going to be anywhere near close, you have to have another thing coming. The Heat might take a little bit of time to back in the saddle, as they really haven’t been playing all that hard over the course of the last few weeks, but they are clearly the superior team in this game in this best of seven series.

The Bucks know that they would be lucky to get a game in this series, and they are probably just happy to be here in the playoffs. Milwaukee made the biggest move in the league at the NBA’s trade deadline, trading for G JJ Redick. Redick has only averaged 12.3 points per game since coming to the team, which has been a bit of a disappointment, but the truth of the matter is that team really didn’t have a place for all of these guards. Redick is basically the same size is both G Monta Ellis and G Brandon Jennings, and these three can’t successfully be on the court at the same time. There just aren’t all that many bigs that are going to be able to defend the rest of the bigs that the Heat are bringing to the table.

Meanwhile, Miami is clearly one of the most talented teams that we have seen, not just in the league, but in league history as well. The Heat went on a 27-game winning streak, the second longest in the history of the league, and the display was one of the most impressive things that we have ever seen in pro basketball. F LeBron James is going to win the MVP Award once again this year, and for good reason. He averaged 26.8 points, 8.0 boards, and 7.2 assists per game this season, and those averages probably would have been a heck of a lot better if not for the fact that he didn’t play a heck of a lot of minutes over the course of the last several weeks of the season. G Dwyane Wade would have been the most important player on virtually any other team in the league after averaging 21.2 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.0 boards per game. F Chris Bosh probably would have been as well with 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. What really makes this team different though, is its IQ and its three-point shooting ability. Miami is second in the league, knocking down 39.6 percent of its three point shots, and the play of G Mario Chalmers and G Ray Allen is clearly making all the difference for this team.

For as much as the basketball enthusiast would like to think that this series will get back to Miami after leaving after Games 1 and 2. It would be a shock to us if Milwaukee figured out how to get even a game in this series when push came to shove, but it would be surprising to us as well if it managed to keep a single game within single digits either.

Heat vs. Bucks Series Prediction: Miami Heat in 4

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Our 2013 NFL Draft picks are here at Bankroll Sports! With the NFL Draft just a few short days away, we are going to be making our picks for who will go in the first 32 picks in the draft and include our NFL Draft predictions!

1: Kansas City Chiefs – OT Luke Joeckel
The Chiefs have their quarterback now in Alex Smith. They may as well take the best player in the NFL Draft, and that’s almost certainly Joeckel.

2: Jacksonville Jaguars – DE Dion Jordan
The Jags had one of the worst pass rushes in football last year, and Jordan is the strong rusher off of the edge that can really make this defense formidable again.

3: Oakland Raiders – DT Sharrif Floyd
Many agree that this is going to be the pick here at No. 3 for the Raiders, though we aren’t all that sure whether or not the team could trade out of this pick.

4: Philadelphia Eagles – OT Eric Fisher
With QB Michael Vick seemingly set as the team’s starting quarterback, it seems like fixing the offensive line makes the most sense for the Eagles.

5: Detroit Lions – DE Ziggy Ansah
The Lions probably would have wanted either Fisher or Joeckel, but if both are off the board, addressing the defensive end spot seems to be the most logical thing to do if trading out isn’t an option.

6: Cleveland Browns – DB Dee Milliner
The Browns already have one franchise corner in DB Joe Haden, and this would give them the best secondary in the AFC North in all likelihood if it were to happen this way.

7: Arizona Cardinals – OT Lane Johnson
The third offensive lineman comes off of the board here in Johnson, as the Cardinals badly need to improve their line play for any quarterback to succeed.

8: Buffalo Bills – QB Geno Smith
We just can’t picture the Bills being content to give it a go with QB Kevin Kolb this year. They’ll take Smith to make sure that the Jets don’t take him.

9: New York Jets – DT Star Lotuleilei
It might be a bit of a reach for Lotuleilei, but this should be the best defensive player on the board at this point for the Jets to snare, and you know how Head Coach Rex Ryan loves his defense.

10: Tennessee Titans – OG Chance Warmack
Warmack is one of the many Alabama linemen that could make a huge impact at this level, and the Titans, who badly need offensive line help, could really use him as a top selection this year.

11: San Diego Chargers – OG Jonathan Cooper
Another team that really needs some help along the offensive line. The Chargers have to give some support in the trenches on both sides of the ball for what QB Philip Rivers is bringing to the table.

12: Miami Dolphins – DB Xavier Rhodes
A perfect fit. The Dolphins need more corners, and they have a history of drafting or bringing in local players that went to the Sunshine State colleges. Florida State’s Rhodes should make a nice addition to the back line for the team.

13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – WR Tavon Austin
We know that this pick doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense for the Bucs, but it makes a ton of sense for the Jets, who we believe will be picking in this slot instead of Tampa Bay after a deal involving DB Darrelle Revis.

14: Carolina Panthers – DE Barkevious Mingo
LSU defensive linemen haven’t had tremendous success here at the next level, but this is still a man that has superior talent. Carolina would be thrilled to see Mingo drop to 14.

15: New Orleans Saints – DT Sheldon Richardson
The Saints don’t have a second round pick to work with this year, so trading down is a real option. If they stay though, they’ll need a lineman on one side of the ball or the other.

16: St. Louis Rams – OT DJ Fluker
There’s more help on the way for QB Sam Bradford coming with this pick for sure, but there is a question as to whether it will be an offensive lineman or a receiver that the team goes after. We’d bet lineman.

17: Pittsburgh Steelers – LB Jarvis Jones
It just makes too much sense not to do. The Steelers are going to need to bring in that next wave of linebackers, and Jones fits the mold perfective as a man that could slot right into the 3-4 and cause some havoc from Day 1.

18: Dallas Cowboys – DE Bjoern Werner
There are too many comparison between Werner and DE JJ Watt for the beast from Florida State to drop too much more than this.

19: New York Giants – LB Alec Ogletree
The Giants have tremendous athletes all over the place on the field, but this isn’t a position where they have many stars. They’d be reaching for Ogletree in our eyes at 19, but he addresses what might be the most pressing need they have.

20: Chicago Bearas – WR Keenan Allen
More help is clearly coming at the wide receiver position somewhere along the way in this draft for the Bears. WR Devin Hester will work well in the slot in what should be a more wide open offense, but someone else is needed on the outside to flank WR Brandon Marshall. WR Alshon Jeffrey might be able to do it, but Allen is the perfect guy that can be a lifetime 70/1,000/8 type of receiver.

21: Cincinnati Bengals – SS Kenny Vaccaro
It’s not really a huge need for the Bengals, but they need the best player available if they are going to continue to take strides in the AFC North.

22: St. Louis Rams – WR Cordarrelle Patterson
Last year, the Rams missed on WR Brian Quick. Patterson is another type of receiver that could be a huge boom or a huge bust.

23: Minnesota Vikings – LB Manti Te’o
There are just too many that think Te’o will go here to the Vikings, and especially knowing that the Colts right behind them would love to add a leader of a linebacker, this is where Minnesota would have to do it.

24: Indianapolis Colts – FS Eric Reid
The Colts have been drafting a lot of natural leaders, and they would love to bring in another one here in Reid. This is the typical Indy pick that should have a huge reward.

25: Minnesota Vikings – WR Justin Hunter
The need for a wide receiver is just too great for the Vikings to ultimately pass, even though the best options just aren’t available at this point.

26: Green Bay Packers – OT Menelik Watson
It would be strange for Green Bay to take a third offensive tackle in the last four years in the NFL Draft, but if Watson is available, we have a hard time imagining that the team is going to pass on him.

27: Houston Texans – TE Tyler Eifert
The Texans have a great tight end in TE Owen Daniels, but this would be an interesting selection for sure. However, Houston utilizes two tight end sets all the time, and the departure of TE James Casey in the offseason opens up the possibility to take Eifert if he falls this far.

28: Denver Broncos – TE Zach Ertz
Another weapon for QB Peyton Manning to work with. The tight end position really lacked last year in Denver, and Ertz could become the second coming of TE Dallas Clark from Peyton’s days with the Colts.

29: New England Patriots – FS Matt Elam
The Patriots love drafting their Gators, and they’ll get a good one here in Elam. This is a big, rangy safety that has tremendous leadership qualities that could really help fill the holes to a patchy defense.

30: Atlanta Falcons – DB Desmond Trufant
With both of the tight ends off of the board, the Falcons don’t have a huge pick to make here. The possibility is there to trade up for a DB if there is someone that the team wants to target, but otherwise, staying here and taking Trufant makes the most sense.

31: San Francisco 49ers – DE Datone Jones
We really have no idea what the 49ers are going to do here with the 31st pick, as we really don’t see any gaping holes that they have to fill. That said, it’s the best player available on the board, and it is likely that Jones will be in high demand at the back end of the round.

32: Baltimore Ravens – WR Robert Woods
Someone is going to need to replace the departured WR Anquan Boldin, and this is a cheap option that could prove to be an elite receiver at this level with some grooming.

The Louisville Cardinals and the Michigan Wolverines were largely two of the best teams in the country all season long. Michigan floundered just a bit down the stretch of the regular season, while Louisville played its best basketball when it mattered the most, but after each team won five straight games in the dance, they now meet each other with the National Championship on the line. The Cardinals haven’t won the title since 1986. The Wolverines have failed to be the victors since 1989. Here at Bankroll Sports, we analyze the last battle on the college basketball betting lines of the season, as these two duke it out in Atlanta for all of the marbles.

March Madness: Michigan Wolverines vs. Louisville Cardinals
Michigan vs. Louisville Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Michigan vs. Louisville Date/Time: Monday, April 8th, 9:23 p.m. (ET)
2013 March Madness On TV: CBS

Key #1: Trey Burke can’t have another game like he did against Syracuse
Big time players come to life in the biggest games of the season. Surprisingly though, Burke was rather MIA against the Syracuse Orange in the Final Four. He only scored seven points, and he wasn’t hitting any of those remarkable shots that we have become accustomed to seeing him knock down. In the clutch though, there still isn’t a player on either side of the court that we would rather have on our side, and it is definitely worth embracing that fact. Burke has proven time and time again that he has the ability to play the biggest ball in the biggest games, and it hasn’t even just been here in the dance. Sure, we all remember the two shots against the Kansas Jayhawks that eliminated the No. 1 seed in the South Region, but few remember that Burke was the man that came up with the steal to beat the Michigan State Spartans earlier this year, and he is the man that kept finding ways to score against some of the best and most ferocious defenses in the nation. Simply put, Burke is the man for the Wolverines, and though there is going to be plenty of discussion about some of the other players in this game, this is the one that has to step it up and become the de facto MVP if Big Blue is going to cut down the nets.

National Championship Game Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
#4 Michigan Wolverines +3.5
#1 Louisville Cardinals -3.5
Over/Under 137.5
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Key #2: One of these teams needs to have its role players make some huge plays
When you talk about role players in big games like this one, you often only think of which player can come up with the most points, especially off of the bench. That being said, the player that it makes the most sense to talk about right now is F Luke Hancock, who came off of the bench and scored 20 points to lead the way for the Cardinals. Though we know that Hancock had a huge game, we’re not really referring to men like him that are used to playing regular minutes. Instead, we are referring to men like G Tim Henderson, who scored 16 points all season long and put up two threes in a row to push Louisville from down 12 to down six in a span of less than a minute. We’re talking about G Caris LeVert, who came onto the court for Michigan and scored eight huge points after not scoring a single point since March 3rd. G Spike Albrecht did damage as well, hitting two threes in his five minutes on the court against Syracuse. Albrecht now has 19 points in this tournament. He only had scored 48 points in the entire regular season and the Big Ten Tournament. Whichever one of these teams can get the most out of these types of players will have a huge leg up on the other, because the truth of the matter is that the talent level from #1 through #6 or #7 that these two teams have is remarkably similar.

Key #3: If the Wolverines get ahead, they have to throw down the hammer
We’ve watched time and time again here in the NCAA Tournament that teams that build substantial leads just don’t figure out how to put teams down. Davidson failed against Marquette, and the Golden Eagles ran all the way to the Elite Eight as a result. Wichita State didn’t put away Ohio State, and the Buckeyes had the ball down three points in that game with a chance to erase a 20-point deficit. The Shockers then blew a 12-point second half lead against Louisville. Even Michigan really isn’t exempt. The Wolverines had opportunity after opportunity to put away the Orange in the Final Four, and still, Syracuse found a way to have possession of the ball with less than 30 seconds to play with a chance to tie or take the lead. However, we have also seen the Wolverines as the beneficiaries of such an act. They were badly outplayed for most of the game against the Jayhawks, only to ultimately find a way to blow the game by getting outshot and turning the ball over too many times in the final five minutes or so. The one thing that we know about the Cardinals is that they aren’t giving up in games. The G Kevin Ware injury showed us that this team is resilient, and it has the ability to go on some massive runs to get the job done. If Michigan gets ahead and it doesn’t figure out how to keep its foot on the gas pedal, we know that the Cardinals are going to find their way back in this game.

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Just two teams are left standing in the chase to pick up college basketball’s most illustrious award. Don’t miss all of the action on the March Madness betting lines for the one final game of the year, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’re giving you the inside edge for which one of these two dynamite teams you should be backing on the National Championship Game odds.

The Michigan Wolverines (March Madness Odds: 1.65 to 1 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook) has shocked the world out of the No. 4 seed in the South Region to not just make it to the Final Four, but to ultimately win the National Semifinals as well. We have continually said that this is a touched team, and we are sticking by that logic in the National Championship Game as well. This is the toughest test that the team has faced all season long, though. For as great as teams like Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Illinois, and Minnesota really were this year, Louisville is the best team that the Wolverines will be challenged by. The hope is that Big Blue doesn’t fall by the wayside the same way that Iowa did against Baylor in the NIT Final earlier this week. What we will say about Michigan though, is that it does have the best player that is going to be on the court. G Trey Burke didn’t play all that well against the Syracuse Orange, but he had some help from his friends. The Wooden Award winner is joined in the backcourt by the talented G Tim Hardaway Jr. and the streaky G Nik Stauskas. F Glenn Robinson III has done a remarkable job in this tournament, but the real man of the hour has been F Mitch McGary, who has averaged 16.0 points and 11.6 rebounds per game after averaging under seven points and under six rebounds per game in the regular season.

List Of NCAA Tournament Basketball National Champions (Since 2000)
2012 NCAA Tournament Champions: Kentucky Wildcats
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

The Louisville Cardinals (Odds To Win National Championship: 1 to 1.75 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook) are the team to beat for sure. Though they did have a tough time with the Wichita State Shockers in the Final Four on Saturday, they have definitively been the toughest team in America to knock off for the mass majority of the season. Ironically, there is only one player, G Russ Smith that is averaging double digits in scoring per game for Head Coach Rick Pitino, but that doesn’t make the team any less talented. C Gorgui Dieng usually doesn’t have a man that can match his combination of size and strength on the inside, while G Peyton Siva has a leadership quality that isn’t able to be taught even in the best practices. F Chane Behanan has been relatively quiet in this tournament, but though he has really not done all that much, F Luke Hancock became a star instantaneously when he scored 20 points against the Shockers. Head Coach Rick Pitino is the master of getting the most out of his team, and Louisville has been the bona fide favorite on the odds to win the National Championship for the duration of this tournament. If Louisville were to win it all on Monday, it would be just the third time in the history of the dance that the No. 1 overall seed went on to claim glory at cut down the nets at the Final Four.

2013 Odds To Win NCAA Tournament @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 4/7/13):
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Louisville Cardinals Win NCAA Championship -175
Michigan Wolverines Win NCAA Championship +165

Louisville Cardinals -3.5
Michigan Wolverines +3.5
Over/Under 138

2013 College Basketball National Championship Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 4/7/13):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at JustBet.cx When Using This Link)
Louisville Cardinals -185
Michigan Wolverines +165

Louisville Cardinals -4
Michigan Wolverines +4
Over/Under 137.5

The 2013 NCAA Tournament is officially here! Don’t miss a moment of the action here at Bankroll Sports, as we feature all of the games that are going to be on TV from the opening game of the First Four all the way to the final gun in Atlanta with the nets coming down. Join our officially March Madness Television schedule and check out where you can find all of the NCAA Tournament games on TV.

National Championship Game On TV: Monday, April 8th (4/8/13)
9:23 p.m. ET #4 Michigan Wolverines vs. #1 Louisville Cardinals (CBS)

All sorts of history and tradition is going to be on display on Saturday night in the National Championship Game, as Louisville and Michigan get set to wage war with one another. The Cardinals are playing in the NCAA Tournament Final for the first time since 1986, and they have won both of their opportunities in which they have played for all the marbles. Michigan’s Fab Five teams from the 1990s were never able to pull off a feat quite like these Wolverines have been able to do this season. The Big Blue Nation hasn’t been to the National Title Game since 1989.

Of course, these aren’t nearly the only storylines that are going on for this game. Head Coach Rick Pitino is trying to become the first coach in the history of college basketball to win a National Championship with two different teams. He has a talented side that is full of experienced players at this level, and men like G Peyton Siva and G Russ Smith have been playing with their hair on fire. Louisville has knocked off an interesting group of teams. The Cardinals probably had the most impressive game of these two clubs, beating the snot out of the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight, but aside from that, the No. 8 Colorado State Rams in the Round of 32 was the toughest foe that the Big East champs faced. In order, the Cardinals knocked off North Carolina A&T, Colorado State, Oregon, Duke, and Wichita State. The Cards had their really only tough fight in the dance in the Final Four against Wichita State. They never led by more than five points in spite of the fact that they were favored by 9 1/2.

Michigan meanwhile, should have been dead in the water against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Sweet 16. The Wolverines should have been had if not for the fact that G Trey Burke came up with two monstrous shots to send the game to overtime. Ultimately, the Big Ten reps prevailed, and they stormed through the Elite Eight against the Florida Gators to reach the Final Four. The 2-3 zone didn’t give Michigan any troubles against the Syracuse Orange, and though the final score was relatively close, the outcome of the game really never should have been in serious doubt. The Wolverines were able to dispose of South Dakota State and VCU without all that much of a fight on either account to get through the first weekend of the tourney as well.

The second and final ticket to the NCAA Tournament finale will be handed out on Saturday night at the Georgia Dome. For the first time ever, a pair of No. 4 seeds are going to be meeting each other in the Final Four, as the Syracuse Orange and the Michigan Wolverines do battle. This is a bit of a surprising matchup to see on the Final Four odds, knowing that both of these teams had to go through some rough and rocky roads to reach Atlanta, but they’re both here and are ready to give it a go at winning the National Championship.

March Madness: Michigan Wolverines vs. Syracuse Orange
Michigan vs. Syracuse Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Michigan vs. Syracuse Date/Time: Sunday, April 6th, 8:49 p.m. ET
March Madness Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: The Wolverines have to capitalize on second chance opportunities
Obviously, the 2-3 zone for the Orange has been great over the course of this tournament. Teams are shooting an incredibly low percentage against them, and there just aren’t all that many opportunities that clubs have had to score against this unit. If there is one knock against Syracuse though, it is that it just hasn’t hit the defensive boards all that hard. It’s not that the team is a bad rebounding team, and it isn’t that those rebounds aren’t being contested, but in the end, the Orange have allowed 11.0 offensive rebounds per game here in the dance, including at least 10 in each of the last three rounds. The Wolverines have the bigs on the inside to take advantage of this, and when they get those offensive rebounds, they’re going to have to ultimately finish the job if they are going to have a shot to get into the NCAA Tournament final.

Michigan vs. Syracuse Odds at Diamond Sportsbook
#4 Michigan Wolverines -2
#4 Syracuse Orange -2
Over/Under 131
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Key #2: The Orange are going to need to knock down some shots from the outside
Head Coach Jim Boeheim has preached that this is a defensive team that is finally playing defensive basketball down the stretch of the season. However, Michigan has a heck of a lot better defense than most figure. The Orange haven’t hit more than 21 shots from the field in a game since the opening round of the tournament, and we aren’t all that sure that they are going to be able to do that once again and still win this game. We have an appreciation for the fact that the guards are getting into the paint and are really killing opponents by getting them into foul trouble, but we also know that the point is going to come when someone is going to have to hit that big shot to sway the tide of the game. Is anyone going to be able to do it when push comes to shove? That’s perhaps the biggest question that the Orange have to answer when they come into this game.

Key #3: The Wolverines have to be prepared to win a game in the 60s
The Wolverines have done well over the course of the last several games when they have had the ability to score in the 70s. In fact, getting into the 70s is generally the key to victory. Unfortunately, scoring beyond about 65 or so on the Orange is virtually impossible. There aren’t many wins this season when the team has scored in the 50s or the low 60s though, and there are a lot of losses against very similar teams. For example, in the Big Ten Tournament, the Wisconsin Badgers held down Michigan to just 59 points and won by nine. In the regular season, we saw the Michigan State Spartans blow out the Wolverines by 23 in a game in which Big Blue just didn’t have anything going, and we saw those same Badgers win 65-62 at the Kohl Center as well. Can Michigan play like a team that can win a gritty game played in the 50s or 60s? It might have to if it is going to ultimately end up playing for all of the marbles on Monday night.

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