The top overall seed and the favorites on the NCAA Tournament odds, the Kentucky Wildcats, are hoping to be the only team in the land to repeat as a Final Four team this year when they take on the Baylor Bears on Sunday in the South Region finale.

2012 Elite 8 Matchup: #3 Baylor Bears vs. #1 Kentucky Wildcats
South Region Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Elite 8 Date/Time: Sunday, March 25th, 2:20 p.m.
Baylor vs. Kentucky Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: Baylor has to prove that its talent is as good as Kentucky’s
Normally speaking, the Wildcats run into teams that perhaps have one or two players that can keep up with some of the ridiculous talent that they have to offer. In this case though, there are a slew of players with NBA potential for Baylor, and this is a squad that really can run with the Cats for the full 40 minutes. Brady Heslip has been on fire from downtown. Pierre Jackson has been a monster of a point guard, both as a distributor and as a shoot. Both Perry Jones III and Quincy Acy can jump out of the building and get rebounds with the best in the biz as well. That being said, these Bears haven’t exactly had the roughest road to get here to the Elite 8, and the big knock against them this year is that they haven’t been able to beat the big time teams. There are two losses to the Kansas Jayhawks (though there is a win as well from the Big XII Tournament) and three to the Missouri Tigers. This Kentucky team is certainly just as good and likely better than both. It should be interesting to say the least.

Elite 8 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Baylor Bears +7.5
Kentucky Wildcats -7.5
Click Here to Bet Your Elite 8 Picks!

Key #2: Kentucky’s defense has to avoid giving up those big time runs
We saw both the Iowa State Cyclones and the Indiana Hoosiers figure out how to put up huge gobs of points on the Wildcats, and it is starting to feel like this might be the demise of this team at some point here in this tourney. The defense for UK just doesn’t seem to match the talent of the offense, and guys like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, and Terrence Jones shouldn’t be allowing nine offensive rebounds and a slew of second chance points to a team like the Hoosiers, who only have really two legitimate rebounders on their team. This is where the Bears can really capitalize, as they are a team that feeds off of momentum. We’ve seen it a lot, and we might see it again, and if that turns out to be the case, we are warning the Big Blue Nation that its team could be in a lot of trouble. Even though Baylor is a No. 3 seed, it is going to be playing this one like it is a No. 16 going against the Wildcats, and the team just is not going to give up, and it won’t stop believing during this whole 40 minutes.

Key #3: The Baylor guards have to frustrate Marquis Teague
When we did our Sweet 16 breakdown for the Wildcats, we said that Teague had to be a big time point guard and make good decisions with the basketball. Considering how many possessions there were in the game, the fact that he only coughed it up twice was definitely a good sign. That being said, this is a Baylor team that has quick hands and loves to get into passing lanes. We hate to keep dogging on Teague, but he is still the weakest link on this otherwise absolutely outstanding club. The Bears are averaging just under eight steals per game this year, and well over two thirds of those thefts are coming via the guards that are getting the opponents into trouble. Baylor can be a stingy team, and you can bet that it is going to turn up the pressure as high as it can for the No. 1 team in the country on Sunday.

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

Two of the most popular choices to beat the March Madness odds are going to square off on Sunday afternoon in what should be a remarkable bout on the Elite 8 odds between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Kansas Jayhawks.

2012 Elite 8 Matchup: #2 Kansas Jayhawks vs. #1 North Carolina Tar Heels
Midwest Region Location: Scottrade Arena, St. Louis, MO
Elite 8 Date/Time: Sunday, March 23rd, 5:00 p.m.
Kansas vs. North Carolina Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: UNC has to get over this certain home court disadvantage
The Tar Heels are essentially facing their worst fear in this one. They are taking on the Jayhawks in St. Louis, a city that is traditionally known for its roots in the Big XII, not the ACC. There will be plenty of Carolina Blue in the stands, but that doesn’t mean that the majority still won’t be pulling for Kansas. We have seen the Heels absolutely fall apart in a few games this year that either were true road games or were de facto road games, such as the horrible five touchdown loss to the Florida State Seminoles and the early season upset against the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. In games like those, the crowd was able to really get the best of the Heels, and without any sort of leadership with experience running the show out of the point guard spot, it is going to be up to the rest of this team to maintain its composure if it wants to go to the Bayou for the Final Four.

Elite 8 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Kansas Jayhawks -2
North Carolina Tar Heels +2
Click Here to Bet Your Elite 8 Picks!

Key #2: Tyshawn Taylor needs to get his head back in the game
Taylor has now had three straight lackluster games here in the tourney, and even though he averaged 16.8 points per game this season, he now has three straight games with just 10 points or fewer. He shot a woeful 0-of-6 from beyond the arc in the win over the NC State Wolfpack on Friday night, and he was a big part of why the team shot 1-of-14 from downtown as a unit. Needless to say, that isn’t going to cut it, and if Taylor is really going to step it up and be the man to lead this team as he was in the regular season, he has to get his stroke back. This was a 49.2 percent shooter and a 41.6 percent three-point shooter during the season, and he really has no excuse for jitters any longer after being in the dance last year as a freshman. Taylor just cannot go MIA in this one, though we know that he is going to have some pain in the neck guards that are very athletic guarding him.

Key #3: North Carolina has to get an edge on the boards and make it count
It seems likely that Kendall Marshall is going to be missing out on this one again, though obviously, you are going to want to check your injury report before betting this one if you are playing the Elite 8 odds on game day. That being said, just take a look at the rebounding numbers for North Carolina on Friday night with its win over the Ohio Bobcats. Tyler Zeller had 22 boards by himself, while the whole Ohio team only had 26 rebounds. John Henson and Reggie Bullock both ripped down 10 boards apiece, while Harrison Barnes had seven. We just don’t understand how a team this talented won the rebounding battle 56-26 and still had to play in overtime and arguably should have been beaten by a No. 13 seed that was out of one of the worst conferences in America. Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson aren’t going to let matters be this easy for the Tar Heels on Sunday, and that might make the difference. If UNC does get the edge though, it has to take advantage of its second chance opportunities and to get the ball up the court in transition in a hurry.

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

The boys of NASCAR will be heading to Fontana, California this weekend, as 43 of the best and brightest drivers in the world try to make for great Auto Club 400 picks. But before you bet on the Auto Club 400 betting lines, be sure to check out our analysis for the race!

2012 Auto Club 400 Predictions & Info
2012 Auto Club 400 Date: Sunday, March 25th, 2012
2012 Auto Club 400 Location: Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA
Defending Auto Club 400 Winner: Kevin Harvick
2012 Auto Club 400 TV Coverage – Network: FOX

This could be the week that Jimmie Johnson (Current Auto Club 400 Odds: 5 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) really gets the job done. JJ has been running well of late, accounting for four straight Top 10 finishes. Now, he heads to Fontana, where he has a great history, finishing in the Top 10 in nine of his 10 races that he has run in his career on this track. Hendrick Motorsports has a great history on this track as well, as Jeff Gordon also has a great chance of taking the checkered flag. That being said, of the two Hendrick cars that are likely to be in the running come the end of the night on Sunday, we think that JJ is the better choice, especially knowing that he has to be running like wild to try to get back to the top of the Sprint Cup standings in the near future.

The man that took the checkered flag in the first race of the year here at Fontana last year was Kevin Harvick (2012 Auto Club 400 Odds: 8.50 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). Harvick hasn’t had a finish worse than 11th this whole season, and he is going to be well on his way to the Chase for the Sprint Cup once again this year in all likelihood. Fontana is a place in which he has raced quite well in his career, taking a win, three Top 5s, and eight Top 10s in 18 races. Harvick is just nine points back of the lead in the Sprint Cup standings, and he is going to do everything that he can right now to try to get the job done at Auto Club Speedway.

List Of Past Auto Club 400 Winners (Since 2000)
2011 – Kevin Harvick
2010 – Jimmie Johnson
2009 – Matt Kenseth
2008 – Carl Edwards
2007 – Matt Kenseth
2006 – Matt Kenseth
2005 – Greg Biffle
2004 – Jeff Gordon
2003 – Kurt Busch
2002 – Jimmy Johnson
2001 – Rusty Wallace
2000 – Jeremy Mayfield

Looking back at the history of this race, it is clear to see why Matt Kenseth (Odds To Win the 2012 Auto Club 400: 10 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) is one of the favorites to take the checkered flag once again at the Auto Club 400. He hasn’t won this race since 2009, but he does have three victories since 2006, easily the most of any driver on the Sprint Cup circuit. Kenseth does already have one victory this year, and there could be a heck of a lot more where that came from. A ‘W’ in this race, and he is going to really have the edge on the rest of the field in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

1: Denny Hamlin (11)
2: Kyle Busch (18)
3: Mark Martin (55)
4: Greg Biffle (16)
5: Kasey Kahne (5)
6: Ryan Newman (39)
7: Kevin Harvick (29)
8: Joey Logano (20)
9: Tony Stewart (14)
10: Jimmie Johnson (48)
11: Clint Bowyer (15)
12: Carl Edwards (99)
13: Martin Truex, Jr. (56)
14: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88)
15: Matt Kenseth (17)
16: Jamie McMurray (1)
17: Brad Keselowski (2)
18: David Reutimann (10)
19: Jeff Burton (31)
20: David Stremme (30)
21: Jeff Gordon (24)
22: Regan Smith (78)
23: Kurt Busch (51)
24: Juan Pablo Montoya (42)
25: AJ Allmendinger (22)
26: Bobby Labonte (47)
27: Paul Menard (27)
28: Aric Almirola (43)
29: Marcos Ambrose (9)
30: Josh Wise (26)
31: Landon Cassill (83)
32: Michael McDowell (98)
33: Casey Mears (13)
34: Dave Blaney (36)
35: Scott Riggs (23)
36: JJ Yeley (49)
37: Brendan Gaughan (33)
38: David Ragan (34)
39: Mike Bliss (19)
40: Travis Kvapil (93)
41: David Gilliland (38)
42: Ken Schrader (32)
43: Reed Sorenson (74)

Sitting on the pole for this one is Denny Hamlin (2012 Auto Club 400 Betting Lines: 6 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). Hamlin has had some good runs this year, finishing fourth at the Daytona 500 and winning the Subway Fresh Fit 500, but there is definitely some work that he needs to do to get back towards the top of the Sprint Cup standings. Back to back 20th place finishes haven’t helped matters any, but his good qualifying efforts and strong practice runs have us thinking that he is going to be one of the big time drivers sticking around at the end of this race.

2012 Auto Club 400 Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 3/25/12):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at SportBet.com When Using This Link)

Jimmie Johnson 5 to 1
Denny Hamlin 6 to 1
Kyle Busch 6.50 to 1
Tony Stewart 8 to 1
Kevin Harvick 8.50 to 1
Carl Edwards 10 to 1
Greg Biffle 10 to 1
Matt Kenseth 10 to 1
Jeff Gordon 12 to 1
Kasey Kahne 15 to 1
Brad Keselowski 18 to 1
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 20 to 1
Ryan Newman 25 to 1
Marcos Ambrose 30 to 1
Martin Truex, Jr. 30 to 1
Clint Bowyer 35 to 1
Mark Martin 35 to 1
AJ Allmendinger 40 to 1
Jeff Burton 45 to 1
Joey Logano 45 to 1
Kurt Busch 50 to 1
Paul Menard 55 to 1
Jamie McMurray 65 to 1
Juan Pablo Montoya 70 to 1
Aric Almirola 175 to 1
David Ragan 175 to 1
David Reuitmann 175 to 1
Regan Smith 175 to 1
Bobby Labonte 300 to 1
Brendan Gaughan 350 to 1
Casey Mears 500 to 1
Dave Blaney 500 to 1
David Gilliland 500 to 1
David Stremme 500 to 1
JJ Yeley 500 to 1
Josh Wise 500 to 1
Ken Schrader 500 to 1
Landon Cassill 500 to 1
Michael McDowell 500 to 1
Mike Bliss 500 to 1
Scott Riggs 500 to 1
Stacy Compton 500 to 1
Travis Kvapil 500 to 1

Odds to Win Auto Club 400 @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 3/25/12):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at JustBet.cx When Using This Link)
Denny Hamlin 6 to 1
Jimmie Johnson 6 to 1
Kyle Busch 6 to 1
Tony Stewart 7 to 1
Kevin Harvick 8 to 1
Carl Edwards 10 to 1
Greg Biffle 10 to 1
Matt Kenseth 10 to 1
Jeff Gordon 12 to 1
Kasey Kahne 12 to 1
Brad Keselowski 18 to 1
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 25 to 1
Ryan Newman 25 to 1
Clint Bowyer 30 to 1
Mark Martin 30 to 1
Martin Truex, Jr. 35 to 1
AJ Allmendinger 40 to 1
Jeff Burton 40 to 1
Joey Logano 40 to 1
Jamie McMurray 60 to 1
Juan Pablo Montoya 70 to 1
Field (Any Other Driver) 20 to 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Full List of 2012 Tim Tebow/New York Jets Props @ Bovada Sportsbook (as of 3/24/12):
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Will Tim Tebow start at least one game at QB for the Jets in the 2012 regular season?
Yes -150
No +110

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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