The 2011 Big East Tournament gets started on Tuesday, and here at Bankroll Sports, we have all of the ins and outs for all of the best college hoops betting picks on the internet for the big time duel at Madison Square Garden.

Trying to pick the winner of this event could be brutally hard, as there are as many as 11 teams that could be in the field of 68 come Selection Sunday, and it feels like any of the 11 can actually get the job done. We’ll start with the one that probably has the most on the line this week, and that is the Marquette Golden Eagles (30 to 1 Odds to Win Big East Tournament at JustBet Sportsbook). The Golden Eagles don’t need to win this tournament to get into the field of 68, but they do need to win at least one, and possibly two games to get the job done. They’ve got a lethal set of shooters, but their defense is lax at times, and the rest of the team just never really rallies when the shooters go cold. However, Head Coach Buzz Williams’ team knows what this feeling is like at Madison Square Garden, and we wouldn’t be shocked if Marquette comes up huge on Tuesday, Wednesday, and maybe even deeper into the week in this tournament.

The teams that are most like to actually win this event though, are the ones that don’t have to fight it out on Tuesday and Wednesday. That means that we’re focusing in on the top two seeds, the Pitt Panthers (2 to 1 Big East Tournament Odds at JustBet Sportsbook) and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2 to 1 2011 Big East Tournament odds at JustBet Sportsbook). These two teams haven’t exactly been head and shoulders above the rest of the crew in the Big East this year, but they definitely do have all of the right stuff to be able to win this tournament. Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis are amongst the best pure shooters in the entire conference, while Head Coach Mike Bray has really put in some tremendous defensive values for this team. Meanwhile, Head Coach Jamie Dixon knows how to get this job done with Pitt as well. The Panthers are grinders, and the always find ways to get the job done on both ends of the court. Both could be prospective winners of this event.

If you believe in magic though, perhaps the team you should be betting on is the Connecticut Huskies (20 to 1 Big East Tournament Lines at JustBet Sportsbook). Sure, UConn has to come through the bracket starting on Tuesday, but there really won’t be any problems starting off this tourney with a win over DePaul. From there, it’s all about Kemba Walker. There isn’t a man that can take this tournament over like Walker can, and he really could single handedly put this team on his back and get the job done if he catches fire. We’re never ones to bet against these gritty Brooklyn boys playing back on their home courts at MSG, and Walker is possibly the most talented that we’ve seen come through these ranks in a long, long time here in the Big East.

2011 Big East Tournament Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 3/6/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at JustBet.com When Using This Link)
Cincinnati Bearcats 25 to 1
Connecticut Huskies 20 to 1
Georgetown Hoyas 12 to 1
Louisville Cardinals 5 to 1
Marquette Golden Eagles 30 to 1
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2 to 1
Pittsburgh Panthers 2 to 1
St. John’s Red Storm 6.50 to 1
Syracuse Orange 3 to 1
Villanova Wildcats 50 to 1
West Virginia Mountaineers 12 to 1
Field 30 to 1

We’re inching closer to March Madness, and the biggest games are getting bigger and bigger over the course of the weekend. We take a look at some of the biggest matchups on the board for the weekend, and some of the great NCAA basketball trends that you need to note before making your college basketball picks on the games!

Saturday, February 19th, 12:00 ET: #4 Pitt Panthers @ St. John’s Red Storm
NCAA Basketball Odds: Pittsburgh -3.5
College Basketball Trends of Note
The Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their L/6 against teams with winning percentages above .600
U-Pitt is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 following an ATS defeat
The Red Storm are 4-1 ATS in their L/5 home games against teams with a winning road record

Series History
We know that the Johnnies have had all sorts of luck this year against big time teams both inside and outside of the Big East, especially here at Madison Square Garden, but that doesn’t mean that they are going to have the best of fortune in this one. The Panthers have won five straight both SU and ATS in this series, winning all of these games by at least seven points, and most of which have come by double digits. Still, St. John’s does have two wins here both SU and ATS at home in 2005 and 2006 at home, but none of these victories have really been all that impressive.

Saturday, February 19th, 1:00 ET: #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ West Virginia Mountaineers
College Basketball Odds: West Virginia -4
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
The Fighting Irish are 16-5 ATS in their L/21 games against the Big East
Notre Dame is 10-4 ATS in its L/14 games away from Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center
West Virginia has failed to cover four in a row

Series History
If you’re looking for a barnburner of a game that could be a huge slugfest, this is the one for you. A whopping 11 straight in this series between these Big East rivals have ended with ‘under’ results, something that you might be looking forward to again on Saturday. The home team has won seven straight and nine out of 10, and the hosts are 4-1 ATS in the L/5 in this series. Here in Morgantown, the Mountaineers haven’t been beaten by the Fighting Irish since 2005, and that was the only road win in this series for either team since the early 2000s.

Saturday, February 19th, 2:00 ET: #2 Texas Longhorns @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
NCAA Basketball Lines: Texas -6.5
College Basketball Trends of Note
The Longhorns have covered seven straight on the road, all of which have come against teams with home winning percentages of at least .600.
Texas is 16-5 ATS in its L/21 games overall
The Huskers are 6-2 ATS in their L/8 against teams with a winning percentage of at least .600

Series History
This is going to be quite the interesting battle. Nebraska has only lost one game at home this entire season, dropping to the Kansas Jayhawks, while Texas is rarely beaten anywhere. The Huskers also really need this big time scalp to have any chance to get into the NCAA Tournament. The home team has won three straight SU and seven of the L/10 in this series. Nebraska had covered four straight in this series before the last meeting last year, as UT whooped up on the Cornhuskers 91-51 in Austin. Still, this is a significantly different type of test this year, and the Longhorns have to be very, very careful about the prospects of getting upset.

Saturday, February 19th, 4:00 ET: Boston College Eagles @ #19 North Carolina Tar Heels
College Basketball Lines: North Carolina -11.5
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
The Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their L/5 played in the ACC
North Carolina is 7-1 ATS in its L/8 against teams in conference
The Tar Heels are 7-18 ATS in their L/25 at home against teams with a losing road record

Series History
The Eagles have already absolutely been clocked once in this series, losing 106-74 to the Tar Heels back in February up in Chestnut Hill, but that game was definitely not what we should consider to be the norm. Most of the meetings between these squads come down to the wire, which is why Boston College has a great run of 7-3 ATS over the course of the L/10 meetings. The Eagles know what it’s like to win here at the Dean E. Smith Center, as they have done so twice since coming over from the Big East, including in an 85-78 win in January 2009 as whopping 23 point underdogs.

Saturday, February 19th, 6:00 ET: Washington Huskies @ #13 Arizona Wildcats
NCAA Basketball Odds: Arizona -2.5
College Basketball Trends of Note
The Huskies are just 2-5 ATS in their L/7 overall
Arizona is 6-0-1 ATS in its L/7 overall
The Cats are 14-5 ATS in their L/19 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400

Series History
The Wildcats haven’t lost at home yet this year, something that is definitely worth noting in this battle atop the Pac-10. It’s also just as notable that U-Dub really hasn’t done that well either on the road, losing five times against quality opponents already this year. The home team is 6-2 ATS and a perfect 8-0 SU in this series dating back to 2007, but it’s definitely worth mentioning that the U of A is 7-2 ATS over the course of the L/9. Expect a high scoring duel in this one, as the winning team has averaged putting up 86.8 points per game over the course of the L/9 clashes of these Pac-10 rivals.

Saturday, February 19th, 9:00 ET: #24 Utah State Aggies @ #23 St. Mary’s Gaels
College Basketball Odds: St. Mary’s -4
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
The Aggies are 39-19-2 ATS in their L/60 games following an SU win of at least 20 points
St. Mary’s has covered six in a row against the WAC
The Gaels are 19-7 ATS in their L/26 played outside of the West Coast Conference

Series History
BracketBusters normally pit all sorts of teams against each other from differing conferences that have never played each other before, but it was only two seasons ago that these two met for the first time in this very same event and in the very same venue. The deal with BracketBusters is that you get to play the team one year on the road, and the next season back at the opposition at some point early in the year. That being said, these next two years will be the third and fourth time that these top non Big Six schools have met in competition. So far, it’s been all St. Mary’s, as the Gaels have taken both of the first two meetings both SU and ATS.

We’re inching closer to March Madness, and the biggest games are getting bigger and bigger over the course of the weekend. We take a look at some of the biggest matchups on the board for the weekend, and some of the great NCAA basketball trends that you need to note before making your college basketball picks on the games!

Saturday, February 12th, 12:00 ET: #13 Syracuse Orange @ #15 Louisville Cardinals
College Basketball Trends of Note
-The home team is 5-2-1 ATS over the L/8 meetings in this series
-Syracuse is 12-5 ATS in its L/17 games away from the Carrier Dome
-The Orange are 5-12 ATS in their L/17 games played on Saturday

Series History
These two teams don’t have the same type of deep rooted history that some of the other big boys do in the Big East, but what little history there is all belongs to the Cardinals. These teams have met seven times as conference foes, with the Redbirds winning six of the seven, and they have gone 5-1-1 ATS in those tussles. Syracuse only won the first meeting at the Carrier Dome 79-66 in 2006. The ‘Cuse have never won a game in Louisville, where the Cards are 15-2 this season.

Current NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: Louisville -2 (137.5)

Saturday, February 12th, 1:00 ET: #18 Kentucky Wildcats @ #24 Vanderbilt Commodores
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
-Kentucky is 3-7 ATS in its L/10 against SEC foes
-Vandy is 3-7 ATS in its L/10 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400
-The ‘Dores are 3-11 ATS in their L/14 games played on Saturday.

Series History
Kentucky has done well in this series, going 5-2 ATS over the course of the last seven meetings. However, it is really hard to ignore just how bad this team has been on the road this year, winning just one game in conference, at the South Carolina Gamecocks. This is the first of two meetings this year of these two teams. The home team had won six in a row in this series before UK came into the Music City and won last season 58-56. However, that was their first win here at Memorial Gym since 2005, something that will be hard to overcome on Saturday.

Current NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: Vanderbilt -1 (144)

Saturday, February 12th, 9:00 ET: #4 Pittsburgh Panthers @ #10 Villanova Wildcats
College Basketball Trends of Note
-Pittsburgh is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 games played in the Big East
-The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their L/5 games overall
-Villanova is 5-2 ATS in its L/7 home games

Series History
Home teams have really ruled the day in this series, going 10-4 ATS over the course of the last 14 tussles. U-Pitt did win last year at home as short underdogs to the Wildcats, but it hasn’t visited the City of Brotherly Love since 2009, and it hasn’t won here since 2007. The Panthers are 5-2 ATS over the course of the last seven meetings of these teams. If Pittsburgh wins, it will open up a commanding lead in the Big East and most likely will not be caught. This is probably the last chance that Head Coach Jay Wright’s team has at even thinking about a regular season Big East championship.

Current NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: Villanova -3 (139)

Saturday, February 12th, 2:00 ET: #1 Ohio State Buckeyes @ #14 Wisconsin Badgers
NCAA Basketball Trends of Note
-Ohio State is 7-2 ATS in its L/9 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600
-The Buckeyes are 9-3 ATS in their L/12 road games
-Wisconsin is 9-3 ATS in its L/12 against teams with a winning record SU

Series History
Expect to see a brutal one when these two teams square off, as there hasn’t been a meeting between them hit even 120 points since 2007. These two foes met already once this season, with the undefeated Buckeyes winning 60-51 at Value City Arena. The scene has shifted to the Kohl Center though, a place where Ohio State hasn’t won a game since January 2000, going 0-8 SU and 4-4 ATS. The Badgers are a great home team, and obviously, this is the biggest home game of the season for a bunch of fans that are historically very rowdy.

Current NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: Wisconsin -1 (122.5)

BetUS Sportsbook is all set for the biggest college basketball betting game of the year when the Duke Blue Devils and the Butler Bulldogs tip it off on Monday night! Here at Bankroll Sports, we’re taking a look at the final odds for the Final Four MVP award, which will be handed out at the conclusion of tonight’s game.

Nolan Smith, Duke Blue Devils

Why He Could Win: He has been the most consistent players for the Blue Devils in this tournament. Smith has averaged 18.6 points per game in the dance, making him one of the top scorers in this entire field of 65. You also know that unless he gets injured or into some serious foul trouble that he isn’t leaving the court for more than a minute or two at a time, so Smith will certainly have the chance to take all of the shots he needs.

Why He Might Not Win: Because he’s sort of the forgotten Blue Devil. Smith probably isn’t the best pure scorer on this team, nor is he the best rebounder or assists man. Even when he is leading the team in scoring for a game, the spotlight still often shines on either G Jon Scheyer or F Kyle Singler if either one of those two is having a solid night.

The Final Word: You can find Smith at +250 at BetUS Sportsbook to win MVP honors, which makes him the favorite to take down the award. However, unlike for Scheyer or Singler, it’s going to take a truly amazing effort for Smith to steal those votes that will go to one of the other two Dookies in the event that either one has a comparable game. Look elsewhere.

Jon Scheyer, Duke Blue Devils

Why He Could Win: He’s the leader of a senior-laden team, and he’s also the squad’s top scorer. Scheyer went off for 23 on West Virginia on Saturday night, making him the leader at this point in terms of scoring in the Final Four. If there’s a man that can take over any game single handedly from the outside, Scheyer is your guy, and if he can catch fire, Butler needs to look out. The senior can go on a 12-0 run all by himself very, very quickly.

Why He Might Not Win: Scheyer’s biggest problem is that he is notoriously inconsistent. Ultimately in most games, he gets his points and his assists, but sometimes, it takes awhile to get on the stat sheet. That can’t happen if he hopes to lead his team to victory and take down the MVP title.

The Final Word: Scheyer has been lined at +300 at BetUS Sportsbook to win the MVP award. In our eyes, this is the best bang for your buck. With another 20+ point effort, Scheyer will most likely be the highest scorer in the Final Four, and normally speaking, if you’re the Final Four’s leading point man and your team wins it all, you’re going to be the winner. Considering backing Scheyer at decent odds.

Gordon Hayward, Butler Bulldogs

Why He Could Win: It seems like a foregone conclusion that Hayward is winning the MVP award for the Bulldogs in the event that they win this game. He’s also the only player on the court that has any hope of winning the honors should his team lose. Hayward has averaged 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in the dance to this point, and his best three games have come against his hardest three opponents in Syracuse, Kansas State, and Michigan State. If there’s any hope of beating the Dookies, Hayward is going to have to play like an MVP.

Why He Might Not Win: Simply put, Butler probably isn’t winning this game. That would almost certainly shut any chances out of Hayward grabbing this award.

The Final Word: Hayward is the top Bulldog on the board at +300 at BetUS Sportsbook to win MVP honors. However, think about this one carefully before placing this bet. You can also get Butler at +290 on the moneyline in this game. If we reasonably assess that Howard isn’t winning this award without the Bulldogs winning the contest, you’re a lot better off passing on Hayward on this prop and taking the Horizon League champs to win the title instead just in case he gets hurt or someone else goes absolutely crazy.

Kyle Singler, Duke Blue Devils

Why He Could Win: The media loves a good story. After having the worst game of his career against Baylor in the Elite 8 by going 0/10 from the field and 0/5 from downtown and only scoring five points, Singler bounced back in the Final Four by scoring 21 points and bringing down nine boards in one of the statistically best games of his season. Just like Smith and Scheyer, Singler has the ability to score and score in bunches, as demonstrated by his nearly 18 points per game average in ’09-’10.

Why He Might Not Win: It’s hard to overlook that goose egg that he put up against Baylor. Even though that shouldn’t factor in to whether or not Singler wins this award, as a voter, it’s hard to look at Singler’s body of work in the dance and really say that he deserves any sort of MVP Award, especially when Smith has been so great over this whole tournament and Scheyer has caught fire in the L/3 rounds.

The Final Word: There’s a reason that Singler is +400 at BetUS Sportsbook to be named Final Four MVP. We don’t necessarily like Singler’s chances any better than Smith’s to capture the award, but we do like his odds a lot better. It seems a lot more likely that the forward can go off for 25+ points and steal the hearts of the voters in the process than that Smith can do the same thing. It’s going to take a huge effort, but if Singler can get it done, he may win this award as the fourth choice on the board.

The first week of April brings the rare crossover between four major sports, as the MLB, NHL, NBA, and NCAA hoops all collide. But before we look ahead at the week that will be, here at Bankroll Sports, we’re analyzing the week that was and giving all sorts of heck to those that have drawn our ire as sports betting fanatics.

Rap Sheet Picture of the Week
Philadelphia Eagles HC Andy Reid, who looks angrier than ever about the fact that his franchise quarterback, Donovan McNabb was traded for peanuts in his own division.

There’s no better place to start than in the NBA this week, and boy, would we love to give a piece of our mind to the New Orleans Hornets. You get G Chris Paul, your pride and joy, back in the lineup after he missed what felt like an eternity to this franchise, and you promptly come out and beat the Lakers on your home court. Great, right? After all, it’s not often that you can give up 31 points to G Kobe Bryant and 26 points and 22 rebounds to F Pau Gasol and live to tell about it. However… What gives after that, Hornets? As 9.5 point favorites, the Wizards came into New Orleans Arena and spanked the Hornets 96-91. That was followed up by a nine point loss in Memphis, which we deem to be excusable. But losing to the Nets? By four touchdowns? The 115-87 win for Jersey was clearly its biggest ‘W’ of the season, and it came at the expense of a team that just looks like it has given up. Don’t worry, the laughs aren’t over quite yet if you missed this embarrassing one in Jersey. Minnesota is still on the schedule!

This may not have a heck of a lot to do with gambling at this point, but is there any doubt that the Philadelphia Eagles are getting smacked by the Washington Redskins twice this season? Apparently, making it to five NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl wasn’t enough for QB Donovan McNabb, so the Iggles shipped him out of town. Ok, no problem, right? After all, guys get traded at the end of their careers all the time. But to send him to Washington??? You’re just asking to get whooped up on, Philly. And this blogger, who notoriously hates the Redskins, is going to love watching McNabb come back into the City of Brotherly Love and beat the snot out of your team this season.

The bullpen for the New York Yankees is already off to a flying start this year. You’d figure in and amongst all of the money that this team spends that they’d learn that eventually, a bullpen is going to help you out, right? But no, apparently having leads of 5-1 and 7-5 aren’t good enough. It’s not bad enough that David Robertson allowed his only inherited runner to cross home plate, but then Chan Ho Park proved once again why the Yanks have no clue how to spend their bucks by giving up three runs (two earned) in a three-run seventh. Don’t worry Joba Chamberlain, we’re not forgetting the three hits and a run you gave up in your 1.1 innings worked either. The final stat line for the New York pen? 2.2 IPs, 4 runs (3 earned), 6 hits, 2 walks, 1 K, 1 HR allowed. That’s a WHIP of 3.00 and an ERA of 13.50. Stellar job, boys. Stellar.

When arguably four of the best teams in your sport are playing in a playoff format on a neutral court, how on earth can you ever lay 24 points in a game?

If there’s money to be made as they play it, we’re going to have it covered here at Bankroll Sports. I know that women’s college basketball probably isn’t the sexiest thing in the world to bet on (no pun intended), but how can we really ignore what the Connecticut women’s basketball team has done on its road to the Women’s Final Four? Just take a look at these final scores…

Round 1: UConn 95 – Southern 39
Round 2: UConn 90 -Temple 36
Round 3: UConn 74 – Iowa State 36
Round 4: UConn 90 – Florida State 50

That’s right. Four games. 87.3 points per game scored. 40.3 points per game allowed.

There’s a five letter word that comes to mind that describes those numbers, but since we’re keeping it G-Rated, we’ll just say that that’s awfully dominant.

“I challenge anyone to say that we’re arrogant and we’re cocky and we disrespect the game” -UConn Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma on the question of whether his team is guilty of running up the score on its opponents.

One analyst on ESPN came up with the perfect line about UConn’s HC Geno Auriemma. He’s the only man or woman in the country that can convince his team in any sport at any level that they’re down by two points with a minute to play when in actuality, they’re up by 40. How else can you describe the fact that the Huskies were still using the full court press against Florida State in the Elite 8 with less than five minutes to play in the game?

Some of the statistics from this UConn team in this tournament have just been brutal. F Maya Moore, who is leading the team is scoring at 18.4 points per game this year, has outscored the entire other team in the first half of three of the Huskies’ tourney tussles. The Huskies have taken their first double digit lead within eight minutes of four of their games.

I thought that this 64 team tournament was supposed to be a celebration of the best teams in women’s college basketball, not a total destruction of them.

Has to make you wonder, right… UConn’s women -3 against the New Jersey Nets?

It’s not that the Huskies really haven’t played anyone this year. After all, they took on 15 ranked teams on the season, including games at (rankings at the time of playing them listed) #10 Texas, #12 Oklahoma, #7 Notre Dame, #7 Duke, and #12 Florida State. Their closest margin of victory this year? Twelve points at home against #13 Georgetown on February 27th. The biggest margin? Seventy against Northeastern. That’s right. Seven-Zero. Seventy.

The average final score of a Connecticut women’s basketball game this season was 82-46. The Huskies posted 25 games of at least 80 points and held ten foes in the 30s. Eleven others scored in the 40s. Heck, the poor Seton Hall Pirates only scored 24 against these chicks back on January 2nd. Happy New Year to you too, Seton Hall.

Now, Auriemma and his crew will take on their biggest challenge yet, quite literally, when Brittney Griner and her dunking ability come calling. Griner is largely considered the biggest (again, literally) star in women’s college basketball, as she is averaging 18.6 points per game, has dunked in several legitimate game situations (as opposed to just fast breaks with no challenge from the defense), and is blocking a whopping 6.4 shots per game.

However, none of that is going to matter. The average margin of victory for the Lady Huskies against ranked teams this year is 25.7 points. Many of those teams were, at least on the basis of rankings, significantly better than the Bears are. This is also a significantly bigger stage than what most of the regular season battles are worth, and Auriemma has already proven in this tournament that he isn’t calling off the dogs in any situation.

So let’s ask the question once again. How do you lay 24 points in the Final Four?

You do it with the Connecticut Huskies.

List of Final Four Odds & Latest Odds to Win The NCAA Tournament Can Be Found Below!

Last weekend, it was once again proven that the madness of March can claim any team at any moment. Only two of the so-called “favorites” to win the NCAA Tournament remain going into the Final Four in Indianapolis, as the Duke Blue Devils opened up as +600 favorites, while the West Virginia Mountaineers began at +800. You could’ve found the Michigan State Spartans at +5000 and the Butler Bulldogs at +7500 at the outset of the tourney as well. Here’s our look at the last four teams standing with their odds and our predictions for how they’ll fare in the Final Four.

Duke Blue Devils

Odds: +145 at 5Dimes
Analysis: If you were told at the beginning of March Madness that there would only be one #1 seed make it to the Final Four, the Blue Devils almost certainly would’ve been your final guess. However, thanks to a relatively weak bracket and some strong defense, the Dookies have not only gone 4-0 SU to make it to Lucas Oil Stadium, but they’ve also gone a perfect 4-0 ATS to boot.
Keys to Victory: The Dookies absolutely know that they need their Big Three to keep on scoring and scoring at will to win it all. G Jon Scheyer, F Kyle Singler, and G Nolan Smith are averaging a combined 53.2 points per game this year, but Singler is coming off of the first game of his career in which he was held without a field (0/10 vs. Baylor). It’s not the defense that needs to keep up, it’s the offense, and Coach K probably knows it.
The Last Word: It hasn’t been a good thing to be a favorite in this tournament, and it’s going to be absolutely no different for the Blue Devils. West Virginia provides a type of test that hasn’t been seen this year by this team, and the ACC Champs are going to succumb to the defensive pressure and bow out one step away from the championship game.

Butler Bulldogs

Odds: +415 at 5Dimes
Analysis: Not only has Cinderella found the perfect fitting slipper, but now she gets to go to the ball that will played essentially on her home court. The Bulldogs have clearly been the mid-major that has stood out above the rest all season long, and now, they’re going to the Final Four, which will be played just seven miles from their campus. Butler is riding a 24 game winning streak, the longest in the nation by a country mile.
Keys to Victory: Defense brought Butler here, and defense is going to have to be what takes it to the next level. The Bulldogs have held their foes to just 59.6 points this season, the best mark of the four teams remaining. Don’t just say that those great numbers are thanks to a lack of competition, though. Ask Kansas State and Syracuse, both of which were averaging right around 80 points per game this year, just how tough it is to play these guys. The Dogs held each of them under 60 points.
The Last Word: Even though Butler is going to be favored against Michigan State, the party is probably over for it. The Bulldogs are cute and clearly have the ability to beat the best teams in the nation (after all, they already have a win against Ohio State to boot this year), but teams like this just don’t win National Championships. It’ll be a hard fought battle, but the clock will ultimately strike midnight on this Cinderella on Saturday.

Michigan State Spartans

Odds: +475 at 5Dimes
Analysis: Losing G Kalin Lucas has only seemed to make this team stronger. HC Tom Izzo knows what he’s doing, as demonstrated by the fact that he has been to six Final Fours in the L/12 seasons. This probably isn’t his most talented team, but it is a team that has truly come together for a common goal in spite of the fact that its leading scorer has been shelved with an Achilles tendon rupture.
Keys to Victory: It’s hard to just say that there is one key for this team. The Spartans don’t have a ton of size or speed, but what they do have is a lot of heart and effort. They’re also going to be the best coached side in this tournament. They’ll have a chance because of Izzo, and as long as they remain charismatic and show the ability to nail clutch shots and win games down the stretch, they’ll be a tough team to oust no matter who the foe really is.
The Last Word: Sparty came up just short last season, and unfortunately for them, that’s probably going to be the way that it works this year as well. MSU’s heart can carry it past an equally gritty Butler team, but it’s just not going to have enough no matter who the foe is on the other side of the bracket. Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride. That’s going to be the theme once again in East Lansing.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Odds: +250 at 5Dimes
Analysis: They say that surviving in the Big East is a great preparation for the NCAA Tournament. Though that didn’t hold true for a ton of teams from this conference this year, it did for the champs of the league, as the Mountaineers have used the momentum from their Big East Tournament triumph to lead them into the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Keys to Victory: The bigs for the Mountaineers have had a great tournament, and they’re going to have to continue that way to take care of Duke and either Michigan State or Butler to win it all. F Da’Sean Butler, F Kevin Jones, and F Devin Ebanks are combining to score 43.1 points and bring in 21.7 rebounds per night, both of which are incredibly hefty numbers. Even though the backcourt play is clearly going to be missing something if G Darryl Bryant can’t play, the frontcourt should be good enough for this team to beat anyone in the country.
The Last Word: Athleticism is the key to beating Duke, and that’s what is going to carry the Mountaineers to the NCAA Tournament Final. At that point, there’s going to be a relatively undersized team that is waiting in the wings. If West Virginia can successfully knock off the powerful Wildcats, who are stacked both on the inside and on the outside, it can certainly take care of any of these teams that are left standing to win the entire tournament. Look for the blue and gold to be cutting down the nets on Monday night.

Current March Madness Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook(as of 3/30/10):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes Sportsbook When Using This Link)

Duke +145
West Virginia +250
Butler +415
Michigan State +475