It’s almost time for College Football wagering season! To get you ready, we will break down the odds to win the ultra-competitive SEC at Bankroll Sports, brought to you by BetUS.com.

The Alabama Crimson Tide (Odds to Win the SEC: 1 to 1 @ BetUS.com Sportsbook) are locked, loaded and ready to repeat as conference and BCS champions. Last year’s 12th ranked rushing offense is going to improve with the return of Heisman Trophy winning RB Mark Ingram, along with backup sophomore Trent Richardson. QB Greg McElroy is returning for his final season, looking to avoid his first college loss. He will retain his top two receivers in Julio Jones and Marquis Maze. An explosive offense may need to do some early lifting for a defense that returns just two starters. In the secondary, the Tide can build around junior DB Mark Barron. At linebacker, the team returns Dont’a Hightower, while DE Marcell Dareus would anchor the line, pending his NCAA investigation. The schedule isn’t bad, with the four conference road games well spread out. A home date with Florida should be a preview of the SEC Championship game.

The Florida Gators (Odds to Win the SEC: 2.5 to 1 @ BetUS.com) have plenty of talent to return to the SEC Championship game. Believe it or not, there is life after Tim Tebow on offense. Junior John Brantley will take the starting job, having thrown for seven scores and no picks in mop-up time for Tebow last year. The issue on offense is actually the wide receiver spot, with just junior Deonte Thompson returning out of last season’s best five. Formerly a running back, Chris Rainey has converted to receiver to help alleviate this issue. Jeffrey Demps will lead a solid rushing attack, backed up by Emmanuel Moody. The defense has some work to do up front. The line will be led in pass rushing by DEs Justin Trattou and Duke Lemmens, replacing Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham. At linebacker, the Gators feature seniors A.J. Jones and Brandon Hicks. The secondary will be led by two gifted safeties in junior Will Hill and senior Ahmad Black. On the schedule looms that October showdown at Alabama, along with a game at Georgia.

Playing the role of SEC dark horse are the South Carolina Gamecocks (+2000 at BetUS). Nine starters return to the offense, including quarterback Stephen Garcia, who was impressive despite being sacked 33 times last year. This year’s offensive line will be led by senior tackle Jarriel King. At wide receiver, Garcia gets his top option back in Alshon Jeffrey. Sophomore Tori Gurley will have to step up to become the second target. The success of the offense hinges on developing a running game. Sophomore RB Kenny Miles led last year’s unit in yardage, but only scored once. This problem was due in part to the struggling line. The Gamecocks will be strong on defense. Sack leader and all-conference selection Cliff Matthews returns at defensive end, while Shaq Wilson will lead an experienced and deep group of linebackers. The secondary will be anchored by senior safety Chris Culliver, ensuring that South Carolina will again be among the best SEC defenses. The schedule is downright brutal, with Georgia and Alabama coming to Columbia early in the season. The Gamecocks will face Florida on the road.

The Kentucky Wildcats (Odds to Win the SEC: 66 to 1 @ BetUS.com) went bowling last season, but won’t be an SEC factor this year. The offense returns its two star dual threats in Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb, but four starting linemen are gone and who will be the starting quarterback is anything but decided. Senior Mike Hartline and sophomore Morgan Newton are competing for the job, but neither was impressive last year. The defense is also full of question marks, if not holes. A pass rush that accounted for just 15 sacks last year sees Jeremy Jarmon return at one of the end positions. The linebacking unit will have to improve. All-conference selection Micah Johnson will again start in the middle, but the two outside positions will see inexperience, with no clear-cut talented starters. The secondary will be led by senior safety Ashton Cobb. Kentucky opens conference play with consecutive road games at Florida and Mississippi, which will set the tone for a rough year.

Odds To Win The SEC Conference @ BetUS Sportsbook(as of 7/29/10):
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Alabama +100
Florida +250
Arkansas +800
Auburn +800
Georgia +800
LSU +1000
South Carolina +2000
Tennessee +2500
Mississippi +3500
Kentucky +6600
Mississippi State +6600
Vanderbilt +12500

The sports betting world has taken more twists and turns over this past week, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’re taking some time to rant of the worst from the week that was in the gambling world.

Rap Sheet Picture of the Week
F DeMarcus Cousins and G John Wall, who wrapped up their collegiate careers by getting embarrassed in the dance by West Virginia on Saturday night.

Boy, can you totally stick it for that lousy performance you put up on Saturday, Kentucky Wildcats! After watching the mighty Jayhawks and Orange fall before you, how dare you come out so flat against a very dangerous West Virginia team with a berth in the Final Four on the line! You had crushed your previous three foes by an average of 25.7 points per game in this tournament, and everyone was still waiting for the best games out of F Patrick Patterson, G John Wall, and F DeMarcus Cousins.

Never happened. Oops. Now, HC John Calipari has to go back to the drawing board, as he is likely losing his four best players to the NBA Draft this year, and in spite of the fact that he has totally ruined a number of schools with recruiting violations over the years, he still doesn’t have any National Championships to boast about on his resume.

Speaking of teams that have been incredibly upsetting, what the heck happened to everyone in that so-called “powerful” Midwest Bracket? The #1 Kansas Jayhawks, #2 Ohio State Buckeyes, #3 Georgetown Hoyas, and #4 Maryland Terrapins have all long since been forgotten, and the two teams left standing in this region on Sunday were arguably the two that went through the most chaos all year long. Tennessee had to deal with the whole New Year’s Day fiasco that got G Tyler Smith kicked off the team. Michigan State had injury woes with G Kalin Lucas suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the second round of the tourney. Yet, experience has ruled the day once again, as HC Tom Izzo is laughing at his other “great coaches” out of this bracket, as he has the final laugh with his second straight trip to the Final Four.

Our attention is turned to the NBA betting world as well this week. Hey Denver Nuggets, what’s going on with you guys? You’ve got one of the best offenses in the NBA at 107.1 points per game, but over your L/2 weeks, you’ve only averaged 97.7 points per game. No wonder why you’re 0-6-1 ATS in those seven games! Now, the punishment is that you’re sitting in the #3 hole coming into tonight’s game with Dallas, and you could fall all the way down to #8 by the time this is said and done, as the Trail Blazers are only 3.5 games behind you with eight to play. Guess who else is on your slate this week as well on the road?

List of Current Odds to Win The NCAA Tournament Can Be Found Below!

In spite of the fact that there was carnage for the duration of the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Sweet 16 saw many of the so called Cinderella squads bow out from the dance.

The one exception appears to be the #5 Butler Bulldogs, who pulled off the biggest upset in the third round of March Madness betting action by taking down #1 Syracuse and opening up the West Bracket in a big way. Their fellow mid-majors, the #12 Cornell Big Red, #11 St. Mary’s Gaels, and #9 Northern Iowa Panthers were all dismissed.

Still, there is a nice mix of conferences remaining amongst the last eight teams standing. The SEC and Big XII both have a pair of squads left, while the ACC, Big East, Horizon League, and Big Ten are all still represented as well.

The favorite to win it all is still the Kentucky Wildcats (+245 at 5Dimes). Even though HC John Calipari still steps up to the microphone following every single game and praises the work of his young freshmen and sophomores and downplays their abilities on the court, anyone watching this squad still knows that the best is probably yet to come. That’s saying something for a team that has posted an average margin of victory in this tournament of more than 25 points per game! G John Wall, F Patrick Patterson, and F DeMarcus Cousins just haven’t caught their stride yet on college basketball’s biggest stage, as the three have combined for just one 20+ point outing between them. If Big Blue is playing defense like it did against Cornell when it held the Big Red to just 33.3 percent shooting from the floor, this is going to be the hardest team left to topple in the tournament.

If you’re banking on long shots, the three longest odds on the board are all playing on the same half of the draw, and in all likelihood, one of the three will be playing for the National Championship. Either the #5 Michigan State Spartans (+1600 at 5Dimes) or #6 Tennessee Volunteers (+1200 at 5Dimes) will see their stock increase in value dramatically, particularly if the #5 Butler Bulldogs (+1500 at 5Dimes) can pull off the upset of the #2 Kansas State Wildcats (+435 at 5Dimes) in the Elite 8.

The other #1 seed remaining, the Duke Blue Devils (+355 at 5Dimes) continue to fly under the radar just a bit, as they’re being overshadowed by what Kentucky is doing in the East Region and all of the other upsets that have occurred in the dance thus far. However, even without getting anything really significant out of G Jon Scheyer in this tournament, Coach K has his club playing well enough on the defensive side of the ball to be able to make life absolutely hellacious for his opponents.

His Dookies will take on the final team that we have yet to discuss, the #3 Baylor Bears (+985 at 5Dimes), who are going to be playing essentially behind a home crowd at the Toyota Center after annihilating one of the Cinderella teams in this field (St. Mary’s) on Friday night.

Current March Madness Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook(as of 3/27/10):
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Kentucky +245
Duke +355
Kansas State +435
West Virginia +785
Baylor +985
Tennessee +1200
Butler +1500
Michigan State +1600

In and amongst all of the talk about the teams like the #10 St. Mary’s Gaels, the #9 Northern Iowa Panthers, and the #5 Butler Bulldogs, hidden in the East Bracket, there’s a team that has been kicking butt and taking no prisoners, and seemingly no one is talking about them.

Is that because they a… dare I say… favorite? Is it because they are a flashy team and they do have talent? Is it because you have heard of their superstars and their head coach? Or is it because they’re a #1 seed and are expected to march through to the Elite 8 without any difficulties?

Regardless of what the circumstance is, the #1 Kentucky Wildcats have mowed down all three of their opponents without any hassles, and it’s time to recognize that this is their NCAA Tournament to lose.

There aren’t many teams in the country that can absolutely win games when two of their best three players are essentially MIA. There are even fewer that can beat a Sweet 16 foe by 17 points, even if that opponent is “just” an Ivy League team.

On Thursday night, G John Wall only scored eight points, and his counterpart F DeMarcus Cousins tallied nine. That duo is averaging nearly 32 points per game this year.

It’s not like anyone else had a truly remarkable game, either. F Patrick Patterson’s 16 points was only a shade above his season average, and G Eric Bledsoe’s dozen was right on par with his normal night.

But HC John Calipari, in spite of the fact that he has never won a National Championship (or for that matter, had one vacated), knows that you’re going to have to find ways to look like you’re at your best, even when you’re not at your best in this tournament.

That’s exactly what the Cats have done so far in this tournament.

It’s amazing to think that none of Kentucky’s big three have gone off for more than 22 points in a game in the dance (and aside from Patterson’s 22 against #16 East Tennessee State, there hasn’t even been a 20 point game in the bunch either). Yet still, the 17 point margin of victory against the Big Red was easily the smallest of its three. The Wildcats have averaged beating their three March Madness competitors by an average of 25.3 points per game, easily the biggest average margin of victory in the dance.

Now, it’s true that the SEC champs haven’t run up against a foe that anyone really believed could win the whole enchilada yet, but it’s noteworthy to get this far in a tournament that has resembled trying to get through a minefield.

Ask #1 Syracuse or #1 Kansas or #2 Villanova or #3 Georgetown what it’s like running up against opponents that probably have no chance of winning the National Championship.

The #2 West Virginia Mountaineers will stand in the way of the mighty Wildcats on Saturday afternoon for the right to go to the Final Four.

Just 16 teams remain in the NCAA Tournament! There are a ton of juicy prop bets that are still available as we enter the second week of this three week spectacle, and BetUS Sportsbook has all of the ins and outs covered for you as you boost your bankrolls with the biggest tournament of the year!

Prop Bet #1 – Will all three #1 seeds reach the Elite 8?: Let’s just do some simply math at this point, shall we? If you take the best three lines you can find anywhere on the internet on the three #1 seeds to win on Thursday and Friday, you’ll come to just about +105 odds. By parlaying the Duke Blue Devils (-450), the Syracuse Orange (-290), and the Kentucky Wildcats (-500) on the moneyline at BetUS Sportsbook, you’ll come up with about -103 odds. Under that premise, there’s no reason to lay -115 with this prop, but there’s also no reason to wager no either. However, we do like the idea of assuming that the #1s are all getting through this weekend. Unlike Kansas, who was tested by #16 Lehigh for a little while before ultimately pulling away, the Cats, Dookies, and Orange have just come out and throttled their opponents so far in the dance. There’s no reason to think that an undermanned Purdue team is going to be able to stop the mighty Blue Devils, and certainly no reason to believe that a bunch of Ivy Leaguers are going to be able to stop a John Calipari coached team with almost a full week of preparation. That leaves Syracuse playing Butler. The Orange have probably been the most impressive of the #1 seeds after having rocked Gonzaga in the second round, and even though we’re not so sure that they’re the right choice against the six point spread, we are convinced that getting -103 odds on the moneyline for them is a fantastic price. So ignore the prop line, but run with the idea.
Selection: Parlay Kentucky, Duke, and Syracuse on the moneyline (-103) at BetUS Sportsbook. (100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

Prop Bet #2 – Odds to win the South Region: It’s pretty clear that the Blue Devils are the favorites to win this bracket and go to the Final Four, but is that really justifiable at -145 odds? What you’re saying is that Coach K’s team is going to be at least three, if not four point favorites in a prospective Elite 8 matchup with Baylor? That doesn’t feel like what’s going to happen, especially if Duke even remotely struggles with #4 Purdue or the Bears obliterate #10 St. Mary’s. Don’t rest on the talent level on this Baylor team. G LaceDarius Dunn dropped 26 points on Old Dominion in the second round, and he has the ability to go off for 30+ on just about every team that he faces. Yes, this test against St. Mary’s is probably going to be a lot harder than it looks on paper with a #3 going against a #10, but if the Bears survive that one, you’ve got some fantastic odds on them to go to the Final Four.
Selection: Baylor Bears +225 at BetUS Sportsbook. (100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

Prop Bet #3 – Odds to Reach NCAA Championship Final: We’re keying in on the left hand side of your bracket in the West and Midwest Regions. It’s pretty clear that the Midwest Bracket opened up a ton when #9 Northern Iowa knocked off overall #1 seed in this tournament, Kansas. Any of the four teams could still represent that region in our opinion. That leaves a date with most like either Syracuse or Kansas State in the Final Four. Why not take a stab on the Panthers at great odds in this situation? It’s basically a coin flip that they take out Michigan State, and we like our chances of Sparty getting bounced without G Kalin Lucas in the lineup. Yes, it could be a very difficult #2 Ohio State squad in the Elite 8, but it could just as easily be an overrated #6 Tennessee team as well. You may look up next week and see that you’ve got great odds on a mid-major team to win just one more game on the grandest stage in college basketball.
Selection: Northern Iowa Panthers +3000 at BetUS Sportsbook. (100% Deposit Bonus by clicking This Link.)

The college basketball season is starting to pick up full steam and is picking up a lot more attention now that college football regular season is in the books. One of the common themes around the nation is that there is a ton of new and rising talent on the hardwood making big names for themselves heading into 2010. Among the headlines this season, we like to point out a group of guys that are shaping out to be a very good class at the point guard position. Of course not to get the confused with shooting guards, these are the guys directing the game and opening up opportunities for their players. Sometimes they do not post the big numbers as do the scorers, but they are equally as valuable. We bring to you a look at the Top 10 point guards in college basketball based on what we have seen thus far in the year.

Be sure check back as we will break down the top 10 shooting guards in our next preview…

#10 – Greivis Vasquez (Maryland Terrapins)

Greivis Vasquez got off to a terrible start this year, but has turned that around over the past few games. Vasquez averaged just 7.5 points through the first 4 games of the year, but has rallied averaging 17 points over the past 5 games. The Maryland Terrapins senior have averaged over 17 points in his last two seasons and is carrying a solid mark of 5.8 assists per game this year. The problem with Vasquez is that he is very inconsistent and just shooting 35% on the year. However, the biggest problem is that he has a big problem with ball control as he has given up 32 turnovers in just 9 games and that part of his game must change.

#9 – Devan Downey (South Carolina Gamecocks)

Devan Downey is a feisty little guy that has not gotten off to a great start this year, but is an excellent player. Downey has carried South Carolina over the last two year’s despite any big success as a team. Downey averaged 20 points, 5 assist, and led the SEC with 3 steals per game last season. Downey is currently averaging 17.6 point per game which is not bad at all considering he has struggled a bit in his most recent outings. However, he still has a good chance to reach 2,000 career points and flirt with 500 assist for his career. Keep an eye on this guy as his stock will rise before all is said and done.

#8 – Kemba Walker (Connecticut Huskies)

Kemba Walker is a guy that understands what it takes to be a point guard. He runs the Huskies offense very well and gets the ball to the right guys. Walker had a decent freshman campaign averaging 9 points and 3 assists per game, but he should improve those numbers a good bit this year. Walker has already had a couple big performances this year and is averaging 5.6 assists and 15 points per game not to mention shooting 50% from behind the arc. He has hinted that he can be a big time player, but may need to develop into a bigger scoring threat before he can really show all his potential.

#7 – Jon Scheyer (Duke Blue Devils)

Blue Devils senior guard Jon Scheyer may like some of the god gifted ability as some of our other guards on our list, but makes up for it with a great knowledge of the game and accurate shooting stroke. Scheyer is the only guy outside of Kyle Singler that returned to the Blue Devils roster this season that had quality playing time last year. So far Scheyer 16 points per game and a very solid 5.3 assists. Another interesting aspect that is growing attention is the fact of how well Scheyer handles the ball. Scheyer has just 5 turnovers in the Blue Devils first 8 games which should have Coach K pleased.

#6 – Nic Wise (Arizona Wildcats)

Despite a disastrous 4-5 start by the Wildcats, Nic Wise has continued to play well. Wise has posted 16 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season. The Wildcats senior is one of those guys that just goes out and puts up consistent numbers while rarely having any horrible performances. At the end of last year, Wise scored at least double digits in 14 of his last 15 outings. Wise also sports a career 3 point percentage over 40% which will help his draft status at the end of the year if he continues to play well.

#5 – Jerome Randle (California Golden Bears)

Jerome Randle is a 4 year starter that has reached his prime for the Golden Bears. In fact if California was among the top teams in the nation, Randle may be a household name. Randle not only led the team averaging 18 points last year; he also leads the team this season averaging nearly 20 points per game. Not only is Randle have an excellent touch of the ball, he really finds ways for his guys to get high percentage shots and carries a 5 assists per game average. It is also worth mentioning that Randle leads all of college basketball averaging 93.5% from the free-throw line.

#4 – Scottie Reynolds (Villanova Wildcats)

Scottie Reynolds is a guy that for some reason or another has not received a ton of praise in the national spotlight. Not to say he has not been given credit, but perhaps not as much as he deserves. Reynolds got really hot at the end of last year as has recently started getting hot again. On the year, the Wildcats senior is averaging 16 points, 4.2 assists, and 2 steals per game. Add to the fact Reynolds has scored at least 22 points in each of his last 3 outings, he may be a reason Villanova is another Cinderella type story again in March.

#3 – Kalin Lucas (Michigan State Spartans)

Kalin Lucas holds the top point guard spot in the Big Ten and his importance to the Spartans success is critical. Lucas now in his junior year is averaging 17 points per game with 4.5 assists. Lucas also not known for posting tremendous scoring numbers has shot the ball well this year especially behind the arc where he has knocked down 44% through his first 9 games. It was the Spartans last year who made a late charge in the NCAA Tournament capturing a shot at the National Title before falling to North Carolina. It was also Lucas has knocked down right at 20 points in both of the big games against Connecticut and Kansas during the tournament. Lucas has proved time and time again he is the guy to carry the Spartans when they need it as he will be for the rest of the year.

#2 – John Wall (Kentucky Wildcats)

John Wall is without any doubt the biggest impact freshman in the country and heads up an amazing group of youngsters at Kentucky that could contend for a National Title in John Calipari’s first year as coach. Wall has averaged 18 points per game and ranks 4th in the nation with 7.1 assists per game. Wall has the frame for like a small forward at 6’4, but excellent ball handling skills and ability to slice to the lane quickly. It also is worth mentioning that he has had some great performances against top notch competition like North Carolina and a season high 25 points in a 3 point win over Connecticut. Known a year ago as the #1 recruit in the nation, Wall is on his way to becoming the #1 player in the nation. The freshman has had a great start, but let’s let him prove he can keep it going.

#1 – Sherron Collins (Kansas Jayhawks)

Sherron Collins entered the season as the number 1 point guard in the nation, but he is feeling a lot of pressure from John Wall. However, Collins is an experienced senior that has proven himself in the big games and there is still a long season to be played. Collins is a following a junior campaign in which he averaged 19 points and 5 assist per game even though he is just averaging just 13 points and 4 assist through his first 9 games this season. The thing is that Collins has not had to do much yet this year with Xavier Henry shooting the ball so well, but expect that to change as the season progresses. Also, Collins is still the most complete point guard at this time and understands the game at the college level better than anyone.