Jimmie Johnson Current Odds 9-5

The four time Sprint Cup Champion is off to another great start as he looks to extend his record to five titles in a row. After a disappointing 35^th place finish at Daytona because of car trouble, he went out and won the next two races; the Auto Club 500 at Fontana and the Shelby American at Las Vegas. Last week in Atlanta, he started from the 16^th position and finished 12^th. Through four races Johnson is currently in 4^th place overall, 74 points out of the lead.

Jeff Gordon Current Odds 6-1

Gordon got off to a shaky start in Daytona starting 21^st and finishing 26^th. The following week in California things did not get much better with a 28^th place start and a 20^th place finish. His team rallied in Las Vegas with a 2^nd place start and a third place finish. Last week in Atlanta he started 5^th and finished 18^th. Through four races Gordon is in 11^th place, 162 points out of the lead.

Mark Martin Current Odds 8-1

The senior man on the circuit is off to another solid start in 2010. He started on the pole in Daytona and finished a respectable 12^th. He followed that up with a pair of fourth place finishes at Fontana and Las Vegas. Last week in Atlanta he took a step backwards after getting caught up in wreck on lap 331 and finishing 33^rd. He is currently in 7^th place, 123 points back.

Tony Stewart Current Odds 17-2

Stewart is one of the top favorites anytime he steps onto the track but this season has been a little rough so far. His best start was from the 6^th position at Daytona and his best finish was 7^th in the Shelby American. He also took 9^th in the Auto Parts 500, giving him two top 10 finishes so far this year. Last week in Atlanta he started 15^th and finished 13^th, never really challenging for the win. Through the first four week he is in 8^th place, 134 points out of the lead.

Denny Hamlin Current Odds 11-1

The best thing that Hamlin can say about this season so far is that he has finished every race. His best finish so far was at Daytona where he came in 17^th. His main problem early on has been his starting position. In four races his best start was from the 20^th position last week in Atlanta. He ended up finishing 21^st in that race. Through four weeks he is currently in 22^nd place, already digging himself a -235 point hole.

Kyle Busch Current Odds 13-1

Busch’s early success of last season has certainly not carried over into this year. While he has started every race in the top 10, his best effort so far is a pair of 14^th place finishes at Daytona and Fontana. He has finished all four races either on or just back of the lead lap, but cannot seem to keep himself near the front of the pack down the stretch. Last week he started 2^nd, but could only manage a 25^th place finish. He is currently in 15^th place, 176 points out of the lead.

Seton Hall Pirates (25-4) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-7)

The seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish will tip off against the 10th seed Seton Hall Pirates in the second round of the Big East Tournament tonight at Madison Square Garden.

Click Here for more Free Expert NCAA Basketball Picks

The Irish hold a 15-8 advantage in the all-time series, despite losing 90-87 at Seton Hall back on Feb 11. The winner of this game will meet second- seeded Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

The Pirates has won three straight and seven of its last nine games including a 109-106 victory over 15th-seeded Providence in the first round last night. SHU led 76-47 with just over 13 minutes to play, but poor defense allowed Providence to rally within three with 8.5 seconds left. After a pair of Friars’ missed free throws, and an errant three-pointer in the closing moments, the game concluded with the Pirates narrowly escaping elimination. Herb Pope led the way for SHU with a double double of 27 points and a league-best 11 rebounds, while Jordan Theodore racked up 21 points and six assists. Jeremy Hazell, the Pirates leading scorer (21.1ppg) tacked on 18 points in the win.

Meanwhile Notre Dame, a team that had been struggling down the stretch losing three straight along with standout forward Luke Harangody, rallied back to finish the regular season with four straight wins and a respectable 10-8 finish in the Big East. The Irish compensated for the loss of Harangody with tough defense, allowing an average of just 54.7 ppg over its final four contests. Harangody, who tops the roster with 23.3 ppg and 9.7 rpg, returned to the lineup after missing five games with a deep right knee bruise and played just 11 minutes in team’s regular season finale against Marquette back on March 6. The senior had five points and two rebounds in the 63-60 overtime win. Harangody is not the only weapon in the Notre Dame arsenal. Tim Abromaitis checks in with 17.2 ppg behind 44.9 percent shooting from three-point range, and is closely followed by Ben Hansbrough and Tory Jackson chipping in with 12.0 and 9.7 ppg respectively, while the duo is also combining for 9.9 apg.

The odd makers have the Irish as a slim –1 ½ -point favorite in this one.

Click Here for more Free Expert NCAA Basketball Picks

The Pirates seem to be peaking at the right time as they try to play their way into the NCAA Tournament. However, they may shows signs of fatigue after last night’s shootout with Providence. On the other hand, the Irish, who earned a first-round bye, are 5-14 all-time in this event and have never won more than one game.

Despite history, I expect Notre Dame to win this one by a margin of 4-points.

Seton Hall Pirates Basketball Betting Trends:

• Seton Hall is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
• Seton Hall is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seton Hall’s last 5 games
• Seton Hall is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Basketball Betting Trends:

• Notre Dame is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
• Notre Dame is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Notre Dame’s last 6 games
• Notre Dame is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Seton Hall

Oklahoma Sooners (13-17) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (21-09)

The seventh-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys will host cross-state rivals the 10th-seeded Oklahoma Sooners for the first round of the 2010 Big 12 Conference Tournament on Wednesday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

Click Here for more Free Expert NCAA Basketball Picks

These teams split a pair of regular season meetings, with the Cowboys routing the Sooners 97-76 in the last meeting back Feb 13. Oklahoma holds a 125-91 all-time series advantage over OSU. The winner of this contest will move on to Thursday’s quarterfinal round to take on the second-seeded Kansas State Wildcats.

The Sooners are 13-17 overall, and have been beaten by double figures in six games during their current eight-game losing streak. Oklahoma closed out the regular season with a 15-point loss to Texas A&M, falling to 4-12 in Big 12 action. Freshman guard Tommy Mason-Griffin, who paces the team with 13.9 ppg, scored 16 points in the loss. The Sooners shot a poor 36.2 percent from the floor in that clash. Mason- Griffin, has become the team’s playmaker (145 assists), since Oklahoma lost sophomore guard Willie Warren to a season-ending ankle injury last month. Warren was leading Oklahoma with 16.3 ppg. The Sooners are netting 72.3 ppg while holding opponents to 73.4 ppg, and the differential is much greater in league play.

On the other hand, the Cowboys have captured the Big 12 Tournament title twice, but it has eluded them for five years since. The Cowboys are 21-9 overall this season, including 9-7 in the conference. OSU closed out the regular season winning five of its last seven regular-season t tilts including a 74-55 rout over Nebraska. Cowboys leading scorer James Anderson (22.9 ppg and 6.0 rpg), scored 25 points in in the win. Anderson was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, a well-deserved honor for the junior guard. However, the Cowboys are more than a one-man show, as Obi Muonelo (13.4 ppg) and Keiton Page (10.2 ppg) also contribute at the offensive end of the floor. Oklahoma State is scoring 74.4 ppg while allowing 67.6 ppg to opponents.

The odd makers have the Cowboys as 6 ½-point favorites in this one.

Click Here for more Free Expert NCAA Basketball Picks

The Sooners has won this tournament three times, most recently in 2003, and the squad owns a solid 19-10 record in the event. The Cowboys has played four neutral-site games this season, and three of those have resulted in victory.

I expect the Cowboys to jump out to a comfortable lead late in the second half, cruising to a double-digit victory.

Oklahoma Sooners Basketball Betting Trends:

• Oklahoma is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
• Oklahoma is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
• Oklahoma is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Oklahoma State
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma’s last 9 games when playing Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State Cowboys Basketball Betting Trends:

• Oklahoma State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
• Oklahoma State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
• Oklahoma State is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Oklahoma
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma State’s last 9 games when playing Oklahoma

ACC

The ACC should place seven teams in the NCAA’s. #4 Duke (26-5) finished the regular season tied with #19 Maryland (23-7) at 13-3 in the ACC and still has a good shot at a #1 seed with a strong showing in the conference tournament. The other five teams that should be in are Florida State (22-8, 10-6), Virginia Tech (23-7, 10-6), Wake Forest (19-9, 9-7), Clemson (21-9, 9-7), and Georgia Tech (19-11, 7-9).

Big 12

The Big 12 should place seven teams in the NCAA’s. #1 Kansas (29-2, 15-1) is a lock as a number one seed and will most likely be the overall number one team in the tournament. The other six teams should be #9 Kansas State (24-6, 11-5), #20 Baylor (24-6, 11-5), #24 Texas A&M (22-8, 11-5), Missouri (22-9, 10-6), Texas (23-8, 9-7), and Oklahoma (21-9, 9-7).

Big East

The Big East should place eight teams in the NCAA’s. With a strong showing in the Big East Tournament, #3 Syracuse (28-3, 15-3) should be the third #1 seed. The other seven teams will most likely be #6 West Virginia (24-6, 13-5), #10 Villanova (24-6, 13-5), #16 Pittsburgh (24-6, 13-5), Marquette (20-10, 11-7), Louisville (20-11, 11-7), Notre Dame (21-10, 10-8),and Georgetown (20-9, 10-8)

Big 10

There was a three way tie at the top of the Big 10 with #5 Purdue (26-4, 14-4), #7 Ohio State (24-7, 14-4), and #11 Michigan State (27-7, 14-4) all turning in identical conference records. The other team that should get in would be #18 Wisconsin (23-7, 13-5). Any other team would most likely have to win the Big 10 Tournament to get a spot.

SEC

# 2 Kentucky (29-2, 14-2) is another virtual lock as a number one seed. Along with the Wildcats, # 13 Tennessee (23-7, 11-5), #23 Vanderbilt (23-7, 12-4) and Florida (20-11, 9-7) will get a spot. Ole Miss or Mississippi State will pretty much need to win the SEC Tournament to guarantee a place.

PAC 10

While only the winner of the PAC 10 Tournament will get an automatic bid, right now it looks as if three teams could make it in from the weakest of all the major conferences; California (21-9, 13-5), Arizona State (22-9, 12-6), and Washington (21-9, 11-7)

Mid Majors

The Mountain West could get up to four teams in with #8 New Mexico, #15 BYU, UNLV, and San Diego State. The Atlantic 10 should have three teams with #17 Temple, Xavier, and Richmond. Two teams; #14 Gonzaga and St. Mary’s will make it in from the West Coast Conference. Conference USA should also place two teams; #21 UTEP and Memphis. #12 Butler is in from the Horizon Conference, #25 Northern Iowa is in from the Missouri Valley Conference, and Old Dominion is in from the Colonial Athletic Conference.

Texas vs Iowa State odds – Wednesday, March 10, 9:30 PM ET

The Longhorns (23-8, 9-7) fell 92-77 at Baylor in their season finale, and they were sloppy with 18 turnovers, compared to eight for the Bears. Gary Johnson came off the bench to drop 25 points, while Damion James and Jordan Hamilton hit 18 points apiece for the Longhorns, who were 5-of-17 from beyond the arc. The Longhorns fell apart during the second half of the season, and it was due to some poor play form their guards, especially the freshman trio of Avery Bradley, J’Covan Brown and Hamilton, who have been great in parts, but awful in others. The Longhorns will be in good hands next year if that trio learns from this disappointing campaign.

The Cyclones (15-16, 4-12) came away with an 85-82 win in overtime at Kansas State on Saturday, and they did it with a harassing defense. Kansas State shot 34.3% from the floor, including 3-of-23 from beyond the arc, and the Cyclones were in their face for the entire game. Craig Brackins had 19 points and 12 boards, while Marquis Gilstrap also had a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards for the Cyclones, who had to overcome 19 turnovers on the road.

Betting services should have the Longhorns favored in this contest, as they’ve won five straight and eight of their last 10 overall against the Cyclones. Bradley had a great game in the Longhorns’ 90-83 win at Iowa State on January 13^th, dropping 16 of his 24 points in the second half, while James was next with 23 points and 14 boards. Gilstrap notched 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Cyclones, who shot 44.8% from the floor. Iowa State’s mission for this game should be to get on the young Texas guards, and force them to shoot outside. If the Longhorns were smart, they would try to ride James to the win, but the Bradley-Hamilton-Brown trio sometimes forget about the senior forward and fall in love with their own shots. If they could only realize that if they got James going, they would be open for more shots as the Iowa State defense would collapse on him. The Longhorns need to get the ball inside and impose their will on the Cyclones.

Bet on March Madness: Texas

Wright State Raiders (20-11) vs. #12 Butler Bulldogs (27-4)

The No. 12 Butler Bulldogs will be seeking their fifth tournament title when they host the Wright State Raiders this evening in the Horizon League Tournament Championship Game at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Click Here for more Free Expert NCAA Basketball Picks

The last time these two teams met in the championship game was back in 2007.The Raiders beat the Bulldogs by a narrow five-point margin to claim the title. The Bulldogs own a 22-15 edge in the all-time series that includes two victories during the regular season.

Wright State finished the regular season with a respectable 12-6 mark in league play, and defeated seventh-seeded Detroit in the conference tournament semifinals by a margin of 69-50 on Saturday. Junior forward Ronnie Thomas scored a team-best 18 points, while Troy Tabler posted 16 points and Vaughn Duggins, the raiders leading scorer (14.4ppg), posted 12 points in the win. The Raiders used their tenacious defensive to hold Detroit to a meager 39.1 percent shooting effort, the same defensive that has been limiting opponents to just 60.6 ppg all season. Todd Brown is the only other player netting double figures on the season, and comes into this game with 13.0 ppg.

As for the Bulldogs, they finished the regular season with a perfect 18-0 Horizon League record, while maintaining an unblemished 14-0 record at home. They are coming off a 68-59 conference semifinal win over Milwaukee on Saturday. All five starters for the Bulldogs scored in double figures as Matt Howard led the way with 18 points, followed by Ronald Nored with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley tallied 12 and 11 points, respectively. Gordon Hayward, who paces the team with 15.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg, posted a double double of 10 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Butler shot 47.7 percent from the floor, and also connected on 22-of-32 shots from behind the arc.

The odd makers have the Bulldogs as –7 ½ -point favorites in this one.

Click Here for more Free Expert NCAA Basketball Picks

Despite a suffocating defense, the Raiders will have a tough time trying to shut down the offensive power of the Bulldogs.

You can expect the Bulldogs to continue their unbeaten streak in this one, beating the Raiders by 9-points.

The struggling New York Islanders travel to Philadelphia on Tuesday night to face a Philadelphia team that has gone 2-2 since the Olympic break. The Islanders have lost two straight games while the Flyers are coming off a win in a rough and tumble affair against the Leafs On Sunday.

• The Philadelphia Flyers rank 6th on offense, and average 3.0 goals per game. The Flyers are 22.4% on the power play and have 59 power play goals.
• The New York Islanders rank 28th on offense, and average 2.5 goals per game. The Islanders are 15.6% on the power play and have 38 power play goals.
• The Flyers average 3.1 goals per game at home, and give up 2.5 goals against on defense.
• The Islanders average 2.3 goals per game on the road, and give up 3.4 goals against on defense.

New York Islanders: +200

Puck Line: + 1 ½

To say that the New York Islanders are struggling is a huge understatement. They are 3-11 in their last 14 games and have only won 13 of their last 64 road games. The Isles are a very young team who rely on confidence as much as they rely on their talent for success. During an impressive run prior to the Olympic break, the Isles had a swagger that is sadly lacking at this point in time. Super-rookie John Tavares hasn’t scored in 16 games and veteran defenseman Andy Sutton was traded at the deadline. About the only thing that is going right for New York is the goaltending of Dwayne Roloson who has been facing more that his share of shots but is able to keep games close. The Islanders will be hard pressed to end their nine game losing streak in Philadelphia on Tuesday night – that much is certain.

Philadelphia Flyers: -240

Puck Line: - 1 ½

The Philadelphia Flyers have been inconsistent since their return from the Olympic break with a 2-2 record. The Flyers play the first of three straight home games on Tuesday night with a game against the Islanders and this should bode well for a Philadelphia team that is 19-11-2 on home ice this season. The usual suspects – Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Danny Briere have been solid for the Flyers of late and goaltender Michael Leighton has been adequate in relief of Ray Emery who has been lost for the season with a tragic hip. The Flyers are a good team top-to-bottom and should be in no danger of dropping this game to a team that they’ve beaten 45 times in their last 63 meetings.

If you are thinking that this might be a high scoring game, think twice. Although it appears that the Flyers have been scoring a lot of goals lately, Under is 9-3 in Philadelphia’s last 12 games.

Pick: Philadelphia Flyers -240

New York Islanders Betting Trends:

• NY Islanders are 3-11 SU in their last 14 games
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 6 games on the road
• NY Islanders are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road

Philadelphia Flyers Betting Trends:

• The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Philadelphia’s last 12 games
• Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia’s last 6 games at home
• Philadelphia is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home

Los Angeles Lakers (46-16)       Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/5

Against the Sixers last Friday night, Pau Gasol scored 23 points and had 11 rebounds in the 99-90 win.  In a huge conference showdown against the Nuggets, Lamar Odom scored a team high 20 points off the bench in a 95-89 win. In their next game they outscored the Pacers 38-17 in the third quarter on their way to a 122-99 rout. Last night they were stunned by the Heat 111-114 in overtime despite Kobe Bryant scoring a game high 39 points. Through 62 games Bryant leads in points per game with 27.6 and assists with 4.8. Gasol is the leading rebounder with 11.1. Next up for the Lakers are the Bobcats tonight and the Magic on Sunday on the road and then back home to play the Raptors on Tuesday, March 9^th.

Dallas Mavericks (41-21)            Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 8/1

Against one of the better teams in the East, the Mavs pulled out a 111-103 overtime win over the Hawks. In a 108-100 win over the Hornets, Dirk Nowitzki scored a game high 36 points. They held the Bobcats to just 31 points in the second half on their way to an 89-84 win. They made it nine straight with a 112-109 win over the Timberwolves with Jason Terry scoring a game high 26 points off the bench. Through 62 games Nowitzki is the leading scorer, averaging 25.2 points per game. In his 10 games with the Mavs, Brendon Haywood has averaged 9.7 rebounds per game and Jason Kidd leads in assists with 9.3. Next up for the Mavericks are the Kings at home tonight, on the road against the Bulls on Saturday and the Timberwolves on Monday, and then back home to play the Nets on Wednesday, March 10^th.

Denver Nuggets (40-21)            Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 8/1

Last Friday the Nuggets pounded out a 107-102 win over the Pistons with Chauncey Billups scoring a team high 25 points. In an 89-95 loss to the Lakers, Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 21 points in the losing effort. They lost their second straight, dropping an 85-101 decision to the Suns. Bouncing back with a convincing 119-90 rout of the Thunder, they outscored them 31-12 in the third quarter. Through 61 games Anthony is the leading scorer, averaging 28.6 points per game. Kenyon Martin is averaging 9.6 rebounds and Billups is averaging six assists. Next up for the Nuggets are the Pacers tonight and the Trail Blazers on Sunday at home and then on the road against the Timberwolves on Wednesday, March 10^th.

Cleveland Cavaliers (48-14)              Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 8/5

In a 126- 118 overtime win over the Raptors last Friday, Lebron James scored a team high 36 points and Antawn Jamison added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Against the Knicks, Jamison had another double –double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. They extended their winning streak to five games with a 111-92 win over the Nets. Through 62 games James leads in points per game with 29.8 and assists with 8.6 and Jamison is averaging eight rebounds per game. Next up for the Cavaliers are the Pistons tonight at home, the Bucks on Sunday on the road, and then back home to face the Spurs on Monday, March 8^th.

Orlando Magic (42-20)                       Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 6/1

Dwight Howard scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds but it was not enough to avoid a 93-100 loss to the Hornets. They bounced back with a 96-80 win over the Heat, outscoring them 44-32 in the second half. Seven players scored in double figures led by Jameer Nelson’s 22 points in a 126-105 win over the 76ers. The Magic made it three in a row with a 117-90 win over the Warriors. Through 62 games Howard leads in points per game with 18.7 and rebounds with 13.1 and Nelson leads in assists with 5.3. Next up for the Magic are the Nets in New Jersey tonight and then back home to face the Lakers on Sunday, the Clippers on Tuesday, and the Bulls on Thursday, March 11^th.

Atlanta Hawks (39-21)                       Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 10/1

At home against Dallas, the Hawks had no answer for Dirk Nowitzki who torched them for 37 points in a 103-111 loss in overtime. In another tight one, Joe Johnson led the way with 24 points and Josh Smith added 22 points and 15 rebounds in their 106-102 overtime win over the Bucks. Against the Bulls, Jamal Crawford scored a team high 21 points off the bench to lead the way. Atlanta made it three in a row with a 112-93 win over the 76ers. Through 60 games Johnson leads the team in points per game with 21.7 and assists with 4.6. Al Horford is the leading rebounder averaging 9.4 per game. Next up for the Hawks are the Warriors tonight at home, and then on the road against the Heat on Saturday, the Knicks on Monday, and the Wizards on Thursday, March 11^th.

Syracuse vs Louisville odds – Saturday, March 6, 2:00 PM ET

The No.1 Orangemen (28-2, 15-2) have won four straight since losing at home to Louisville, and their 85-66 romp at St. John’s was their third straight win by double digits. Arinze Onuaku led an attack of five Syracuse players in double figures with 21 points, while adding eight rebounds, while Andy Rautins hit 14 points for the Orangemen, who also made 10 more free throws than the Red Storm. The Orangemen can kill you inside and out at both ends of the floor, and a No.1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament is definitely in their reach.

The Cardinals (19-11, 10-7) haven’t set the world on fire since beating Syracuse, winning three in a row after, but a 69-48 loss at Marquette was their second in three games. No Louisville player managed to reach double figures as they were led by Edgar Sosa’s nine points. The Cardinals shot just 37% from the field, and they went to the foul line just twice, making one of them. 16 turnovers didn’t help the Cardinals much, either.

The Cardinals should be favored at home by US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook review) in what will be an emotional matchup. Syracuse have lost four in a row at Freedom Hall and five in a row overall to the Cardinals, and Rick Pitino just seems to have the number of his Syracuse counterpart, Jim Boeheim. The Orangemen would love to avenge that 66-60 loss at the Carrier Dome to the Cardinals on Valentine’s Day, when Louisville held Syracuse to 41.4% from the floor. Louisville had to shake off some shady foul shooting as they were just 9-of-17 from the free-throw line, but they came back from an 11-point deficit in the first half with hard-nosed pressure defense. The Orangemen have wrapped up the top seed in the Big East tournament and they have cleared a path to the quarterfinals, so they could have a letdown with not much to play for in the standings. Meanwhile, the Cardinals would love to send Freedom Hall into the history books with a victory, and what better way to do it than with a win over the No.1 team in the country?

NCAA basketball betting pick: Louisville