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Michigan State vs Butler odds – Saturday, April 3, 6:07 PM ET

In this battle of five-seeds, the Spartans will represent the Midwest region after a 70-69 win over Tennessee, but they’re still without star Kalin Lucas, and a couple of other players are playing through pain. The Bulldogs come out of the West region after outlasting Kansas State 63-56, and Butler has yet to allow an opponent to score 60 points on them in the Tournament. The Bulldogs will have a huge hometown advantage in their first meeting with Michigan State, who played in the Final Four in their home state last year, so they’ll know what the Bulldogs are going through. The Spartans’ sportsbook odds depend on their ability to break down the Butler defense, but we’re not sold on Korie Lucious, who has nine turnovers replacing Lucas in the last two games. As long as Butler stays out of foul trouble, because they’re not that deep, they should roll to Championship Monday by covering the 1.5-point spread.

West Virginia vs Duke odds – Saturday, April, 8:47 PM ET

The Mountaineers emerge from the East after defeating top-seeded Kentucky 73-66, using a mix of zone and man defense to keep the talented Wildcats out of the paint, and it worked as Kentucky shot 4-of-32 from three-point land. The top-seeded Blue Devils are the only No.1s still dancing as they dropped Baylor 78-71, and Duke was 11-of-23 from three-point land against the Bears. The Blue Devils are a 3-point favorite according to 2010 March Madness odds, and they’ll be out for revenge after a 73-67 loss to the Mountaineers in the second round of the 2008 Tournament. The Mountaineers could have injured point guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant back for this weekend, which would give West Virginia some good ball-handlers with Bryant, Joe Mazzulla, and even Da’Sean Butler, who has made some big shots for the Mountaineers over the last month. This game could very well come down to the battle on the bench, where Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and West Virginia’s Bob Huggins will do battle. Krzyzewski has the Blue Devils playing perhaps the best defense of his tenure at Duke, while the Mountaineers havce taken on the character of Huggins, which is tough, relentless and in-your-face for 40 minutes. This has the potential to be the best game in the Tournament, but West Virginia should get the nod for online betting on Saturday.

Mavericks vs Warriors odds – Saturday, March 27, 10:30 PM ET

The Mavericks lost for the third time in four games on Thursday night, falling 101-89 in Portland, and they failed to do anything at the foul line. They made eight shots from the charity stripe, but they were there just nine times, while the Trailblazers were 18-of-26. Caron Butler broke out of his slump to pour in 25 points, while Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki both scored 15 points for the Mavericks, who shot 44.4% from the field, but the inability to put the Trailblazers in foul trouble, especially with their lack of depth up front, killed their sportsbook chances.

The Warriors snapped a three-game skid with a 128-110 win at home on Wednesday over Memphis, and Stephon Curry had a huge night with 30 points, 11 assists, five boards and four steals. He did have seven turnovers along the way, but the rookie is certainly finding his way in the NBA after some thought he couldn’t run a team. The Warriors shot 54.5% from the field, and they nailed 10 of their 24 three-point attempts to shoot down the Grizzlies, and there is a good foundation in Golden State, who have been battered by injuries all year. They could even look into moving Monta Ellis to fully hand over the team to Curry.

The Warriors may be a slight favorite in this contest, and we’re betting management are banking on a win, as the Mavericks have dropped eight of their last 10 in Golden State. The Mavericks have taken two of three meetings with the Warriors this year, including a 127-117 win in Golden State on February 8th, and Jason Terry has averaged 26.0 points against the Warriors, while Ellis has put up an outlandish 36.7 points against the Mavericks. The Mavericks weren’t aggressive enough in Portland on Thursday night, and that should be the first thing they look to rectify on Saturday. This will inevitably turn into a track meet, and the Mavericks’ defense has struggled as of late, giving up an average of 106 points in their last three losses. Those numbers should be right up Golden State’s alley as the Mavericks continue to struggle in Oakland. Go with the Warriors on Saturday before making your March Madness betting picks.

NASCAR odds – Sunday, March 28, 1:00 PM ET

Jimmie Johnson has won a race at Martinsville each year since 2004, except for 2005, and it’s no surprise that the No.48 driver and winner of this race last year is favored at +275, especially after finally getting a win at Bristol last week. Johnson has six wins overall at Martinsville, and his 5.1 average finish in 16 races here is the best among active drivers. If you’re going to best Johnson at Martinsville though, this would be the best time, as only two of his wins here has come in the spring race.

In terms of March Madness favorites, Jeff Gordon circa 2006 would have been North Carolina, a perennial powerhouse who is usually near the front. You can’t compare Gordon to the Tar Heels, who missed the dance this year, as he is still competitive, but the driver who is listed at +600 hasn’t won here since sweeping the 2005 races for his sixth and seventh win here. You could argue that Gordon, who brought Johnson to owner Rick Hendrick and even co-owns the No.48 car that Johnson drives, taught his protégé too much and it’s now being used against him. But if you’re looking to pick Gordon at a track, it’s Martinsville, where he finished in the top five both times last year, and his seven wins here is the best among active drivers.

Denny Hamlin has joined Johnson and Gordon as the biggest threats here, as he led 296 laps in last year’s spring race before falling just behind Johnson, and he made good on his guarantee to win the fall race by leading 206 laps to get revenge on the No.48. Hamlin, who is also rated at +600, desperately needs something to happen this week as he is 19th in the standings, and he hasn’t finished higher than 17th this season.

A ticket at Martinsville is always worth the price per head, as it’s now the most physical track on the circuit, and you often have to literally move someone out of the way to make a pass. Hamlin may push the issue because of his early-season struggles, which leaves Johnson and Gordon. Johnson has been in the right place at the right time this season, but Gordon is hungry and hasn’t won since the first Texas race last year. He’s great Martinsville, both qualifying and during the race, and this is the place to take him. Go with Jeff Gordon, who won’t disappoint March Madness betting players like Kansas did.

They have surprised most college basketball betting analysts, but they haven't surprised themselves.

When junior forward Robbie Hummel's season ended Feb. 24 with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament, Purdue's chances of making a return trip to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen odds seemed improbable.

Duke is 8- point favorite with a total of 129.5 at Sportsbook.com

If Purdue upsets Duke, it would set a school record with its 30th victory. Purdue is 5-2 without Hummel.

Coach Matt Painter said the Boilermakers have used the experts' skepticism to their advantage. Just like last year, when they played Washington.

Visit Sportsbook.com to bet on this game.

What: NCAA Basketball Betting

When: Thursday March 25, 2010

Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York

The Road To The Sweet 16: Cornell

After receiving Barack Obama’s anointment as his own personal sleeper choice for his March Madness picks, the Big Red have looked dominant in two NCAA national title tournament wins. Number 12 seeded Cornell capped fifth seed Temple 78-65 in the opening round, before blowing out fourth-seeded Wisconsin 87-69 to become the first Ivy League school to advance to the Sweet 16 in over 30 years. The Big Red have done more than just win, they have dominated winning their two games by a combined 32 points, including shooting over 60 percent from the field and over 50 percent from beyond the arc in the win over the Badgers. The tandem of guard Louis Dale and forward Ryan Wittman have reached 20-plus points in both wins, and Center Jeff Foote continues to play efficient basketball on the boards and as a down-low scoring presence.

The Road To The Sweet 16: Kentucky

On the subject of domination, Kentucky has left nothing to chance on its quest to the Sweet 16, dropping both of its opponents by a combined 59-point total. The Wildcats destroyed East Tennessee State 100-71, before breezing past Wake Forest 90-60. Arguably the nation’s best player, guard John Wall has for the most part allowed his teammates to take the spotlight while contributing with an efficient team-first attitude that led to him scoring just 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the win over the Demon Deacons. Fellow guard Darius Miller scored a team-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while two other players, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe each reached double-digit point totals in their second game of NCAA March Madness.

Who Will Advance To The Elite Eight: Cornell vs Kentucky

The Big Red have enjoyed a magical run through the Ivy League conference and in to the NCAA March Madness tournament’s Sweet 16, but may be overmatched against the top seed in the East bracket. Arguably the nation’s best player, Kentucky guard John Wall has not needed to be at his best in a pair of blow out wins to open the tournament, which makes the Wildcats an even scarier opponent to face. Even if Wall was not in the line up Cornell would have problems finding a way to trade baskets with the likes of DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson. Look for Kentucky to cover the spread and advance to the Elite Eight where it will tip off with the winner of the price per head contest between Washington and West Virginia.

BSN Sports Pick: Kentucky

Two of those such teams will meet up on Saturday night as the Charlotte Bobcats will travel to Miami to face the Heat. The Bobcats have moved up the standings recently by winning seven of their last 10 games and appear in line to make their first playoff berth in franchise history.

Meanwhile, the Heat, who used to have expectations of doing a lot more than just qualifying for the playoffs, have had them lowered as they are simply not good enough to compete in the East any more.

That concern may be in the back of Dwyane Wade’s mind as he gets set to test out the free agency market in the summer – or decide to stay in Miami.

The Heat had a nice hot stretch to start the month of March, winning six of seven to start the month, but have since lost two straight.

They know find themselves one game behind the Bobcats in the standings, but they should be able to make up that ground on Saturday.

Charlotte Bobcats @ Miami Heat

Bodog Odds: Heat -4

There are plenty of one-game playoffs going on in the march madness betting ranks and the Bobcats and Heat will play one out for the sixth seed in the East.

It’s a big difference between the two spots as the seven seed will play the Orlando Magic while the six seed will face the Atlanta Hawks.

This will be the last time these two teams square off and the Heat will be looking to get their first win in the season series so far. The Bobcats have swept it so far (3-0) while holding the Heat to just 80 points per game.

The problem for the Heat is that the Bobcats are just a smart defensive team. They know how to shutdown Dwayne Wade and keep everyone else in check.

Even so, the Heat won’t get swept in this series as Wade has been on fire this month. In March, he leads the NBA in scoring and he will find a way to put his team on his back and carry them to an important win.

Sportsbook Pick: Heat

NASCAR Betting – Sunday, March 21, 2:00 PM ET

Kyle Busch (+600)

The younger Busch brother won last year’s spring race at Bristol, leading 378 laps along the way. That makes two wins in this event for Kyle, although he still has to catch up to brother Kurt, who has won four spring races here. Busch has yet to break the top 10 this year as he sits 15th in the standings, and he’ll be on a mission this week.

Denny Hamlin (+700)

Busch’s teammate finished second to him here last year, and Hamlin is one of the best short-track racers in NASCAR. Hamlin has had some bad luck this year, coming into this race in 22nd place, but he has a finishing average of 9.0 in four spring races, and he’s finished in the top 10 five times in eight overall trips to Bristol.

Kevin Harvick (+1000)

The points leader is one of three drivers, along with Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle, to finish in the top 10 in all four races after a ninth-place run at Bristol, and he won this race back in 2005. Harvick has seven top-10s in nine spring races at Bristol, but he finished 30th in last year’s event. He’ll be one to consider in your sportsbook.

Kurt Busch (+1200)

Kurt romped to the win at Atlanta last week, and he is one of two active drivers, along with Jeff Gordon, to win this race four times. He just missed the top 10 in last year’s event, coming in 11th, so look for him to find his way to the front.

Juan Pablo Montoya (+2000)

This is your value pick, and we can guarantee that watching Montoya carve his way through Bristol will be worth the price per head. Montoya’s road-course experience has made him a master of using the breaks, which you do more at Bristol than any other oval except maybe Martinsville, and his ninth-place run last year was his first in three Bristol spring races. However, his aggressive style may also get him in trouble.

Pick: Kevin Harvick is the play here this week, as he’s running as well as anyone in the series, and he’s comfortable at Bristol. He would definitely be a No.1 seed if this were odds on March Madness.

In Sports Illustrated, for example, 48% of Internet users are opting for Kansas. The quartet followed seeded Kentucky (25%), Syracuse (15%, which, despite losing in the Big East tournament, won the battle for his career in regular season) and Duke (12%). The last morning they played Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Winthrop to complete the final table of 64 betting teams.

Are those, though lacking in Arizona. The Wildcats have remained outside the box after 25 years there. The Tar Heels of North Carolina, reigning champions, were not included in the final panel by the selection committee for the NCAA Odds, reiterating its decision "for the role of teams throughout the regular season. Bruins (UCLA), Hoosiers (Indiana) and Huskies (Connecticut) will not. It is the first time since 1966 that the big five are not in the big party. "Well, what a party!"

Here are the NCAA Tournament Odds for 2010 March Madness.

* Kansas 7/4

* Kentucky 7/2

* Syracuse 7/1

* Duke 7/1

* Ohio State 12/1

* West Virginia 10/1

* Kansas State 20/1

* Villanova 18/1

* Georgetown 20/1

* New Mexico 35/1

* Pittsburgh 50/1

* Baylor 30/1

* Maryland 30/1

* Wisconsin 40/1

* Vanderbilt 80/1

* Purdue 60/1

* Michigan State 25/1

* Temple 60/1

* Butler 75/1

* Texas A&M 100/1

* Tennessee 50/1

* Marquette 80/1

* Xavier 80/1

* Notre Dame 80/1

* Oklahoma State 100/1

* Clemson 150/1

* BYU 100/1

* Richmond 300/1

* UNLV 250/1

* Texas 100/1

* Gonzaga 100/1

* California 100/1

* Northern Iowa 250/1

* Wake Forest 150/1

* Florida State 200/1

* Louisville 80/1

* Georgia Tech 100/1

* Missouri 100/1

* Florida 125/1

* St Marys CA 300/1

* San Diego State 250/1

* Washington 150/1

* Minnesota 200/1

* Old Dominion 300/1

* New Mexico State 300/1

* Cornell 300/1

* UTEP 200/1

* Utah State 350/1

* Houston 250/1

* Wofford 1000/1

* Murray State 350/1

* Siena 300/1

* Ohio 250/1

* Montana 1000/1

* Oakland 500/1

* Sam Houston 500/1

* UC Santa Barbara 750/1

* Morgan State 1000/1

* North Texas 750/1

* Robert Morris 1000/1

* Lehigh 1000/1

* Eastern Tennessee State 1000/1

* Vermont 750/1

* Arkansas Pine Bluff 1000/1

* Winthrop 1000/1

Sportsbook Review: Round 1 Upsets

#4 Purdue Boilermakers (27-5, 14-4 Big Ten) vs. #13 Siena Saints (27-6, 17-1 in MAAC)

• This is an extremely interesting matchup as the Boilermakers are coming off an embarrassing defeat to Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament, 69-42. Purdue is without its best player, Robbie Hummel (Torn ACL) and has not been the same team since he went down.


• Siena has been in the tournament the last couple of years and it is the same core group that is here now. It took overtime for Siena to take the MAAC title over a pesky Fairfield team; however Siena really wasn’t challenged this year in conference and was 10-5 out of conference. The Saints may be catching Purdue at the right time.
  

Upset Pick: #13 Siena over #4 Purdue

# 7 Richmond Spiders (26-8, 13-3 in Atlantic 10) @ #10 St Mary’s Gaels (26-5, 11-3 in WCC)

• Saint Mary’s is the West Coast Conference’s tournament winner and would have likely gotten in anyways as they had a tremendous season behind Senior center Omir Samhan who averaged 20.9 points and 11 rebounds a game. St Mary’s knocked off Gonzaga, 81-62 to win the WCC.


• Richmond fell in the A-10 championship game to Temple 56-52. The Spiders have been solid all season long by the strong guard play of junior Kevin Anderson (17.8 points, 2.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds) and senior David Gonzalvez (14.5 points, 2.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds).


• This game is going to be awesome; both teams seemed to get fair rankings as both the WCC and the A-10 were better this year than they ever have been. Richmond can play with anyone and showed incredible resiliency in coming up just short in a comeback attempt against Temple. St Mary’s avenged two of its losses on the season, to Gonzaga, by dominating them in the final. This game could come down to the wire, and both have the potential to make it to the sweet sixteen. St Mary’s is for real and will win this game.
  

Upset Pick: # 10 St. Mary’s over # 7 Richmond

# 4 Vanderbilt Commodores (24-8, 12-4 in SEC) vs. #13 Murray State Racers (30-4, 17-1 in OVC)

• Vanderbilt may be one of the true pretenders in this tournament. They’ve had some bad losses this year and the SEC, outside of Kentucky, Tennesee and Missiissippi State has been significantly overrated and probably the second best team in the SEC, Miss St., was not selected to the tournament. Vanderbilt was convincingly beaten by Miss St in the SEC semis, 62-52, and should have a much lower ranking.


• Murray State won 30 games this year. I don’t care if it was the Ohio Valley Conference, it was still impressive. They also played out of conference games extremely tough and blew out most of their competition all season. I will take a team that blows everyone out in a small conference over an overrated team in an overrated conference any day,

Upset Pick # 13 Murray State over # 4 Vanderbilt

NCAA Basketball Betting: Take Murray State, St. Mary’s and Siena

Nuggets vs Grizzlies odds – Saturday, March 13, 8:00 PM ET

The Nuggets (43-21 as of Friday) kicked off their four-game road trip with a 110-102 win in Minnesota on Wednesday, getting 25 points from Chauncey Billups. Carmelo Anthony didn’t light up the scoreboard with 19 points, but he added six rebounds, five assists and five steals on the night in a well-rounded game. Six players reached double figures for the Nuggets, who held the Timberwolves to 38.9% from the field, and Denver turned the ball over only seven times.

The Grizzlies (34-31 as of Friday) will host New York on Friday night, and they should still buzzing from a huge 111-91 win in Boston over the Celtics on Wednesday night. The Grizzlies jumped out to a 27-12 lead after the first quarter and never took their foot off the gas for their first win in seven meetings with the Celtics. Rudy Gay poured in 28 points, while Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combined for 20 points and 20 rebounds as the Grizzlies held a 48-29 edge on the glass. This was the seventh straight win on the road for the Grizzlies, who have been very streaky this year: remember, Memphis won 11 in a row at home earlier this year.

Betting services should have the Grizzlies as the favorites at home in this contest, even though the Nuggets have won eight of their last 10 against Memphis. A 102-96 victory for the Grizzlies on December 20th in Memphis snapped an eight-game losing skid to the Nuggets, who took the first meeting of the season by a 133-123 score in Denver on November 1st. Anthony has averaged an absurd 41.5 points against the Grizzlies, while Mayo’s 25.5 points paces Memphis. Even though both play back-to-backs on Friday and Saturday, you have to give the edge to the Grizzlies as they’ll playing both at home, while the Nuggets will coming from New Orleans. However, the Grizzlies are still a young team, and they’ve been known to hit a rough patch after a big win (they dropped five in a row after upsetting the Lakers back in February, and this will be a good test to see if their heads are back in it, especially after playing what should be a frantic up-and-down game on Friday against the Knicks. Take the Nuggets and Anthony, who can’t be happy about the NCAA basketball odds of his Syracuse Orangemen.

The Blue Devils and Terrapins are rated at -200 and +280, respectively, and everyone will be looking for another meeting between the favorites for the ACC Player of the Year award, Greivis Vazquez of Maryland, and Jon Scheyer of Duke. These senior guards are the undisputed leaders of their team, but the Terrapins lean on Vazquez much more heavily. Scheyer, who was the MVP in last year’s ACC tournament, has reliable backup in Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, and the Blue Devils are second only to Florida State in terms of points allowed.

Speaking of the Seminoles, who are listed at +680 according to US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews), Florida State could be a big problem, literally. The Seminoles have Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton in the post, and this is a change from the rest of the conference who are heavy on their backcourt production. The Seminoles have problems with turnovers, and their guard play has taken a steep decline since Toney Douglas went to the NBA last year. Still, with their defense and an efficient offense that thrives on high-percentage shots, the Seminoles can’t be counted out.

Stay away from Wake Forest and North Carolina at +1200 and +1500, respectively, and no team has been more disappointing than the Tar Heels, who go from NCAA champions to possibly out of the postseason altogether, although they would stand a chance in the NIT if they get a couple of wins this week. These two are the worst defensive teams in the league, despite their talent, and that won’t fly in March.

Your best bets are the favorites, Duke and Maryland, to meet again in a rubber match as the Blue Devils thumped the Terrapins at home, but then fell 79-72 at Maryland in the last week of the season. The Blue Devils will have an edge in support as the tournament will be held in Greensboro, which is definitely closer to Duke than Maryland. Vazquez should get the Player of the Year award based on how much the Terrapins depend on him, but that may come back to bite them in this tournament as Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils can get scoring from other players besides their star. Take Duke this week, and check out their 2010 March Madness odds.

Jazz vs Bulls odds – Tuesday, March 9, 8:00 PM ET

The Jazz (40-22) followed up a big road win in Phoenix by thrashing the Clippers 107-85 at home on Saturday night, and they pulled away in the second half with a 21-point advantage after a slow start. Mehmet Okur dropped 24 against the Suns, and then poured in 27 points on the Clippers and if Okur is going, the Jazz are much tougher to defend as he can drag the opposing center out of the lane with his long-range shooting. Carlos Boozer had 17 points and 17 boards for the Jazz, who had six players in double figures, and they had just six turnovers to 19 for the Clippers.

The Bulls (31-31) came up short in a 122-116 loss at home to Dallas on Saturday, and even though they lost, Chicago can be encouraged that their offense scored 100 points or more in seven of the last 11 games. Derrick Rose has averaged 27.6 points over his last five games, and his 34 points against the Mavericks was his seventh straight game with 20 points or more. Brad Miller had 17 points, while Taj Gibson added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who shot 52.2% from the field, but the Mavericks shot 56.3%. If the Bulls could get their offense and defense going at the same time, Chicago would be in the top four of the Eastern Conference: the Bulls are 17-4 when they score 100 points or more, but 7-21 when their opponents do the same.

US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook review) should have the Bulls should be the favorites at home, but you may have better luck in an internet super casino than betting on Chicago. These two have met just once this year, with the Jazz routing the Bulls 105-86 at home on November 26th. Boozer had 28 points in that contest, while Deron Williams had 21 for the Jazz, who shot 60.8% from the floor. Luol Deng dropped 26 points for the Bulls, who can’t let the Jazz shot that well again. Even though the Bulls’ offense is coming around, their defense has failed them as of late, and the Jazz have enough discipline to get the stops when they have to get them.

Best online sportsbook pick: Utah

Spurs vs Grizzlies odds – Saturday, March 6, 8:00 PM ET

The Spurs (34-24 as of Friday) will be completing the second half of a home-and-home with New Orleans on Friday night, but part one resulted in a 106-92 win for the Spurs in San Antonio. George Hill led six Spurs in double figures with 23 points, while Tim Duncan added 22 points and nine rebounds. San Antonio shot 50.6% from the field as they improved to 21-10 at the AT&T Center this season, and now they are 24-6 when they score 100 points. DeJuan Blair’s numbers weren’t that great (eight points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks in 26 minutes), but the Spurs were +18 when he was on the court, and the rookie is getting some good minutes for a coach who doesn’t normally play young guys.

The Grizzlies (32-30) shot 52.6% from the floor in a 105-96 win in Chicago on Thursday, and Zach Randolph slaughtered the Bulls’ interior defense, going for 31 points and 18 rebounds. O.J. Mayo had 20 points and nine rebounds, while Rudy Gay added 17 points and five steals for the Grizzlies, who had all five starters score at least 12 points, and they held a 46-31 edge on the glass. The Grizzlies committed 16 turnovers, which they’ll have to fix before the Spurs come to town.

Gambling software should favor the Grizzlies at home, where they are 18-13, and they beat the Spurs here by a score of 92-86 back on January 16th. These two have split a pair of meetings this season, with the home team winning each time. Duncan has averaged 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds, while Randolph has put up 21.0 points and 14.0 rebounds, and the winner of this battle in the post should pretty much decide the victorious team in this game. This will be the second back-to-back for the Spurs this week, and they’re not the youngest squad in the league any more. The Spurs are 3-5 in the second half of back-to-back games this year, and the Grizzlies will be eager to snap a seven-game losing streak at FedEx Forum, where they won 11 straight earlier this year. Take Randolph to put the Grizzlies on his shoulders and carry them to a much-needed win on Saturday.

NBA betting odds pick: Memphis

Last week, the Sprint Cup Series was in Las Vegas where Johnson got the win. In Atlanta, he’ll try to unseat last two year’s spring winners on the Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt.

Jimmie Johnson

Sportsbook Odds: +450

Not surprisingly, Johnson is the favorite in Atlanta. Given how high his average finish is, it’s easy to see why.

Johnson is not only the defending champ, he has a two-race winning streak going in the Sprint Cup after winning at Las Vegas last week. He had an axle problem last year in the fall race in Atlanta but when his car is fine, he is pretty much your best shot to win the race.

He’s kind of become the Tiger Woods of NASCAR at this point. Bet him until he cools off.

Kyle & Kurt Busch

Sportsbook Reviews Odds: +1000

Kyle, and his brother, Kurt, have won the last two races in Atlanta with Kyle winning the spring race in 2009. When picking future winners, it’s always good to look back at the track history and see who’s won a lot there.

Busch is a popular pick this week but be cautious. Last year’s win could have been an anomaly because he hast just his first top 10 finish in five spring races in Atlanta. That’s something to be cautious of. Those wondering what his brother has done in previous races, he has just two top 10 in his last nine starts.

Tony Stewart

Sports Betting Lines: +1400

So Tony Stewart hasn’t grabbed the headlines early in 2010 as he did in 2009. First off, expectations have changed quite a bit because he raised the bar for himself.

But he hasn’t fallen off the map this year. He has two top 10 finishes including a seventh place finish in Las Vegas last week.

Overall, Stewart has a fairly good track record in Atlanta. He has a 10.8 average finish in the 10 spring races he’s taken part in and in the 18 races overall, he has a 9.2 average finish. He’s worth a look this week.

Sportsbook Odds: Celtics -1

The Boston Celtics made a small pickup on deadline day
but it hasn’t given them the boost they were expecting.

The Celtics have lost two straight games including an embarrassing home loss to the lowly New Jersey Nets, who could turn out to be the worst team in NBA history.

On trade deadline day, the Celtics acquired guard Nate Robinson from the New York Knicks in return for Eddie House. Robinson was supposed to give the Celtics a scoring boost off the bench along with some improved defense and while he’s helped, he hasn’t helped the lazy culture of the team.

The Celtics have recently become very complacent and while they are one of the most talented teams around, they just aren’t in the right place mentally right now.

The good news for them is that the Detroit Pistons are not either. The Celtics have had three days off to clear their minds and bounce back from their hideous loss. The Pistons have been a miserable team all season long and have lost three in a row themselves. They’ll add another to their loss column on Tuesday.

BSNblog Pick: Celtics

Sacramento Kings @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Sportsbook Reviews Odds: Thunder -9.5

What has happened to the Sacramento Kings? More importantly, what has happened to the Oklahoma City Thunder?

The Thunder had just three wins in their first 32 games to start last year but this year, they are in line for their first playoff berth in Oklahoma City. If they keep this up, they might be in line for their first division win.

The Thunder are 35-23 overall and are 11-2 in their last 13 games.

Meanwhile, the Kings have headed in the opposite direction.

The Kings have won two straight but even with those wins, they are just 11-31 since starting the year 9-8.

This is a really bad matchup for the Kings as they have lost their swagger. They are surprisingly a better team without Kevin Martin in the lineup but heading to Oklahoma City has all of the sudden become a very tall order.

The Thunder are going to get the win and cover as the Kings just aren’t on the same level as Oklahoma City. The Kings are just 5-25 on the road, which is the third-worst road record in the NBA.

BSNblog Pick: Thunder -9.5

It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since Syracuse has been ranked No. 1. The way the Orange are playing, it's not hard to believe they may end up on top of the college basketball lines.

Syracuse will try to clinch the outright Big East regular-season crown Tuesday night against St. John's in the final home game for senior starters Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku.

It’s the final time seniors Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku will take the floor at the Carrier Dome. The duo will be recognized in a brief Senior Night ceremony prior to the March Madness Picks contest. Also taking part in the Senior Night festivities will be team managers Brett Woltz, Matt Reynolds, Dan Gibbs and Spencer Weinman.

The Orange have won nine of their last 10 and six straight at home over the Red Storm (15-13, 5-11), who appear likely to miss the NCAA Tournament Projections for the seventh straight season. St. John's has lost 13 straight games to ranked teams, including six this season.