BSNblog

Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Butler Bulldogs

Saturday April 4, 2011 – 6:09 PM ET

Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

Online Sports Betting Odds: Butler – 3.5

That’s what happens when a team goes 9-1 in March Madness betting play over a two-year span, which is what the Bulldogs have done to earn a Final Four appearance for the second consecutive season. Butler beat three of the top four seeded teams in the Southeast to reach the national semi-final, and are focused on completing unfinished business.

March Madness Betting Preview: VCU

From an enthusiastic young head coach to a team that has simply lit it up from beyond the arc, everything about the Rams’ run to the Final Four has been exciting. Nobody will talk about how the first two teams they beat were really struggling, with both the Georgetown Hoyas and Purdue Boilermakers at the low point of their seasons entering tournament play. Nobody will talk about how they shot the lights out to survive a scare from a Florida State Seminoles’ team that was seeded just one spot higher, or how Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks always choke in the Elite Eight. The bottom line is that VCU is shooting better than they have all year, and their hot streak has made them one of the most dominant teams nobody predicted would be here.

March Madness Betting Preview: Butler

In order to succeed in this tournament, teams need to be able to perform under pressure, and that is exactly what the Bulldogs’ calling card has been the past two seasons. Despite struggling through the Horizon regular season, Butler came alive with a close win over the Old Dominion Monarchs, and were even better in a 71-70 victory over the top-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers. Butler isn’t the sharpshooting team that VCU has been in this tournament, preferring to grind it out with sports betting bonus opponents and wear them down inside. Perimeter defense will be the key to slowing down the Rams, and if they can do that the Bulldogs shouldn’t have a problem winning it with a strong inside game.

March Madness Betting: Outlook & Pick

The Rams have overachieved throughout the entire tournament, but there is only so long that they can continue to perform at such a high level. Butler represents the most physical team they will face, and should wear them down offensively, while giving them no space at the other end of the floor. VCU has been this year’s Cinderella team, but their road will end against a Bulldogs’ team that has unfinished pay per head business.

March Madness Betting Pick: Bulldogs – 3.5

A playoff atmosphere is in the air during March Madness betting and the stretch run for the NHL post-season. Every game in the NHL schedule counts, and that is especially true for games like this one between two teams battling for the same playoff spot. Both of these teams are looking to move up in the NHL standings, and both of these teams are doing the right things to make those moves happen.

The Buffalo Sabres hold down the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference NHL standings, but the Sabres are also only three points away from taking over sixth place. The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to make one last push as they sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Sabres by seven points. With only six games remaining, it is unlikely that the Toronto Maple Leafs will catch Buffalo. But if the players on the Maple Leafs want to be on the team next season, they will keep making a push as though the playoffs were within their reach.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are 6-3-1 on the last 10 games and are riding a three-game winning streak. In the last few games, Buffalo is getting excellent goaltending from former Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller. Miller is 4-0-1 in his last five games and that stretch includes two shutouts. Miller’s play has been solid behind a defense that is not playing so well, but the Buffalo offense has really picked up the pace in the last several games. The Sabres have brought their goal differential to +12, which is a dramatic improvement over where the team was at just after the all-star break. The team is still waiting for aggressive forward Patrick Kaleta to return to the line-up. But, in the meantime, pint-sized performers Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis are causing plenty of headaches for the opposition.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs were keeping pace with the Sabres as early as a week ago. But while Buffalo was ripping off a three-game winning streak, the Leafs have had a difficult time putting two wins together. In the last 10 games, the Leafs are 5-4-1 and they just lost their most recent game which was against the Detroit Red Wings. A loss to Detroit is nothing to be ashamed of, but when you are chasing a team in the standings that keeps on winning then every game counts.

The Bottom Line

If the Leafs lose this game, then you can pretty much consider them out of the playoff hunt as it will put them nine points behind the high-flying Sabres with only five games left in the season. The Sabres are probably not going to catch Tampa Bay for fifth in the standings, but to climb to the sixth position in the Eastern Conference would be quite an accomplishment for a team that was out of the playoffs immediately after the all-star break.

BSNblog Pick: Buffalo Sabres

Arizona Wildcats vs. Duke Blue Devils

Thursday March 23, 2011 – 9:45 PM ET

Honda Center, Anaheim, California

Online Sports Betting Odds: Duke Blue Devils – 8.5

The Blue Devils got a boost from the return of Kyrie Irving to the lineup, but coach K will tread carefully as he looks to work one of his best players back into his game plan without disrupting the chemistry they put together en route to an ACC title this year.

March Madness Betting Preview: Arizona

While Irving's return had attracted the bulk of the sports betting bonus attention, the Wildcats will be keyed in on reigning ACC MVP Nolan Smith, who has averaged 21.3 points per game and 5.2 assists this season. Smith scored a game-high 24 points in the win over Michigan, and if Arizona can slow him down it could leave the Blue Devils vulnerable. The Wildcats have their own superstar in Derrick Williams, who has emerged as one of the top player's in this year's tournament. Williams had the game-saving block in Arizona's win over Memphis in the second round, and then followed that up with a massive three-ball in the upset of the Texas Longhorns.

March Madness Betting Preview: Duke

Irving scored just 11 points against the Wolverines, but there is no doubt that coach K is confident in his ability to deliver with the game on the line. Kyle Singler has emerged as the perfect compliment next to Smith, including the 13 points and eight rebounds he registered against Michigan. If Irving can find his form without hurting the chemistry between Smith and Singler, than Duke will easily make it through to the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils shot over 50-percent as a team in their most recent win, and never trailed in the second half. Duke has enough talent to outscore Williams and the Wildcats' offense, and coach K knows his team's focus has to be on offense.

March Madness Betting: Outlook & Pick

While the Blue Devils cannot afford to let Williams run wild, their pay per head focus will have to be on scoring. Duke has one of the best triple threats in the tournament with Smith, Singler, and Irving, but they will need to find a way to perform together in order to get the job done. Arizona has been fortunate to survive through their first two games, but that run will come to an end against the defending national champions.

March Madness Betting Pick: Duke Blue Devils – 8.5

Many people who bet on March Madness have also been keeping tabs on the race for the NHL playoffs. No matter how the sportsbook promo experts do the math, the New Jersey Devils’ amazing second-half of the season run will come up short as far as a playoff spot goes. But the betting services know that the New Jersey players are all playing for spots on next year’s team and, if next year’s team is anything like this team was, then the Devils will be a Stanley Cup force next season.

The Boston Bruins are hovering around that first-place slot in the Northeastern Division. Right now, the Bruins hold on to the top spot in the division by one point over the Montreal Canadiens. But the Canadiens are surging and the Bruins need wins to stay ahead in the race. With team captain Zdeno Chara going down to a leg injury in the last Bruins’ game, things do not look good for the team from Bean Town.

New Jersey Devils

On December 23, 2010, the New Jersey Devils were dead last in the NHL with only nine wins out of more than 30 games. That is the day that former Devils head coach Jacques Lemaire took over as this season’s interim head coach. Ever since then, the Devils have made the long and difficult climb into playoff contention putting together winning streaks of eight and nine games at a time. The Devils are 7-3-0 in the last 10 games and seven points out of a playoff spot. It does not look like the Devils will have enough time to get themselves into the playoffs, but they can make life miserable for the Bruins as the Devils try to keep right on winning.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games and trying desperately to hold off the Montreal Canadiens for the Northeast Division lead. But the Bruins are starting to show signs of trouble that is very similar to last season. Even though he has had a Vezina-caliber season, goaltender Tim Thomas is not playing well lately. The Bruins would like to turn to Tuukka Rask, as they did last season, but Rask has been unstable lately. Thomas was pulled in the Bruins loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Rask was put in goal. But when the Leafs scored on Rask’s seventh shot against, the young goalie exploded on his defense and Thomas was put back in net. Things are coming a bit unhinged in Boston.

The Bottom Line

The New Jersey Devils are a disciplined hockey machine right now, and the Boston Bruins are not. The Bruins need to get themselves under control or they may find themselves with a first-round playoff exit this year. But this game is one that will slip away from the Bruins and show the New Jersey fans that there is a lot to look forward to for next season.

BSNblog Free Pick: New Jersey Devils

Princeton Tigers @ Kentucky Wildcats

Thursday March 17, 2011 – 2:45 PM ET

St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida

Online Sports Betting Odds: Kentucky – 13

The Wildcats enter the second round contest as 13-point favorites after knocking off the Florida Gators 70-54 in the SEC Championship game. Kentucky will ride a six-game win streak into the St. Pete Times Forum, and will look to flex their muscle against a Princeton team that upset the Harvard Crimson in the final seconds of their Ivy League championship game to earn an automatic bid.

March Madness Betting Preview: Princeton

The Tigers imposed their will for most of the Ivy League season, with losses at Brown and Harvard the only stains on an otherwise perfect season. Princeton won their regular season finale over the Pennsylvania Quakers to earn home court advantage for the conference championship game, and made it count with a buzzer-beating win. Despite the talent gap between the Ivy League and other conferences, the Tigers still earned respect in shooting 46-percent from the field, which ranks 41st in the nation. Princeton will need the combo of Kareem Maddox and Ian Hummer to bring their best game after that tandem led the team in both scoring and rebounding. Their play will be the biggest factor in whether Princeton can keep this game respectable.

March Madness Betting Preview: Kentucky

The Big Blue battled all year to catch the Gators, but after finishing the year three games back in the SEC East, Kentucky finally flexed its muscle in the conference title game for the second straight year. The tandem of Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight has been as good as any in the country, and they proved they can perform on the biggest stage after leading four Gators that finished in double-figures against Florida. The Wildcats will need Darius Miller to step up and complete the trifecta as the tournament progresses, but shouldn’t have a problem against the Tigers in the opening sportsbook promo round.

March Madness Betting: Outlook & Pick

While the Wildcats are projected by many to be a lock to advance, their ability to cover the spread will be determined by just how focused this team is. John Calipari will need to keep his team motivated in order to build on the momentum from the SEC title win, and that shouldn’t be a problem for a team that is stacked with star potential eager to show off under the brightest spotlight of them all. The Kentucky Wildcats will make a pay per head statement and blow away a Princeton team that is happy just to be there.

BSNblog Pick: Kentucky Wildcats - 13

Washington Capitals @ Montreal Canadiens

Tuesday March 15, 2011 – 7:00 PM ET

Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

Online Sports Betting Odds: Washington Capitals - 110

That’s where the Capitals finished a year ago, before they were upset by Montreal in the seventh game of their opening round series. Washington opened this year’s season series with one of their most complete efforts of the season in a 3-0 win at home, but fell 3-2 in a shootout to the Canadiens the last time these teams met. Their final two meetings will take place over the next two weeks, with both games to be played north of the border.

Leading Up To Puck Drop: Washington Capitals

The Capitals have been the league’s hottest team over the past month, rocketing from the middle of the East standings to within a point of the first-place Flyers. However, while Washington has played a more complete game overall, they have done so against a relatively weak schedule. Ovechkin and company have faced just two teams currently in playoff position during their eight-game win streak, and were forced to at least overtime in both of those games, including a 2-1 shootout win over the faltering Tampa Bay Lightning, and a 4-3 overtime win on Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Known for their high-powered offense and skilled forwards, the Capitals have gotten the job done with a more complete game at their own end, allowing more than two goals just once during their current run.

Leading Up To Puck Drop: Montreal Canadiens

Despite all that the team has been forced to deal with over the past couple of weeks, the Canadiens have been nearly as hot as Washington over that span. Montreal has won seven of its past nine games, including a 3-0 road win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday that pushed them to within two points of the Lightning for fifth spot in the East. Carey Price continues to prove management made the right move by keeping him over Jaroslav Halak in the summer, and is now second in the league in shutouts with eight after Saturday’s clean sheet. Montreal has beaten every other team in the Southeast division during their current run, and will now aim for the sweep in their third match against the Capitals.

The Match Up: Capitals vs. Canadiens

The Capitals have been solid over the past online sportsbook month but will have to lose eventually, and the ice at the Bell Centre hasn’t been too kind to Washington in recent years. Montreal has quietly put together a little run of their own, and will look to capitalize on back-to-back home games against the Capitals and Lightning to move closer to the Penguins for home ice advantage in the opening round of this year’s playoffs.

BSNblog Free Pick: Montreal Canadiens

Oh what a difference a new owner makes. Immediately after Terry Pegula was officially announced the new owner of the Buffalo Sabres, all of the March Madness betting in Buffalo stopped because the Sabres went on a 5-0-2 streak. The Sabres made one 2011 NHL trade deadline move by bringing in Brad Boyes, and that seems to be exactly what the Sabres needed to start moving up in the NHL standings. The Sabres now find themselves in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and only two points away from the seventh place New York Rangers.

The entire league expected the Pittsburgh Penguins to fold up camp and call it a season when the team lost Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for the entire season. But the Penguins have hung in there despite some extremely poor goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury and find themselves trailing the first place Philadelphia Flyers by two points. That is first place in the Atlantic Division and first place in the Eastern Conference. Not bad for a team that was supposed to give up weeks ago.

Buffalo Sabres

In their last seven games, since billionaire Terry Pegula took over the team, the Sabres are 5-0-2 and are riding a two-game winning streak. The Sabres seem to prefer the road as the road record is 18-10-3 while the home record is 14-15-3. The Sabres will have to work on winning in the friendly confines if HSBC Arena if they want to win in the playoffs, but for now they can continue to work that road mojo when they roll into Pittsburgh. This is the third game of a seven-game road trip for the Sabres, and they seem to be rotating starting goaltenders. Ryan Miller played the opening three games for the team, and then suddenly disappeared. Goaltender Jonas Enroth was brought up to start the last game for the Sabres while back-up Patrick Lalime rode the bench. It will be interesting to see what the Sabres do about their goaltending situation when the season is over.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are 3-3-4 in their last 10 games, and their last start was a 3-2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins in Boston. The Penguins play a hard-hitting style of game and with Crosby and Malkin out, Pittsburgh has leaned even more on the physical play. The small stature of the Sabres and Buffalo’s less-than-aggressive defense could be something that the Penguins will exploit all game long. Pittsburgh is one of the few teams with 20 wins at home, and they play extremely tough at Mellon Arena.

The Bottom Line

This game rests completely on the shoulders of the Penguins’ goaltending. If the Pittsburgh goaltending is solid, then the Penguins’ physical style of play will neutralize the Sabres and put the game away. If the Penguins’ goaltending is shaky, then more than a couple of the Sabres very limited amount of shots on goal in this game will find their way into the net.

BSNblog Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins

(22) Texas A&M Aggies @ Kansas Jayhawks (2)

Wednesday March 2, 2011 – 9:00 PM ET

Phog Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas

Online Sports Betting Odds: Jayhawks - 13

The Jayhawks have bounced back from a loss to the Kansas State Wildcats with three straight wins, but will now have to close out their year against back-to-back ranked opponents to clinch the Big 12 crown. Standing in their way first is an Aggies team looking to rebound from a loss to the Baylor Bears that ended their five-game winning streak.

College Basketball Betting Preview: Texas A&M

The Aggies failed to hit the 60-point mark for the first time in six games when they fell to the Bears 58-51, and will need to find their offensive flair in order to have any chance of keeping their next game close. Baylor has had their number over the past couple of years, winning three straight over Texas A&M with their stellar defense the biggest reason why. The defeat marked just the fourth time in their last 24 games that the Aggies lost when allowing less than 70 points, and they will now need to find an offensive spark in a hurry. Texas A&M is hoping to find that spark in forward Khris Middleton, who leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.6 points per game and is second in rebounding with an average of 5.3.

College Basketball Betting Preview: Kansas

The Jayhawks have benefited from the poor play of the other top Big 12 contenders, and are now in position to clinch at least a share of the conference title if they can take down Texas A&M. Kansas has gotten the job done without starting point guard Tyshawn Tyler over the past couple of games, with sophomore Elijah Johnson playing well in his place. Still, the potential for Tyler to return from suspension would only make the Jayhawks’ offense that much more potent, and it will be interesting to see how head coach Bill Self handles his sports betting bonus return.

College Basketball Betting: Outlook & Pick

Kansas has won 16 of 17 games against the Aggies in the all-time series, and have won five in a row by an average of 12.2 points. The number for this game is right around that average, and with the Jayhawks playing at home and fighting for their chance to clinch their share of a Big 12 title, there is plenty of college basketball betting incentive for Kansas to get the job done. Expect the Jayhawks to run away with this one early.

College Basketball Betting Pick: Kansas - 13