From one of our clients.

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NCAA Tournament Fact vs. Myth

NCAA Tournament Fact vs. Myth

The March Madness is in full swing. The following will examine a couple of key questions many of you have about the upcoming tournament and we are confident this discussion will also help you fill out your bracket and be the king of your office pool.

Fact vs. Myth

Fact vs. Myth No. 1: Oklahoma has the best player in Blake Griffin and thus they are a threat to win it all?

Answer: Myth. Despite having the best player in Blake Griffin, the Sooners have a hurdle that they will not be able to overcome, Jeff Capel cannot coach. Everything Blake Griffin gets is on his own and not because of some great offensive attack devised by Capel. In fact, the Coach K "family tree" has not been successful as evidenced below:

Tommy Amaker (Seton Hall, Michigan, Harvard)
Bob Bender (Washington)
Mike Brey (Notre Dame)
Neil Dougherty (Texas Christian)
Quin Snyder (Missouri, NBDL Austin Toros)
Jeff Capel III (Virginia Commonwealth, Oklahoma)
David Henderson (Delaware)
Johnny Dawkins (Stanford University) />

This certainly does not line-up with the Coach Rick Pitino tree. The Sooners have a nice draw but I don't expect them to make it to the Elite Eight, despite being a No. 2 seed.

Fact vs. Myth No. 2: The Big Ten set basketball back 20 years this season and all of the teams will be knocked out this weekend?

Answer: Myth. Granted the Big Ten was hard to watch in 2009 and the first team to reach 50 points won the majority of games, but familiarity played a major role in this. Every coach in the conference has a veteran this season and opposing teams are very familiar with each coach's style of play. The same cannot be said for teams outside the Midwest and expect the scoring of Big Ten teams to increase and this may set up some great totals plays on the over. I expect Purdue and Michigan State to make it to the second weekend and four of the seven Big Ten teams will win their first round games. The officiating and unfamiliarity will help all of these squads. Watch out for Purdue, as this team has the best talent and is starting to get healthy.

Fact vs. Myth No. 3: Location is important when filling out your bracket?

Answer: Fact. You have noticed that there have not been as many upsets in recent years and the chalk has prevailed through the first weekend. Last year, the Top 8 seeds made it through the first weekend and it would not surprise me if that trend happened again this year. I do not see many strong teams in the 7-10 games that would have a chance to knockout a No. 2 seed in round two. Teams benefiting from location this season are Villanova, Louisville, North Carolina, and Duke. Expect all of these teams to advance to the second week of the tournament.

Fact vs. Myth No. 5: Teams need stars in order to advance deep into the tournament.

Answer: Fact. The tournament is a different breed and oftentimes games get into half-court battles and, in order to score points, you need players that can create their own shots. Does Stephen Curry ring a bell from 2008? Teams that come to mind this season are North Carolina, Florida State, Arizona State and Pittsburgh. Teams that don't have a star are Wisconsin, Illinois, West Virginia, and Texas A&M.

Fact vs. Myth No. 6: The tournament should be expanded to eliminate the bubble teams.

Answer: Myth. Regardless of how many teams you put in, there will always be some team that feels they got jobbed. Do we really need all 16 teams from the Big East in the NCAA Tournament? Does DePaul deserve to be in after going 0-16 in the Big East? The tournament is fine the way it is now and I like the fact that each conference gets at least one team into the field. Nobody left out this season (Penn State, Auburn, or St. Mary's) could win six straight games in the tournament. The only thing I would eliminate is the play-in game, (yes that is what it is called) because the loser does not get to experience the real tournament atmosphere. Coaches are in favor of expansion because it may help save their jobs and, much like the bowls, mediocrity can seem a lot better with a victory late in the season.

There you have it, so who do I think will advance to the Motor City: Michigan State, UCONN, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh. Who will cut down the nets: UNC.

2009 NBA MVP Odds and Predictions

2009 NBA MVP Odds and Predictions

Right now there are two hot topics in the NBA: how is the playoff field going to shape up and what are some 2009 NBA MVP odds and who is going to bring home the Podoloff Cup.

(What is The Podoloff Cup, you ask? According to Useful Trivia, "The National Basketball Association established the Podoloff Cup, named for Maurice Podoloff, the league's first commissioner, as the its Most Valuable Player award in 1956. The winner was originally chosen by the NBA players. Since 1981, however, it has been based on a poll of professional basketball broadcasters and writers." Who knew?)

Right now it's tough to find any online sportsbooks that have 2009 NBA MVP odds posted. However, I think if they did post odds for the NBA MVP it would be one of the most highly bet props that they could have on the board. The debate is heated, and definitely calls into question the subjective measure of what an MVP is and what the phrase "Valuable" means.

There isn't really a wrong answer when you're breaking down the 2009 NBA MVP odds. Well, there isn't a wrong answer unless you have money on it. So I propose that all of the media bobbleheads that spend their time bickering about these issues need to put their money where their mouth is and lay some cheddar on which they think will make Podoloff proud.

So, in the spirit of that, here's a breakdown of the five players in the running for the Polodoff Cup as well as some 2009 NBA MVP odds and predictions:

Dwyane Wade:
Stat Line: 30 points, 7.7 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 1.4 blocks
2009 NBA MVP Odds To Start Season: +800
Doc's 2009 NBA MVP Odds: -125

Wade has been absolutely destroying the NBA this season. He, and yes I mean just he, has lead the Heat to a 36-29 record this season. This is amazing considering that the Heat only won 15 games last season. If you have had the pleasure of watching Wade this year you would have had the privilege of watching a man whom people thought was made of glass and on the downside of his career (ALREADY!) manhandle the rest of the league. The way that he controls a game from the opening tip to the final buzzer is unmatched. The Heat finished last season as the worst team in basketball and currently they sit in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Heat are an extremely tough matchup for almost any team in the league for one sole reason: Dwyane Wade.

Chris Paul
Stat line: 21.8 points, 11 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals
2009 NBA MVP Odds To Start Season: +1000
Doc's 2009 NBA MVP Odds: +850

With every passing game that Chris Paul plays the Atlanta Hawks feel like they are getting kicked in the balls over and over. Could you imagine having a Big Three of Paul, Joe Johnson, and Josh Smith? That would be a fun team to watch. The Hornets are thankful that the Hawks passed and that they have gotten to watch Paul run one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA. If you decided to sit down and watch the NBA All-Star Game you would have witnessed skills that not many other players in the league possess. Paul's court vision and passing ability are in a league of their own. This man is by far the best point guard in the NBA. Over the past two years Paul has led the Hornets to a 78-65 ATS mark, which includes a 50-30 mark last season.

Kobe Bryant
Stat line: 28 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.3 steals
2009 NBA MVP Odds To Start Season: +500
Doc's 2009 NBA MVP Odds: +600

I think Kobe will finish fourth in the MVP race and at the All Star break he was posted at some online books as even money to win his second straight MVP award. Kobe will suffer from the Michael Jordan syndrome (Being that good every year, so people just look at it as an average season). Bryant's chances to become the MVP suffer due to the fact that the Lakers went to the championship last year and are on a similar path this season. Having an impressive supporting cast doesn't help Kobe either. Man it must suck to be considered one of the best players on the planet every single time he laces up his sneakers. Yeah, I would hate that.

LeBron James
Stat line: 28.6 points, 7.4 rebounds 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.2 blocks
2009 NBA MVP Odds To Start Season: +500
Doc's 2009 NBA MVP Odds: -150

Oh King James, King James. The poster child for the NBA is leading his Cavs on a fast track to the NBA Finals and he is earning a bigger paycheck with each passing game. Numerous teams in the NBA are completely re-tooling their rosters in hopes that they can land The King in 2010. In my opinion James is the runner-up for the MVP award this season. The addition of Mo Williams has placed the Cavs on the next level. It's difficult to look at LeBron James' numbers and suggest that he isn't the MVP when he has matched every one of his statistical categories from last year with the exception of scoring (and last year he should have won MVP). But this year there is just someone better. The Cavs have an improved supporting cast and LeBron, similar to Kobe, is just doing his thing. Poor LeBron; two years in a row now he could have won the MVP and might come "just that close." He was listed at -300 at the All Star break and was the runaway favorite to take the hardware.

Kevin Durant
Stat line: 25.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals
2009 NBA MVP Odds To Start Season: Off
Doc's 2009 NBA MVP Odds: +5000

Nope. Sorry. Durant is an outstanding up-and-coming player as he is currently fourth in the race for the NBA scoring title. But come on; are people serious when they mention his name for MVP? The Oklahoma City Thunder are 18-48 on the year. You can't have an MVP from a team that is that bad. Plus, they haven't been that much worse without Durant while he has been out with an injury. Like I said, he is good, just not MVP good. Yet…

Running a March Madness Pool

Running a March Madness Pool

It's that time of year, where your NCAA Tournament office pool turns everyone that fills out a bracket into a fledgling college basketball expert.

I'm here to give you a "March Madness Pool for Dummies," so to speak. All you need to know about running a March Madness pool - and hopefully succeed in winning it. First off, you will need to print out a bracket for all of your office cohorts to fill out. No doubt, even your boss will want to be part of it - in what other month than March will your boss condone gambling??

OK, send out that e-mail and put copies of those brackets in all of those office mailboxes - getting customers to join your pool is the first crucial step in running a March Madness pool. If you are wondering how much to charge, it really depends on how many people you expect to lure. Most times, it's either $5 or $10, although in this economy, it's really up to you. But make sure you collect the entry fee, if there is one, before the tournament starts, or you will be chasing that money for a month. Some don't charge money and offer a prize. I know of one company that gave its winning employee the day off for winning the office pool. Another sold bracket spots to advertisers and gave each advertiser that got a team into the Final Four a discounted rate. So, really, the prizes are left to your creativity.

That creativity also goes with scoring, although you certainly want to make the point total rise in each round. The standard scoring goes like this (always assigning points to each game winner): one point for Round 1 winners, two for Round 2 winners, four in Round 3 (Sweet 16 winners), six for Elite Eight winners, eight for Final Four winners and 10 for the national champion. Again, this is really up to you, but you want to significantly reward whomever gets the national champ and not just someone who got lucky in picking upsets in the first round or two.
You also won't want to bother with the play-in game, as there's just not enough time to turn around everyone's bracket by that Tuesday game following Selection Sunday.

You will want to e-mail out, or put up in the mailroom, the point totals after every weekend so people know where they stand. And obviously make sure that the contestants keep a copy of their bracket for themselves. You also will want to put out an original e-mail saying what each contestant predicted for the Final Four and national champion. You might be pondering doing all this online as opposed to the old print version, but I guarantee that if you are doing this in a large setting that you will encounter at least a few people who aren't comfortable doing this on the Internet or who will do it wrong and then refuse to pay. I think you will find doing it the old-fashioned way is still pretty fun. But at worst, you could have people fill out the brackets on paper and then input those results into one of those online sites that will tabulate it for you.
As for strategy, I won't pretend to have all the answers despite having won a few pools in my day.

I will say that all four No. 1 seeds have reached the Final Four just once since the field expanded to 64 in 1985 - and that was last year. There has been only one season where zero No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four - in 2006.

There almost always is an upset in one 5-12 game. Thirty-one times since 1985 a No. 12 has upset the No. 5 in the first round. But while there are plenty of upsets, it's still best to pick a No. 1 seed as your national champion. Since 1985, No. 1 seeds have won 14 championships.

NHL Betting: The Week's Biggest Stories

NHL Betting: The Week's Biggest Stories

The NHL trade deadline has passed, and it was a strange one. The trade action was very slow to get started, and though there were eventually almost as many deals as in recent years there weren't nearly as many big names with new addresses. Early-round draft picks were also more valued now than some years, as they didn't move much at all. Several teams got better now or into the future, but four did better than the rest.

Trade Deadline Winners

Calgary Flames - The big winners. They are securely leading their division, but they have been hit with key injuries that have significantly affected their scoring depth - Daymond Langkow, Rene Bourque, and Todd Bertuzzi. They also lacked defensive depth. They were able to address both, and give up nothing particularly meaningful in immediate terms in exchange. The big jewel was Olli Jokinen from Phoenix. The Flames have coveted the European forward for years, and the team has never really had a true offensive center to pair with Jarome Iginla. Jokinen paired with Iginla and Mike Cammaleri, who is having a very good offensive year, and the chemistry was immediate - Jokinen had two goals in his first period. To shore up the defense, they re-acquired Jordan Leopold. Leopold started his career in Calgary, so he will be comfortable in his new surroundings. He's a puck-moving defenseman who can be trusted in his own zone. When he was previously in town he had excellent chemistry with Roby Regehr, and that should be rekindled. These two moves make the team much better, and came at the cost of just one regular contributor - the speedy but inconsistent Matthew Lombardi.

Despite the improvements, Calgary still has a glaring need that they are helpless to fix. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is very good, and it's a good thing - he has every single win for the team. The team seems to take a day off when Kipper is given a break. That won't be a factor in the playoffs unless the Finn gets injured. If that happens then the team's goose is cooked.

Boston Bruins - The Bruins are the class of the East, so they didn't need to do anything major. What they did do, though, just makes them deeper and more competitive. Forward Mark Recchi is in his twilight, but he has been around forever, and he adds a seasoned and respected veteran voice to a relatively young dressing room. Steve Montador isn't a big name, but he's a determined, capable defenseman who doesn't make a lot of mistakes and can be trusted in pressure situations. Both players are good additions.

New York Rangers - The Rangers desperately need to stop the freefall - they started out strong, but now just cling to a playoff spot by one point. The big story of the trade deadline for them was what they were unable to do - shed a big contract that weighs them down like an anchor - like the contracts of Scott Gomez or Chris Drury. They still made some nice moves, though. Nik Antropov is a huge, gritty forward, and that's something the Rangers are desperately lacking. They also picked up Derek Morris. The defenseman wasn't nearly as good in Phoenix as he was in Colorado or Calgary, but he adds power play depth and defensive intensity to the Rangers.

Pittsburgh Penguins - The Pens made their biggest impact before the trade when they traded Ray Whitney for Chris Kunitz. They made a significant deal on deadline day, though, when they picked up winger Bill Guerin. He's 38 and has seen better days, but he's a natural playmaker who may be able to play well with Sidney Crosby. Even if he ends up somewhere else, he's a tough, dependable veteran who will be a positive influence for a young team that has a tough fight ahead of them just to make the playoffs.

Standing Still

Several contenders were notable by their inaction. For the most part, the lack of moves made sense.

Detroit Red Wings - Detroit doesn't have much cap space, but they also don't have many flaws. The only potential need was a goaltender, and it was hard to find a guy who was affordable and was sure to be better than the two guys they have now. He certainly wasn't going to come without a big cost, and this team has been as successful as they are in large part because they stick to the plan and don't splurge on flashy talent unless it fits into their needs. Detroit was the favorite to win it all before the trade deadline, and they still are.

Vancouver Canucks - Vancouver is trying to chase down Calgary. They didn't change anything at the deadline, but they were playing so well at the time that they didn't need to, or want to risk the current chemistry. They really made their big splash before Christmas when they acquired Mats Sundin. You could argue that Vancouver could have been well served making a trade or two because they have more looming unrestricted free agents than they could possibly re-sign, and they could have at least got something in exchange. That's risky, though, especially when a team is a reasonable contender.

New Jersey Devils - A deadline deal can give a legitimate contender a boost. The Devils got their boost a week before the deadline when Martin Brodeur returned to action after a long injury absence. They are happy offensively and solid defensively. The only move they might have made is moving goalie Scott Clemmensen before they lose him as a free agent, but he's a very nice security blanket in case Brodeur suffers another setback. That security is more valuable than whatever they could have gotten for him.

College Basketball Betting: Mountain West Tournament Preview

College Basketball Betting: Mountain West Tournament Preview

It was so much fun the first time, let's do it again.

If you wanted a preview of the Mountain West Tournament you wouldn't have to go back very far. In an incredible scheduling coincidence, last Saturday three of the four quarterfinal matchups actually played themselves out. San Diego State beat UNLV, Utah topped TCU and New Mexico hung on to beat Wyoming. Now all three favorites have to repeat the feat and hold off several revenge-minded underdogs.

This tournament tips off with a play-in game on Wednesday between Air Force and Colorado State, with the quarterfinals starting Thursday afternoon at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. I feel like this will be one of the most competitive and most entertaining tournaments across the country this week. And with two bids apparently locked up (Utah, BYU) I wouldn't be surprised to see a third team win this tourney and steal a spot in The Big Dance from the BCS conferences.

THE FAVORITES:

BYU - The Cougars had a leg up in the tiebreakers and thus earned the No. 1 overall seed in this tournament. That's a significant advantage because they get to play the play-in game winner in the quarterfinals. Over the last four year the top seed has won that game by scores of 27, 13, 12, and 13. BYU would get the San Diego State/UNLV winner after that and they swept SDSU this season already. However, I don't see them beating SDSU three times in one year and UNLV has the home court edge.

Utah - The Utes are, in my mind, clearly the best team in this conference and are likely the only team that is securely in the NCAA Tournament field. Luke Nevill is nearly unstoppable and Utah surrounds him with a talented veteran cast. One thing I will keep an eye on is chemistry, though. Even though this group of Utes has been together for several years there was some bickering in their two recent losses to New Mexico and BYU. Watch their body language in their first round game against TCU.

THE CONTENDERS:

New Mexico - The Lobos have been the dark horse team in this conference all season and they earned a share of the league title. They are on a five-game winning streak on their way to Vegas and they have won eight of nine overall. However, they are just 2-6 against the spread in their last eight and that might be a red flag. This team has a load of shooters and a strong frontcourt, and the Lobos are one of the few teams that can matchup with the inside power of Utah and the perimeter skill of BYU. If they can beat Wyoming again they would be playing for their NCAA Tournament lives against the Utes.

San Diego State - The Aztecs boast more experience than any team in the league. And for all-conference seniors Lorrenzo Wade, Kyle Spain, Richie Williams, and Ryan Amoroso this is their last shot at a trip to the Big Dance. The Aztecs really did not play well down the stretch, going just 4-3 SU and 1-6 ATS in their last seven games. Granted, they were without key big man Billy White for most of those games. But the bottom line is that they turn the ball over too much and they don't close games out very well, consistently leaving the back door wide open. Their perimeter defense is next to none, though, and they have the deepest roster in the league.

UNLV - The Rebels are the two-time defending MWC Tournament Champions and have made the finals of this tourney an incredible five of the last seven years. This UNLV team is significantly weaker than the past two versions but they still have some savvy and coach Lon Kruger just gets the job done. This team is very reliant on the three-pointer, which is great - when they're going in. They have the talent (they own wins over Arizona and Louisville this year) but they have been woefully inconsistent. And no one embodies that more than senior Wink Adams. He's one of the conference's all-time great players but has really had a down season. He will need to finish with a flourish to keep his career going.

THE SLEEPER:

Wyoming - Wyoming has one of the best backcourts in the entire league and they really have been hitting their stride. The Cowboys have covered six of their last seven, and nine of 13. Brandon Ewing is one of the league's all-time scorers, junior Sean Ogirri is one of the nation's best shooters, and freshmen Afam Muojeke is one of the rising stars in this league. They have some athletes down low and if they are on they could beat anyone in this field. The problem is that they don't play well outside of Laramie.

MATCHUPS:

Colorado State vs. Air Force
Beware the Falcons. Air Force was a pathetic 0-16 in league play this year. But they have been knocking on the door. They lost by just five to Colorado State, three to Wyoming, three at UNLV and by five in BYU to close the year. They are knocking on the door and you know they really want that first MWC win. Colorado State has been all over the map this year and is just 2-9 in its last 11 games overall. They have some pieces, but I don't know about the motivation.

San Diego State vs. UNLV
San Diego won and covered in both of their matchups with the Rebels this year, including a 10-point win at home last Saturday on Senior Night. This is a bad matchup for UNLV because SDSU's strengths (perimeter defense and interior offense) really have trumped the Rebels' strengths. However, it is tough to beat (and cover against) the same team three times in one season.

Utah vs. TCU
The Horned Frogs really got off to a tremendous start in conference play. But then reality set in. They have lost 10 of their last 11 games and only four of those losses have been by less than double-digits. Kevin Langford is a great player, but TCU simply doesn't have the backcourt or the depth to get this done.

New Mexico vs. Wyoming
Wyoming nearly avoided this matchup by beating the Lobos in Laramie on Saturday. The teams were tied at half time and Ewing missed a runner at the buzzer that would have given the Cowboys the upset. New Mexico won the first matchup by 29 and is clearly the more talented team. But if they are looking ahead to a matchup with Utah they could be in trouble.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

This is one of the deepest, most competitive, most experienced conferences in the country and I would say to look for several upsets and a ton of close games. Also, road wins were nearly impossible to come by in conference play so a key will be who plays well on this neutral court. That also gives even more of an advantage to the host Rebels. Three of the last our years the No. 2 seed has won it, which bodes well for Utah. But with an NCAA Tournament berth already in the bag you do have to wonder a bit about Utah's motivation. Also, be ready to bank the team whose star player looks the sharpest in their first game. BYU's Lee Cummard, UNLV's Adams, Wyoming's Ewing and San Diego State's duo of Spain and Wade are each some of the best players to come out of this conference. One of them will leave a champion.

College Basketball Betting: Big Ten Tournament Preview

College Basketball Betting: Big Ten Tournament Preview

Michigan State is the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 1999, and as one would expect the Spartans are also the Bodog odds-on favorite at 6/5 to win it.

MSU beat Purdue on Sunday to reach 15 wins in Big Ten play for the first time since the 1998-99 season, when the Spartans reached the Final Four for the first time under Tom Izzo. And State has the Big Ten Player of the Year in Kalin Lucas, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in Travis Walton, Big Ten Coach of the Year in Izzo and is on a five-game winning streak, so everything appears to be in place.

The Big Ten Tournament is being held in Indianapolis this year, so you might think of that as an advantage for a team like No. 3 seed Purdue (fellow in-state school Indiana is no real threat), which is the Bodog second-favorite at 5/2. But while the Boilermakers were just 3-7 ATS away from home this year, Michigan State had just one conference road loss - that coming at Purdue.

Michigan State will look to capture its first tournament title since 2000 and become the first team to win the Big Ten tourney three times. The No. 1 seed has won the tournament only four times overall. The Spartans open play Friday against the Minnesota-Northwestern winner.

The real question is if Michigan State can somehow grab a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament should the Spartans cruise through the Big Ten. There might be two spots up for grabs, with North Carolina and the Big East winner (assuming it's Connecticut, Louisville or Pittsburgh) certain to get No. 1 seeds. That leaves a second or even third Big East team, the possible Big 12 winner, Memphis and the Spartans fighting it out for the final two top seeds.

In MSU's favor is its nation-leading 12 wins against RPI top-50 teams.

"I think it's some what we do, some what other people don't do," Izzo said. "I think what we've done already deserves consideration for those top one or two seeds."

OHIO STATE: The team got some good news last week when star Evan Turner said he would return for his junior year, but the Buckeyes won't be getting back David Lighty this year. The junior captain broke his foot in December and had attempted to practice recently in hopes of helping in the postseason, but he decided it wasn't worth it to use up a year of eligibility with so few games remaining. He frankly wasn't going to be cleared for full participation anyways.

OSU's win over Northwestern on Sunday probably locked up an NCAA at-large bid for the Buckeyes, as it gave them 20 wins and a three-way tie for fourth in the Big Ten. But the Buckeyes, as the No. 5 Big Ten Tournament seed, have a very tough opener against Wisconsin on Friday in a matchup of the past two Big Ten tourney champs. Under Coach Thad Matta, OSU is just 3-7 against the Badgers. And a No. 5 seed has never played in the Big Ten final, nor has a No. 7. Every other seed has.

NORTHWESTERN: That Sunday loss to Ohio State seriously damaged the Wildcats' at-large hopes, but a win Thursday over Minnesota and then an upset of Michigan State might do it - and remember that Northwestern ended MSU's 28-game home winning streak this year. Northwestern, which started the Big Ten season 0-4 but has six wins over opponents in the top 50 of the RPI, has never reached the NCAA Tournament - every other member of a BCS conference has.

Big Ten Tournament schedule (all times Eastern)

THURSDAY
No. 8 Minnesota vs. No. 9 Northwestern, Noon (Big Ten Network
No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 10 Iowa, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Indiana, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)

FRIDAY
No. 1 Michigan State vs. 8/9 winner, Noon a.m. (ESPN)
No. 4 Wisconsin vs No. 5 Ohio State, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 Illinois vs. 7/10 winner, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
No. 3 Purdue vs. 6/11 winner, 9 p.m. (BTN)

SATURDAY
First semifinal, 1:40 p.m. (CBS)
Second semifinal, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)

SUNDAY
Title game, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

MonsterBuck at SpreadConsultants on fire!

MonsterBuck is on FIRE!! The hottest capper on the internet, no doubt! He is an incredible 5-0 L5 (100%), 12-2 L14 (86%), 18-5 L23 (78%)!! MonsterBuck is now on a 6-0 NHL run, sweeping the card in that sport yesterday and going 2-0 on his NBA picks. He made his loyal clients almost $7000 in a couple of weeks!! Be sure to jump on this hot streak, because it seems like this capper is unbeatable at the moment. The affordable packages are now available, and its never too late to join this solid capper.

MonsterBuck from SpreadConsultants

Hey fellow gamblers,

Our best cappers have great records, here's a little introduction of every capper on the site. Starting with MonsterBuck:

MonsterBuck has been handicapping sports for more than 10 years, and made his first wager when he just turned 18. He bets almost every sport, and is already up more than 50 units. That's more than 5000$ betting 100$ a game!

He's studying the biggest leagues, but also focuses on college sports. This capper has a system for game totals, that combines streaks, form, performances, average points per game and other statistics to determine to make a play or not. He also developed a spread-system, which indicates a value of a line, that has been successful both in College Hoops and the NBA. The most important point is to stick to the system.

Like all other cappers, MonsterBuck has both hot and cold streaks. Whether he's winning or losing, however, he's always telling the truth about it. More importantly, as his followers are pointing out, MonsterBuck's winning weeks greatly outnumber his losing ones.

If you're looking for a sincere, hard-working handicapper with a documented record of his wins, give MonsterBuck a try.

99-76-3 57%

A little introduction of this capper, tomorrow we will have the other guys too. Its important to know who you're following in this business, thats why we wanted you to personally meet those professionals on this blog.

SpreadConsultants.

SpreadConsultants. Start winning today!

Spreadconsultants is been there for a month now, but my handicapping-carreer is going way back. All sports - NCAAB, NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL, NCAAF, you name it, I cap them all, with great succes!

First of all, lets me say all the cappers on the site are very experienced specialists. They have all capped games for many years, putting many hours in this difficult process.

Dont get carried away by the scamdicappers on the Internet, most of the services dont have legit records. They only try to sell a product, they dont care if the 'Lock of the Year' wins or not. Nobody can hit the % they claim to hit, ridiculous 90% and higher. Even 80-70%, forget about it.

A professional sportsbettor is looking for 55-60% in a long run, thats plenty to make a lot of money. Thats why we started SpreadConsultants, to bring you the winners, so you can buy something for yourself or your loved ones. Maybe its an iPod, or that Rolex that you always wanted to have. Maybe its something bigger, say a car, or a gift for your wife or girlfriend. By following our cappers, you'll get it all, I promise. Just stick to the plan.

People are buying picks from us on SpreadConsultants, but Im going to post some thoughts on the different sports and matches.