Regardless of whether they are a bigger fan of NBA basketball or the sport at the college level, there isn’t a single fan out there that doesn’t pay attention to the NCAA Men’s Division One Basketball Championship, which is otherwise known as the March Madness. With it’s incredible upsets, climactic moments, and all of the drama that unfolds from the beginning of the tournament right through to the end, it is impossible not to get caught up in the hype if you are a true sports betting fan.

A 68-team, single-elimination tournament featuring the top teams from across the nation regardless of the conference that they played in during the regular season, the Madness has become a staple as one of the busiest times of the year for the pay head bookies. While many enjoy the excitement of filling out a tournament bracket and trying to figure out which team will win it all, every game is significant for the fact that they are as unpredictable as they come, and the perfect opportunity to capitalize on some underdog wins. Evaluating the talent heading in to this type of tournament is a long process that should begin with the start of every regular season, as factors such as chemistry, experience, and how individual talents respond to pressure are all integral parts of picking which teams will make it far, and which will fade away. There isn’t a single site listed on the sportsbook reviews that doesn’t list the tournament games, so make sure not to miss out on the action.

After falling to the Kansas Jayhawks over the weekend in their first loss of the season, the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes made a statement on Wednesday night against USC Upstate, even without their leading scorer Jared Sullinger out of the lineup. Sullinger is expected to be back in the lineup for the Buckeyes for Saturday’s game against the South Carolina Gamecocks, but if Ohio State is going to move up to first this weekend they will need some help across the NCAA basketball betting nation.

(2) Ohio State Buckeyes @ South Carolina Gamecocks

Saturday, 12:00 PM ET

Sullinger’s status is still unknown heading in to this weekend, but the Buckeyes should be okay without him for the next couple of weeks without another game against one of the top-ranked teams in the country. The tandem of William Buford and Deshaun Thomas becomes even more important for Ohio State with Sullinger out, particularly in their lone road date before three straight at home. The Gamecocks have gotten off to a slow start in the SEC, including a 25-point loss to the Tar Heels in late November, so they shouldn’t be much of a threat as the underdogs to Ohio State according to the pay head bookies.

College Basketball Betting Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes

(1) Syracuse Orange @ North Carolina State Wolfpack

Saturday, 6:30 PM ET

With a ton of teams losing at the top of the national rankings, the Orange become the last team standing at No. 1, with a visit to North Carolina State set for this Saturday. Syracuse squeezed past Florida by four in their only matchup against a top-25 opponent, and while a talented Wolfpack team should push them, the Orange will prevail as modest sports betting favorites.

College Basketball Betting Pick: Syracuse Orange

It didn’t take long for the North Carolina Tar Heels to lose their status as the top-ranked team in the country, as they fell to the UNLV Rebels last week in a game that pushed them all the way down to fifth in the national rankings. However, UNC won’t have to wait long for their shot at redemption, as they head to Rupp Arena to take on the newly crowned No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats this weekend in an early NCAA basketball betting showdown.

(5) North Carolina Tar Heels @ (1) Kentucky Wildcats

Saturday, 12:00 PM ET

The Tar Heels rebounded well from their first loss, taking down the No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers in a 60-57 win on Wednesday night to improve to 6-1. Harrison Barnes scored 10 of his 20 points during a second-half surge in which UNC finally began to come together as a team, which is a promising sign for head coach Roy Williams, who had completely lost it earlier in the game when he ripped off his jacket in a fury over the way that his team was performing. Even despite their status as the top team in the country, the Wildcats will be the underdog for this game according to the pay head bookies, and rightfully so given the talent that the Tar Heels have at their disposal. The difference in the two teams early on has been Kentucky’s ability to focus and play with determination under head coach John Calipari, but if Williams can get his squad to play with that same urgency, then North Carolina will be in a good spot and worth the wager on betonline.

College Basketball Betting Pick: Tar Heels

In their first major test of the college basketball season, the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats passed with flying colors on Wednesday, taking down the No. 11 Kansas Jayhawks 75-65 in a game that illustrated their incredible speed and perimeter shooting. It seems as though every year the turnover that the school experiences leads to its share of sports betting skeptics for the following season, but as is the case nearly every year it doesn’t take long for the Wildcats to prove their doubters wrong.

With Doron Lamb dropping 17, and Terrence Jones rallying with another 15, Kentucky pulled away in the second-half after holding the Jayhawks to a tie at the break. While the Wildcats didn’t look anything close to a national title contender at points with turnovers and a few notable breakdowns in communication, they still exhibited the talent and resilience to overcome some rough pay head patches, including blocking 13 shots and holding Kansas to just 33.9-percent shooting. Kentucky started their three most talked-about freshman, but their performance may have been overshadowed by the presence of Duke Blue Devils’ head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his achievements at Madison Square Garden earlier in the night as part of an incredibly entertaining doubleheader. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished with nine rebounds and four assists as the most impressive 5 dimes review performers, and with their next game against undefeated Penn State, it should make for another early test for the young Wildcats.

With the NBA fishing games lockout forcing many of the 2010 – 11 seasons freshmen to stay in school for the upcoming 11 – 12 seasons, most college basketball handicappers, have a rough idea of who the top stars in the country are. However, while Harrison Barnes and Jared Sullinger get most of the recognition on the college basketball sports betting scene, other lesser known players will be able to master their craft this season. Here are a few underdogs fans should keep their attention on this season.

Anthony Davis F Kentucky Wildcats – According to Rivals.com Anthony Davis is considered to be the best big man to come out of the 2011 recruiting class for Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach John Calipari. Blessed with a six foot 10 frame, Davis will replace power forward Josh Harrelson who graduated after the Wildcats lost in the Final Four back in March.

Since Davis is a freshman, and only 210 pounds, the concern is that he may not be able to compete with other big men in the SEC conference in a starters role. However, if Davis can make an impact right away, he and fellow Kentucky big man Terrence Jones should be one of the scariest tandems in the entire NCAA this season.

Josiah Turner G Arizona Wildcats – With the loss of Derrick Williams to the NBA Draft this past June, six foot three guard Josiah Turner enters the Arizona Wildcats lineup at an ideal time. Essentially, as the prize of the Wildcats 2011 draft class, Turner can be considered one of the centerpieces of the new look offense. Turner’s court IQ and defense should make him one of the deadliest guards in the entire Pac-12. This in turn should allow the Wildcats to build on one of the most successful seasons in school history.

Whether it be for breach of recruiting rules, or fighting in other countries, the NCAA sports betting college basketball league has been in the media’s spotlight this offseason. While the media loves controversy, hardcore fans and experts, we included, can’t help but get excited for the coming NCAAB season. Here is the latest MLB betting college basketball news.

Last week, the Georgetown Hoyas college basketball team travelled to China, to take on a senior Chinese team in an exhibition game. Rather than continue to promote the relationship the NCAA has with Asia in sports, the game turned into a fight you would see in a gang movie. For a reason that we still are uncertain of, the two sides got into a fight, with the Chinese team heavily outnumbering the college kids from Georgetown. While coaches attempted to separate the players, the only thing that was really separated, was the working relationship between the NCAA and China.

On the other hand, the Duke Blue Devils of the ACC are quietly silencing their critics heading into the 2011 – 12 seasons opener in November. Duke is led by top recruit in the country, shooting guard Austin Rivers. Rivers provides the type of game changing awareness and speed that future NBA coaches and scouts literally chomp at the bit to see in young players.

Aside from Rivers, the Blue Devils also have six foot 11 forward Ryan Kelly who at the most recent exhibition game, turned a lot of heads. Kelly, entering his junior season, scored 20 points, going an impressive nine for 11 from the field. With Kyle Singler in the NBA, Kelly will see plenty of playing time this season. The duo of Kelly and Rivers could be one of the scariest in the entire NCAA.

Sports betting enthusiasts wanting to handicap basketball should look no further than the college ranks, as the NBA and its players union are entrenched in a heated lockout that could result in the season being cancelled.  College basketball betting online handicappers have been able to watch some of the best schools remain that way through excellent scouting. Today we will be looking at several of the top recruits in the nation that could be a member of your favorite NBA franchise in no time.

Kentucky Wildcats – Ever since John Calipari was named the Head Coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team, the team has gone from being one of the poorest recruiting programs to the best. Heading into the 2011-12 seasons, Kentucky was ranked first on Rivals.com for top recruiting. In the top 25 players in the country, Kentucky has the most recruits at four. Those players include forwards Anthony Davis, Mike Gilchrist, and Kyle Wiltjer along with guard Marquis Teague. By all accounts, Davis and Teague are considered the two can’t miss prospects in this year’s draft class. What’s more, Kentucky already has Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones returning this coming season, making Kentucky one of the scariest teams in the nation.

ACC Division – The 2011 – 12 seasons in the ACC should be one of the best from a recruiting standpoint, as both the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels have some of the best players in the country. Duke in particular is standing tall, as despite criticism from other programs, Blue Devils boss Mike Krzyzewski has recruited the top shooting guard in the country, in Austin Rivers. Rivers is seen by many as a game changer, who should be able to make the transition to the NBA.

On the other hand, the Tar Heels have two exceptional recruits in James McAdoo and PJ Hairston. We placed Rivers ahead of McAdoo and Hairston on the top recruits list, because both Tar Heels are blocked in playing time, by 2010 – 11 returnees Harrison Barnes and Tyler Zeller.

With the uncertainty of the sports betting NBA lockout, most basketball handicappers are beginning to make the jump from the professional game to the college ranks for the 2011 – 12 seasons. Due to the NBA lockout, many college basketball stars expected to be done after their freshmen years, opted to stay in school for another year, in hopes of winning an MLB betting National title. Here is a look at two of the top sophomores heading into this season.

Harrison Barnes F North Carolina Tar Heels – After stiffing the Duke Blue Devils to ply his trade with North Carolina last season, Harrison Barnes was expected by many to be the top player in the 2011 NBA draft. Instead, after getting off to a slow start at UNC, Barnes was able to elevate his game to a whole new level during the March Madness tournament. While his stock dropped considerably due to his slow start, it didn’t deter Barnes from helping the Tar Heels make a huge run at the 2011 National title.

With that in mind and the uncertainty of the NBA’s future, Barnes decided to stay in school for his sophomore season. Along with John Henson and Tyler Zeller, Barnes helps form one of the most intimidating front courts in the entire NCAA. Look for the big man to get off to a strong start before moving on to a lottery pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

Jarred Sullinger F Ohio State Buckeyes – Similar to Harrison Barnes of the ACC, Jarred Sullinger was an absolute beast down the stretch in the Big 10. Despite losing out on Big 10 player of the year honors last season, Sullinger was far and away the best player on a deep OSU team in 2010 – 11. Entering the 2011- 12 seasons, Sullinger has one goal in mind, and that is to win a National Title.

With the NBA draft just a few weeks away, sports betting enthusiasts handicapping college basketball are growing more and more curious as to how 2011 National Champion UConn will do in the 2011 – 12 seasons. After winning the National Championship against the Butler Bulldogs, former Connecticut star Kemba Walker made no secret of his intention to enter this year’s NBA draft. Then, making matters more intriguing, several of our betting online colleagues, ran stories that Conn boss Jim Calhoun was retiring. With that in mind, here is a look at the UConn Huskies offseason.

Last week was a big one for NCAA basketball handicappers, as recruiting week got underway. Leading the recruiting charge was National Champion the Connecticut Huskies, led by Head Coach Jim Calhoun. The fact that Calhoun, a coach with a number of health problems, led the way in recruiting indicates the 69 year old personally doesn’t have any intention of retiring soon. However, ultimately, if the health concerns get to be too much, Connecticut may just buy out Calhoun’s contract, in order to force him to deal with his health issues.

What is also intriguing with Calhoun retiring is the fact that Connecticut kept on the Huskies Coaching staff, despite a scandal involving a booster that doubled as an agent. For those unfamiliar with the NCAA, boosters and agents are deemed illegal when dealing with college players. Regardless of the scandal, Calhoun, was able to get a verbal commitment from Omar Calhoun a 2012 recruit who is seen by many experts as one of the top scorers in the nation. Aside from Omar Calhoun, Jim Calhoun was also able to lockup 2011 recruit DeAndre Daniels. Meaning to say, at least on paper, the Huskies shouldn’t drop down too many positions with the loss of Kemba Walker to the NBA.

NCAA football betting players are gearing up for the beginning of their season, but hoops season is still a couple of months away, and the following NCAA basketball betting guide discusses about five teams we think will be on top of the polls when they’re released.

Kentucky

The Wildcats pulled out another amazing recruiting class, led by guard Brandon Knight, who could be the next great guard molded by coach John Calipari. However, like last year, will inexperience doom the Wildcats when it gets down to crunch time?

Duke

The defending champions received a boost when Kyle Singler said he would come back for his senior year to lead a deep Duke team, as well as boost his chances in the draft next year.

Michigan State

Did you expect a Tom Izzo-coached team to fall off? The Spartans will again be one of the toughest teams in the country, but the pressure is on guard Kalin Lucas to stay healthy. When he is out, the Spartans are robbed of their best offensive weapon.

Syracuse

The Orangemen were insanely deep last year, which is good as they lost a lot of players from last year. Look for forward Kris Joseph, who was overshadowed last year, to break out.

Kansas

The Jayhawks were another deep team with a couple of players that were in the shadows last year. Tyshawn Taylor complained about not getting enough touches this year, but he’ll have all he wants and more in 2010. If he can prove that he’s a legitimate No.1 option, the Jayhawks will be near the top of most betting lists this year.