Tickets have already been punched to the NCAA Tournament, and now it’s time for the big boys (with no disrespect to top-ranked Gonzaga) to take center stage. But don’t forget about the NBA and the PGA Tour, with the former embarking on the stretch run to the playoffs and the latter building up to its biggest event of the season next month.

(Odds provided by Sportsbook.ag).

ACC Tournament

Duke (EVEN) – Since the return of Ryan Kelly, Duke has wins over then-No. 5 Miami, Virginia Tech (by 28 points), and North Carolina (by 16 points in the Dean Dome). The Blue Devils seem like a lock for a No. 1 seed and will likely be the No. 1 overall seed if they take care of business at the ACC Tournament. Coach K and company have won 10 of the last 14 installments, including the last three played in Greensboro.

Miami (FL) (+300) – Miami was the darling of the entire NCAA when it went on a 14-game winning streak, complete with a 27-point humiliation of Duke. The ‘Canes, however, have come crashing back to Earth. They lost three of their last five to end the regular season, including setbacks against Wake Forest and Georgia Tech (at home).

North Carolina (+500) – UNC finally started to play some ball, winning six in a row heading into its season finale against its arch rival. How will the Heels bounce back from last weekend’s disaster? Will they use it as motivation and regain their form of the previous weeks, or will they still be reeling? A possible rematch with Duke in the ACC semifinals looms large.

North Carolina State (+650) – N.C. State was supposed to be one of the best teams in the nation. Now, it does not even have a bye in its own conference tournament. The Wolfpack are kind of like the Lakers (although the low points have not been as low); despite underachieving, the talent is there to make a run when it matters most.

Big Ten Tournament

Indiana (+140) – Indiana has never won a Big Ten Tournament title. Heck, it has never even been to the final. But the regular-season champs are riding high after stunning Michigan with a furious last-minute comeback on Sunday. The Hoosiers have still lost two of their last four, but the big win will help their confidence heading into Chicago.

Ohio State (+400) – Speaking of confidence, the Buckeyes have won five in a row—a stretch that includes an eight-point victory over Michigan State and a nine-point defeat of Indiana. Ohio State has won two of the last three Big Ten Tournaments and three of the last six installments. This team is good enough that it may not even need an Evan Turner miracle to win another one.

Michigan (+450) – Like N.C. State, Michigan (which not only contended for the No. 1 ranking but even reached that zenith not long ago) does not even have a bye in its own conference tournament. That being said, perhaps an extra game—on Thursday against Penn State—will help erase the demons of the Wolverines’ meltdown against Indiana.

Michigan State (+500) – The Spartans missed out on the regular-season title when Indiana beat Michigan, but they have to like their draw in Chicago as the No. 3 seed. Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan are all on the opposite side of the bracket. MSU and OSU split their two regular-season meetings; a possible Big Ten semifinal would be the rubber match.

NBA Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder (+180) – The Thunder had won five in a row, but a disappointing 12-point loss at San Antonio on Monday is cause for concern. Russell Westbrook continues to jack up shots from all over everywhere, and that will have to change against the toughest competition.

San Antonio Spurs (+200) – Don’t underestimate the importance of San Antonio’s win over OKC. The Spurs are now two games up in the standings, and if they can snag home-court advantage, they will be an even tougher out in the playoffs. Coach Pop’s squad is 26-4 at home this season.

Los Angeles Clippers (+550) – The Clippers’ constant dunk-show (which includes DeAndre Jordan’s posterization of Brandon Knight) often makes us forget that they actually win games in the process. L.A. has won 10 of its last 13 as it clings to home-court advantage in the first round.
Los Angeles Lakers (+750) – All is not well in Lakerland quite yet, but things are improving rapidly. L.A. is tied for the eighth seed (although it does not have the tiebreaker with Utah) and is within 2.5 games of climbing as high as No. 6. Playoffs here we come.

PGA Tour Tampa Bay Championship

Adam Scott (+1200) – With Tiger taking a break until Bay Hill, this week’s event in Tampa is up for grabs. Don’t overlook Scott, who has two Top 10s in his last two stroke-play events—including last week at Doral. Scott fired a final-round 64, so he has to be feeling good about his game.

Sergio Garcia (+1200) – Garcia has maintained his fine form from last summer and fall with a second-place finish on the European Tour earlier this year and a third-place performance at Doral, where he fired three rounds in the 60s. He finished T-13 at this tournament in 2012.

Luke Donald (+1500) – Donald has not exactly been on fire this season, but he is the defending champ in Tampa (formerly known as the Transitions Championship). If he does not get caught looking ahead to the Masters (he is arguably the best player never to win a major), Donald should have a great chance here.

Matt Kuchar (+2000) – The Match Play champion already has three Top 10s in 2013. He turned in four solid-but-unspectacular rounds at Doral, but he should be ready to seriously contend again now that the match-play hangover has presumably worn off. Kuchar recorded a Top-10 finish last year in Tampa.

Read more articles by Ricky Dimon