2013 NCAA Championship Game Predictions: Michigan vs. Louisville
by Trevor Whenham - 4/7/2013

I was assigned an article to make 2013 NCAA Championship Game predictions. For a while I flirted with being objective — I really did. If you have read anything I have written over the last several years, though, you will know how obsessed I am with Michigan, and therefore how I couldn’t be even remotely objective if I tried. I mean, I have watched every game this team has played for years, and mostly it has been painful.

2013 Final Four Betting: Props Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/4/2013

Louisville? Yep, it was expected to be in the Final Four. The Cardinals were pre-tournament favorites with Indiana and now are overwhelming -140 favorites at Bovada to win the school's first National Championship since 1986. U of L has won 14 straight games and is pretty much kicking everyone's butt in that stretch. Only two wins have been by single digits. The closest? To fellow Final Four team Syracuse at the Carrier Dome on March 2.

Final Four Odds: How the Betting Public is Wagering
by Trevor Whenham - 4/4/2013

As a fan I couldn’t be happier with this Final Four. As a bettor, though, it’s also a very interesting couple of puzzles. On one hand, you have a game that is essentially a coin flip — either team could easily win depending upon whether they can exert their advantages. The other game isn’t quite as close, but it’s just as much of a coin flip because of the significant spread. You don’t have to work very hard to make a case for all four teams to cover the spread on Saturday. That’s what makes things interesting when it comes to handicapping.

Final Four Picks: Betting Odds and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/1/2013

I’ll start with the important stuff. My 2013 Final Four picks are simple — Louisville will meet Michigan on Monday night for all of the marbles. Louisville is too talented to make the mistakes that cost Ohio State and Gonzaga against this very good Wichita State team. Michigan’s offense is dialed in and ridiculously efficient, and they will find a way to score more on the Syracuse zone than the Orange can respond with.

2013 Final Four Handicapping: the Coaches
by Trevor Whenham - 4/1/2013

One constant in the Final Four seems to be that the coaches are always very impressive. You can’t fluke your way into a Final Four berth. It takes skill and preparation that most guys just aren’t capable of. It’s why guys like Coach K, Roy Williams, Boeheim, Pitino, Self, Calipari and others can get here far more than their share while other guys can have all sorts of talent but never make it. This year’s collection of Final Four coaches is as interesting and impressive as always. Let’s examine each of these guys to see if we can gain any insights for 2013 Final Four handicapping:

2013 Final Four Betting Trends
by Trevor Whenham - 4/1/2013

From a betting perspective, these are four pretty solid teams assembled for this year’s Final Four. All four teams delivered at least a small profit to bettors who backed them all season. That’s not the most common situation at this stage of the tournament.

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Handicapping: How Large Dogs have Fared
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/27/2013

Cinderella stories are usually the highlight of the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, looking at recent history, the Sweet 16 is usually when the clock strikes midnight and these mid-major “Cinderfellas” turn into pumpkins rather than Elite 8 contenders.

NCAA Tournament: Starting a New Bracket from Sweet 16
by Trevor Whenham - 3/26/2013

I don’t know about you, but my bracket is in rough shape. I still have my final game intact, but thanks to Georgetown, and especially New Mexico, I was done almost before the whole thing started. When things go badly there is only one thing you can do — change the rules and start again. With that in mind, here’s how I would break down the bracket starting from now:

Big Ten in the Sweet 16: Handicapping the Remaining Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 3/26/2013

The Big Ten badly needs to win the NCAA Tournament this year. They haven’t won it since 2000 when Michigan State cut down the nets, and even though — or perhaps because — they have lost in the Championship Game four times since, they really need to show that they are good enough to take it all down again. Since the last Big Ten win we’ve seen four different teams — Duke, North Carolina, UConn and Florida — win the title twice each. It’s getting downright embarrassing for the conference.

Sweet 16 Predictions: Best Underdogs Left in Field
by Indian Cowboy - 3/26/2013

The NCAA Tournament field is now dwindled down to the Sweet 16. The First week of the Big Dance came with its expected excitement as much as it did its unexpected upsets. Sent home were No 1 seed Gonzaga, No. 2 Georgetown and No. 3 New Mexico. Of the remaining teams left dancing, this article examines the best trio of sleeper schools that have found a way to win at the betting window all season long. Here is a look at the top three underdogs and their successful ATS records along with some Sweet 16 predictions.

Sweet 16 Handicapping: Examining the Unexpected Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 3/26/2013

If everything went according to expectations, the Sweet 16 each year would be made up of all of the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds. Of course, it almost never works out that way. Eleven of the 16 teams in the next round are Top-4 seeds like they are supposed to be. Arizona is technically an outsider, but as a No. 6 seed they are hardly unexpected. There are always a few interesting party crashers, though, and this year is certainly no exception.

Sweet 16 Predictions: Five Biggest Questions
by Trevor Whenham - 3/26/2013

As bettors get ready for the next wave of NCAA Tournament games, there are all sorts of questions that bettors need to find answers for. The more right answers, the more money you’ll have in your pocket by Sunday night. Here are five of the biggest questions to ponder along with some Sweet 16 predictions:

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Updated Odds and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 3/25/2013

The good news is that my two NCAA Tournament Championship Game selections are still around, Duke and Indiana. Other than that, my bracket is probably in as bad of shape as yours is. If you can honestly tell me with a straight face that you had picked Florida Gulf Coast to reach the Sweet 16, well, then you clearly have a family member on the team or some other blind rooting interest. The Eagles are the first No. 15 to reach this round. It also should be noted that not a single bracket in the ESPN Challenge has all 16 correct teams still standing.

Sweet 16 Betting: Ranking the Best Games
by Trevor Whenham - 3/25/2013

I don’t know about you, but after four great days of basketball I am suffering some serious withdrawal. Come Thursday, though, we’ll see the start of eight more glorious games. The Sweet 16 is always good, but as both a fan and a bettor I find this collection of games particularly compelling. Here is how I ranked the eight games in terms of their betting intrigue:

NCAA Tournament Handicapping: Updated Futures Odds Sweet 16
by Dave Schwab - 3/25/2013

It took the First Four, the Round of 64 and the Round of 32, but the original field of 68 teams for this season’s NCAA Tournament has been pared down to the Sweet 16. This year’s Big Dance has its fair share of top seeds left with only one No.1 and one No.2 sent packing, but there also a few Cinderella’s trying to hold off the stroke of midnight, which for the first time in tournament history includes a No.15 seed.

NCAA Tournament Wins Props and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/21/2013

I touched on the total number of wins for the Big Ten, the nation's best conference, in an earlier NCAA Tournament props story and recommended “over” 13. Now let's look at the prop options for the other power six conferences in the Big Dance:

NCAA Tournament Handicapping: Can No. 16 Beat No. 1?
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/21/2013

The popular thing to say last year was that 2012 was finally going to be the year a No. 16 seed would beat a No. 1 seed. Alas, the predictions did not come true. No. 1 seeds improved to 112-0 against No. 16 seeds, quite possibly the most consistent trend in the history of sports.

2013 NCAA Tournament Props Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 3/20/2013

It’s time to buckle down and enjoy the ride as -- in my opinion -- the next three weeks or so are the best of the betting year. You can have your NFL Playoffs, but I'll take the NCAA Tournament Major League Baseball futures props and Opening Day and then the Masters.

NCAA Tournament Handicapping: Tourney Champs in March Madness
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 3/20/2013

No two conference tournaments are the same, and that is a major reason why conference championships can either be a gift or a curse once it comes time for the NCAA Tournament. With some tournaments ending Saturday night before Selection Sunday, others ending on Selection Sunday and even others ending over a week before Selection Sunday, teams head to March Madness on different rest and with different momentum working for them or against them.

2013 March Madness Bracket Predictions: South Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/19/2013

If scoring, well-choreographed offense, three-point marksmanship, and artful individual performances are what piques your college basketball interests, then I would say to avert your eyes from the South Region. The South Region is stacked with some of the best defensive teams in the country. Kansas (No. 1), Georgetown (No. 4) and Florida (No. 6) are all in the Top 10 in the country in field goal defense.