Elite 8 NCAA Odds From Sportsbooks

The top sports betting site OffshoreInsiders.com has all the Elite 8 odds from the top sportsbooks for Saturday and Sunday’s NCAA Tournament games. Also get the NIT, CIT, and CBI point spreads for the remaining contests.

NCAA BASKETBALL – Saturday
513 Butler +3.5    1.980 2.620 OVER 132    1.926
01:30 PM 514 Florida -3.5    1.926 1.556 UNDER 132    1.926
515 Arizona +2.5    1.980 2.300 OVER 145    1.926
04:05 PM 516 Connecticut -2.5    1.926 1.694 UNDER 145    1.926
517 Iona -2.5    1.971 1.725 OVER 146    1.926
11:00 AM 518 E. Tennessee State +2.5    1.935 2.250 UNDER 146    1.926
NCAA BASKETBALL – Sunday
719 Kentucky -1.5    1.926 1.813 OVER 150    1.926
11:10 AM 720 North Carolina +1.5    1.980 2.110 UNDER 150    1.926
721 Va Commonwealth +10    2.000 6.340 OVER 144.5    1.926
01:55 PM 722 Kansas -10    1.909 1.154 UNDER 144.5    1.926
NCAA BASKETBALL – MONDAY
743 Oregon +4.5    1.952 OVER 140.5    1.990
05:00 PM 744 Creighton -4.5    1.952 UNDER 140.5    1.870
NCAA BASKETBALL – TUESDAY
759 Wichita State -2    1.943 1.752 OVER 141    1.926
04:00 PM 760 Washington State +2    1.962 2.200 UNDER 141    1.926
761 Alabama -1.5    1.909 1.781 OVER 142.5    1.926
06:25 PM 762 Colorado +1.5    2.000 2.160 UNDER 142.5    1.926

The best sports picks for March Madness are on the OffshoreInsiders.com Network.

Richmond vs. Kansas Betting Lines

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has an NCAA Tournament winner Friday is on Richmond (+10.5) versus Kansas.

Reasoning: Kansas is awesome and I’d be hard pressed to see them walking off of the court today as the loser but Richmond has been playing great ball for awhile now and with two future NBA players leading the way I’ll grab double digits and take my chances.

Bill Self’s Jayhawks are locked and loaded and the Morris brothers are a handful in the middle that cannot be fully contained. Those guys will get theirs for sure and Tyshawn Taylor, Brady Morningstar and the smaller players are more than competent themselves and should be able to wreak some havoc themselves. But this is a Sweet 16 game on a neutral setting and to be honest with you a good part of the crowd in Texas may even root against the rival Jayhawks and for Chris Mooney’s Cinderella Spiders.

Justin Harper and Kevin Anderson will both be in the Association in the near future and will hold their own today. Richmond is 27-7 this season and just raced through the A-12 tournament to a championship before taking care of business against Vanderbilt and Morehead State in the first few rounds of the Big Dance. Certainly the Commodores and Eagles are not the Jayhawks and I would not come close to acting as if they are but Mooney’s squad is not going to be intimidated and should provide enough competition to stay within this too large of a number.

Top expert pick on this game: Richmond from Matt Rivers.

For more information: Mr. March has an NCAA Tournament side and total, plus the top NBA side. It’s the single biggest Big Dance sides, total, and NBA side going tonight.

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NBA Point Spreads: Spurs vs. Blazers Betting Tips

Senior Writer Vegas Matty of OffshoreInsiders.com previews San Antonio Spurs (57-14) at Portland Trail Blazers (41-30). Portland is -3 with a total of 192 on NBA spread.

The San Antonio Spurs (57-14) do not have much to play for down the stretch of the NBA regular season, all but locking up the top seed in the Western Conference playoff race with the league’s best record.  The Spurs will also be playing without future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan for the third time in four games when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers (41-30) on Friday during the second stop of a three-game road trip.

Duncan is likely out the rest of the regular season with a sprained ankle, which means San Antonio will continue to be defensively challenged in the middle against opponents with a talented big man.  Portland is one of those teams with 6-foot-11 forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has averaged 18.8 points per game against the Spurs during his career.  Aldridge is also averaging a career-best 22.2 points per game this season and scored a career-high 40 points with 11 rebounds in the last meeting, resulting in a 99-86 home win.

The Trail Blazers have won the last five home meetings in the series and are 8-2 against the spread in the past 10 games between the teams overall.  They also bring a five-game home winning streak into this matchup both straight-up and ATS and have covered five in a row overall as well.  The team is coming off a 111-76 rout of Washington on Tuesday behind Gerald Wallace’s game-high 28 points, which is his best performance since joining Portland at the trade deadline.

San Antonio blew a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter on Wednesday at Denver en route to a disappointing 115-112 loss but still covered the 5.5-point spread.  The Spurs led by double digits at times and were playing their first game without Duncan due to injury after he rested two games earlier.  Rookie Gary Neal scored a career-high 25 points against the Nuggets while Manu Ginobili added 20.

Bettors might see another high-scoring game here despite the fact that the UNDER has cashed five times in the last six meetings.  The Blazers have scored 110 points or more in three of their last four games, topping the century mark in four of the past five.  San Antonio has totaled at least 108 points in six of its last eight games with the OVER going 5-3.  Two of the three games that went UNDER for the Spurs were due to the opposition being held to 96 points or less.

Top expert pick on today’s card: Monday, the Canadian Sports Crew nails the San Antonio Spurs as the NBA Best Bet of the Year. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday they sweep including the Connecticut Huskies destroying San Diego State as the NCAA Tournament Lock of the Year. Now get two more Sweet 16 winners including Kentucky-Ohio State as NCAA Tournament Lock of the Year, Part 2.

Just keep winning with the Sports Crew. Another winning card for the Sweet 16 is up.

Friday’s Sweet 16 Matchups

Our last installment of Sweet 16 games for March Madness betting Includes a David-versus-Goliath matchup and a battle of two teams we never expected to see this deep in the NCAA Tournament.

(4) Kentucky Wildcats vs (1) Ohio State Buckeyes

Friday, March 25, 9:45 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Ohio State -5.5

Kentucky versus Ohio State isn’t a David-versus-Goliath in terms of seeding, as Kentucky is clearly no slouch as a No. 4 seed. It’s more about the interesting youth-versus-experience dynamic.

Kentucky was supposed to regress after John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe left for the NBA. But its phenomenal freshman crop looks to be way ahead of schedule.

In Kentucky’s opening matchup, the young-gun trio of Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb was a bit lost, combining for just 19 points as the Wildcats edged Princeton. But Knight’s only two points came on the game-winning field goal and it was a sign of things to come.

Against West Virginia, Knight exploded for 30 points as the freshman trio jumped from 19 to 48 points. So the top-ranked team in the nation. Ohio State, obviously can’t sleep on these guys. If the Buckeyes early-tournament performance is any indication, though, that won’t be a problem. Ohio State crushed its first two opponents by an average of 30.5 points.

Can Kentucky stop Ohio State’s ridiculous three-point attack? It shot 50 per cent against Texas-San Antonio from beyond the arc and 61.5 per cent against George Mason. Of the teams’ 16 threes in that game, David Lighty nailed seven (on seven attempts). These guys look like a video game.

(11) VCU Rams vs (10) Florida State Seminoles

Friday, March 25, 9:57 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Florida State -3.5

A 10 versus 11 in the Sweet 16? Who knew? The craziest thing about this matchup is that neither VCU nor Florida State is playing like a Cinderella. They’re not draining breathtaking buzzer beaters to slay giants; they’re cruising.

VCU over Georgetown was a pretty popular sports betting upset pick; fair enough. But the Rams really turned heads when they dropped 94 points on a good Purdue team and won by 18. It looks like we have to take them seriously.

Same goes for FSU. The Seminoles made it look somewhat easy in dispatching another hot betting pick, Notre Dame. The most interesting story out of Florida State hasn’t simply been Chris Singleton’s return, but that the team hasn’t really needed him. He’s shown plenty of rust, playing 26 minutes and tallying only five points in the Seminoles’ two wins. If Singleton can find his legs, FSU could become very dangerous.

Arizona vs. Duke Sweet 16 Free Sports Service Pick

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has an NCAA Tournament free pick Thursday is on Arizona (+8.5) to Duke.

There is no doubting that Duke is a better basketball team than Arizona. That is an absolute hard-core fact. The Blue Devils have the potential to win the whole darn thing while the Wildcats are a squad that has somewhat overachieved and have the downside to get fully outclassed by 20 points tonight.

With the above said though and this game being on the west coast I’ll grab the number with a superstar in Derrick Williams and take my chances. I’m not all that impressed with the Pac-10 so Arizona did get through a poor conference but they still did get through it and still have a guy in Williams who can put the ‘Cats on his shoulders at any time. It won’t be easy against Coach K’s boys as this Duke team is really good but they also shriveled up a bit there against Michigan in that last game and are far from a perfect team, even with Kyrie Irving expected to get major minutes.

The game is being played in Anaheim which should be a little more of a comfortable setting for ‘Zona. I’m not exactly calling it a home court advantage as the Dookies always travel well but after just beating a quality Texas team and playing closer to home I’ll grab almost double digits and hope that Williams can be the stud that he is.

I don’t expect an outright but the Blue Devils are not a perfect team and therefore a competitive game is not outlandish in the slightest.

Top expert pick on this game: Arizona

For more information: I am hotter than the burning bush and hands down the best handicapper on this planet right now. Another monster burial last night with the 300,000* Pacers gutting out the 23 point victory as the underdog. Raising that bar today and going back to my bread and butter with a pair of college hoop winners. 400,000* Wisconsin-Butler plus a fourth straight 300,000* winner between UCONN and San Diego State. If you’re listening to anybody but yourself it better be me! Matt Rivers card is up now at OffshoreInsiders.com

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Hornets vs. Jazz Predictions Build March Madness Bankroll

Senior Writer Vegas Matty of OffshoreInsiders.com previews New Orleans Hornets (40-31) at Utah Jazz (36-36).

This Western Conference matchup between the New Orleans Hornets (40-31) and the Utah Jazz (36-36) simply will not be the same on Thursday since the home team’s former point guard Deron Williams was traded to New Jersey.  Williams and New Orleans point guard Chris Paul were both taken in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft, selected third and fourth, respectively.  Utah had won four of the previous five meetings in this unique personal rivalry between the players and was favored in each of them.  Without Williams, the Hornets (-1.5) are small road favorites.

The Jazz have been a mess since the blockbuster deal that sent Williams to the Nets for point guard Devin Harris and Derrick Favors, both of whom could miss this game due to injuries.  They are just 5-10 straight-up in their last 15 games without Williams – going 5-9-1 against the spread – and in danger of missing out on the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

Utah returns home after losing every game on a three-game road trip, capped by a 106-94 setback at Oklahoma City on Wednesday.  Earl Watson started for Harris (hamstring) and scored 10 points while Al Jefferson led the way with a game-high 32 points and 12 rebounds.  Former Butler star Gordon Hayward continued to struggle during his rookie year, scoring just seven points on 1 of 10 shooting off the bench.  The OVER has cashed in five of the team’s last six games.

While the Jazz dropped four games behind Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 10 games left to play, New Orleans is trying to avoid being passed by the Grizzlies for seventh place.  The Hornets are just a half-game ahead of Memphis and likely looking at a first-round playoff matchup with either San Antonio or the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers unless they can catch Portland or Denver for the fifth or sixth spot.

New Orleans has lost two of three both SU and ATS after winning four of five and covering five straight.  The team has been off since losing 89-85 at home to Boston on Saturday, when Paul had one of his worst games of the season.  He did not convert a field goal for the fourth time in his career and scored just four points to go along with a game-high 15 assists and seven rebounds after averaging nearly 29 points in the previous three games.  The UNDER is 10-3 in the last 13 games for the Hornets overall and 5-1 in the past six meetings with Utah.

Top expert pick on today’s card: Mr. March swept college plays the last two nights and Thursday is more of the same. Get the Wisconsin and Butler Wise Guy side, two NCAA totals Butler-Wisconsin and BYU-Florida, plus more may be coming. Get Rivers picks

Sweet 16 Odds NCAA Tournament 2011 March Madness

Sportsbooks have posted Sweet 16 odds. Of course the best picks for the Elite 8, Final 4 and Sweet 16 are at OffshoreInsiders.com

NCAA BASKETBALL – THU 3/24

805 BYU +3 -105 +140 OVER 149 -108
04:27 PM 806 Florida -3 -105 -155 UNDER 149 -108
807 Butler +4.5 +100 +187 OVER 124 -108
06:57 PM 808 Wisconsin -4.5 -110 -209 UNDER 124 -108
809 Connecticut -1 +100 -108 OVER 128.5 -108
04:15 PM 810 San Diego State +1 -110 -102 UNDER 128.5 -108
811 Arizona +8.5 -103 +385 OVER 147 -108
06:45 PM 812 Duke -8.5 -107 -450 UNDER 147 -108
NCAA BASKETBALL – FRI 3/25
877 Marquette +4.5 -107 +180 OVER 150 -108
04:15 PM 878 North Carolina -4.5 -103 -200 UNDER 150 -108
879 Kentucky +6 -110 +218 OVER 140 -108
06:45 PM 880 Ohio State -6 +100 -245 UNDER 140 -108
881 Richmond +10.5 +100 +569 OVER 136.5 -108
04:27 PM 882 Kansas -10.5 -110 -700 UNDER 136.5 -108
883 Va Commonwealth +3.5 -104 +155 OVER 131 -108
06:57 PM 884 Florida State -3.5 -106 -172 UNDER 131 -108

NBA Spread Picks; Elite Handicapper Builds Sweet 16 2011 Bankroll

While March Madness betting is at the top of everyone’s mind, plenty of money is to be made before the Sweet 16 odds. OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a Wednesday winner and it is on Golden State (+8.5) to Houston.

It’s tough to make a wholehearted case for the struggling 30-40 Warriors as they continue their Texas three step in the triangle after getting drilled in both Dallas and San Antonio but at this number that is exactly what I am going to do.

I’m not going to say that Houston isn’t the superior overall team that needs every win in order to have a shot at making the playoffs but after the injury to Yao and the departure of T-Mac and the trade of Aaron Brooks I am not all that afraid of this current version of the Rockets, I’m just not. The franchise has been held together a lot better than some others would have as having a record above .500 with all of the changes is to be applauded but I’m still not fully buying it.

The Rockets are making a push after winning four in a row and 11 of their last 14 games led by Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry and are a pretty good team right now. But through it all it very well may today’s visitors that are the more talented group. I’m not saying that talent is the end all but whenever I could get potentially the better starting five and almost a couple of handful of points I’ll take my chances.

Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, David Lee and Dorell Wright form almost as good of a foursome as there is in the game. Of course as the sub .500 record suggests there is more to it than just four guys but in this spot with at least a day off yesterday to regroup I will grab the points and take my chances from what is still a mediocre Houston team.

Top expert pick on this game: Golden State from Matt Rivers

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NCAA Tournament 2011 Sweet 16 Spread Vegas Previews

It’s the attack of the low seeds! Of the record four double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16, all four will play this Friday night. Let’s look at the first two March Madness betting matchups for that day.

(11)         Marquette Golden Eagles vs (2) North Carolina Tar Heels

Friday, March 25, 7:15 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: North Carolina -4.5

Of the low seeds to reach the Sweet 16, Marquette is perhaps the most under-the-radar. Maybe that’s because the Golden Eagles were dwarfed by all their high-profile Big East rivals entering the NCAA tournament. Low and behold, Marquette is one of just two Big East squads still alive. It hasn’t exactly been dominant, but it forced 31 turnovers against Xavier and Syracuse over its first two tourney games.

Marquette shouldn’t expect North Carolina to beat itself the same way. The Tar Heels are flying high so far in March Madness. Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes have dropped boatloads of points on the competition and Kendal Marshall has been the real catalyst. The guard has 24 assists in two games so far in the tourney and he’s done a phenomenal job taking care of the basketball.

North Carolina got a major scare against Washington in the round of 32. Does that mean the Tar Heels are on shaky ground against Marquette? Or will they be sharper with the nailbiter out of the way?

(12)         Richmond Spiders vs (1) Kansas Jayhawks

Friday, March 25, 7:27 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Kansas -10.5

Of the No. 1 seeds in the tournament, Kansas has arguably gone about its business the quietest so far. Pittsburgh is out, Duke got a scare, Ohio State has been flashy – but Kansas just cruised to two relatively easy victories in its first two games.

Not surprisingly, Marcus and Markieff Morris have been the focal points of the Jayhawks’ offense so far. Both guys have led the team in shots taken and points over the first two games and sports betting sharps should expect more of the same against Richmond.

Kansas can’t sleep on the Spiders, however. Richmond continues to impress, having won nine straight games and beaten nine straight spreads. It slipped past Vanderbilt in a close one and didn’t break a sweat against Morehead State in the round of 32.

If Richmond wants to make Kansas nervous, however, it needs to get its long-range shooting back on track. The Spiders are the country’s 10th-ranked three-point shooting team and it showed against Vandy when they went 12 of 24 from beyond the arc. Against Morehead State, however, Richmond was just 4 of 16 on three-point attempts.