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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

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

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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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 10^th-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.

Senior Writer Vegas Matty previews Orlando Magic (45-26) at New York Knicks (35-35) from a beating the sportsbooks standpoint.

The Orlando Magic (45-26) and the New York Knicks (35-35) have both had to sort through chemistry issues after making blockbuster trades earlier this season, neither of which have worked out as well as they had hoped so far.  The Knicks in particular have struggled to a 7-9 record since acquiring Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups from Denver, and they will try to bounce back from a brutal loss on Wednesday when they host the Magic (-1.5).

To say New York has failed to reach expectations after finally landing Anthony would be a major understatement.  The team has dropped six of its last seven games both straight-up and against the spread, slipping into the seventh playoff spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

No game might summarize the struggles of the Knicks better than Monday’s 96-86 home loss to Boston.  They led 51-37 at halftime but only scored 35 points in the second half while allowing the Celtics to score the last 10 points of the game.

Anthony finished with 22 points and five rebounds but also needed stitches to repair a laceration near his left eye after Boston’s Rajon Rondo inadvertently struck him with his elbow.  He is expected to play against the Magic but has also had a very difficult time closing games lately, scoring a combined 11 points on 2 of 12 shooting in the fourth quarter during the team’s three-game losing streak.

Defense could be the difference again when New York faces an Orlando team that has surrendered an average of just 94.2 points in its last five games.  The UNDER has cashed in four of those games for the Magic, who are riding a three-game winning streak but have gone only 1-8 ATS in their last nine games.  They are coming off a 97-86 victory at Cleveland on Monday, falling just short of covering the 12-point spread.

Orlando All-Star center Dwight Howard continued his strong play with a game-high 28 points and 18 rebounds against the Cavaliers.  Howard has grabbed at least 15 boards in seven straight games since a controversial suspension that led head coach Stan Van Gundy to challenge NBA commissioner David Stern’s authority.

The Magic won the last meeting with the Knicks 116-110 on March 4, as Jameer Nelson scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.  Howard also had 30 points and 16 rebounds while Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire each scored 30 to lead New York.  Orlando has won the last five meetings between the teams, going 4-1 ATS with the OVER cashing each time.

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The Sweet 16 college basketball betting preview rages on with the two late games on Thursday, courtesy of your favorite sports betting blog.

(5) Arizona Wildcats vs (1) Duke Blue Devils

Thursday, March 24, 9:45 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Duke -8.5

Duke is over the big scare it got from Michigan in the round of 32 – we think. We’ll find out when the Blue Devils face a team many sports betting sharps pegged as a popular sleeper entering the tournament: Arizona.

The Wildcats haven’t been perfect but they’ve been resilient and exciting. They opened with a comeback thriller over Memphis and ground out a win against Texas after that with a little help from the referees. Predictably, Derrick Williams has been the man. He’s had decent if inconsistent support from various Arizona role players so far.

As long as Duke is over its heebie-jeebies, it has to feel confident entering this matchup. Not only are Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler playing great as always, Kyrie Irving is rounding into form as he works his way back from a toe injury. If beating Arizona won’t be a challenge for No.1 seed Duke, covering the 8.5-point spread could be.

(8) Butler Bulldogs vs (4) Wisconsin Badgers

Thursday, March 24, 9:57 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Wisconsin -4.5

Butler is emerging as a popular Cinderella team this year. Thought it’s debatable whether any team with a recent national title game berth can qualify as a Cinderella.

Either way, Butler’s win over Pittsburgh to reach the Sweet 16 would’ve made Chris Webber proud. After Shelvin Mack’s bonehead foul appeared to seal the win for Pittsburgh. Nasir Robinson returned the favor on the final shot to hand Butler the win.

The Bulldogs can’t rely on strokes of luck like that forever, so they’ll need to play better and cut down on their fouls against Wisconsin. The fourth-seeded Badgers were expected to flop among many college basketball pundits but have done just the opposite, knocking off two very popular sleeper teams: Belmont and Kansas State.

Wisconsin’s smothering defense, which ranks fourth in the country, will put Mack and the Bulldogs to the test. The Badgers are also the country’s top free-throw shooting team and 33^rd in three-point percentage. They’re an outstanding 21 for 42 (50 per cent) from beyond the arc over their first two games of the NCAA Tournament. Jordan Taylor in particular has been an assassin, nailing seven of those 21 treys.

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a free winner Tuesday is on the Atlanta Hawks (+4) to Chicago.

Larry Drew’s Hawks have struggled of late and overall are a team somewhat in regression, as the East has gotten stronger with teams like the Bulls, Knicks and 76ers improving. Tonight they face one of those teams in Chicago as Derek Rose and the boys come to town with the best record in the entire conference but the visitors are also on a back-to-back and I think they are in a little trouble in this game.

A few weeks ago Atlanta was able to beat Chicago in a similar spot at Philips. Then da Bulls garnered a measure of revenge in a victory back in their barn. Now in revenge and back home I can see the fresher Hawks be competitive and get a potential outright in this thing. There is no doubt that Rose in sensational and deserving of the MVP at this point but the Hawks are still a capable squad at the very least with Horford, Johnson, Smith and Crawford and aren’t the team playing for the second straight night with travel.

Chicago has fired away on all cylinders this season and clearly is the superior team on the court right now in this game. But I’m not giving up hope on these Hawks as they still are 10 games above .500 and at home as a solid enough dog as the fresher team is the way to go.

Top expert pick on this game: Matt Rivers has the Atlanta Hawks.

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Senior Writer Vegas Matty previews Chicago Bulls (50-19) at Atlanta Hawks (40-30) from the standpoint of the spread bettor.

The Chicago Bulls (50-19) are charging hard toward the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race down the final stretch of the regular season and will be making a quick one-game stop in Atlanta on Tuesday to visit the Hawks (40-30).  The Bulls (-4) are coming off a 132-92 rout of Sacramento at home on Monday but lost in their last trip here, one of just two setbacks in their last 14 games overall.

Chicago blew a 19-point lead in that last game at Atlanta en route to an 83-80 loss but reeled off eight straight wins following that defeat, including a 94-76 home victory against the Hawks on March 11.  The winning streak ended with a 115-108 overtime loss at Indiana last Friday despite Derrick Rose’s 42 points.  The team has gone 6-1 against the spread in its last seven games.

Rose was finally able to get some rest in the blowout against the Kings, totaling 18 points and eight assists in a season-low 28 minutes.  He reportedly said he was feeling “beat up” after the loss to the Pacers but figures to continue to see heavy minutes.  A season-high eight Bulls scored in double figures against Sacramento, including Carlos Boozer, who scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in his first game back after missing the previous five with a sprained ankle.

Atlanta had dropped two straight and six of eight overall before beating Detroit 104-96 on Sunday.  Al Horford led six Hawks who scored in double figures with 18 points and also had a team-high 10 boards.  Horford scored a season-high 31 points and 16 rebounds in the last home meeting with Chicago but had just six and seven nine days later in the rematch.

With a 4-5 playoff matchup with Orlando pretty much set, Atlanta could possibly face the Bulls in the second round.  The Hawks are 4.5 games behind the Magic for the fourth spot in the East but also four games ahead of sixth-place Philadelphia.  They have failed to cover six of their last eight games and are just 13-21 ATS at home this season.

The Bulls have lost eight of the last 10 meetings with Atlanta, failing to cover seven of the past nine.  The UNDER has cashed in three of the last four meetings overall, but the OVER is 6-2 in the last eight games played between the teams in Atlanta.  The OVER has also cashed in two straight for Chicago overall and three of four for the Hawks.

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It’s a pro basketball side and a collegiate over/under. Get Rivers card for Tuesday.

If you saw this Sweet 16 coming in March Madness betting, go buy a lottery ticket. And start your own psychic hotline. With a tournament-record four double-digit seeds making the cut, it’s the strangest Sweet 16 we’ve ever seen. Let’s have a look at the first two betting matchups for Thursday.

(3) Connecticut Huskies vs (2) San Diego State Aztecs

Thursday, March 24, 7:15 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Connecticut -1

While UConn is obviously the bigger “name” in this matchup, coming out of the Big East, some sports betting sharps are surprised to see the Huskies in the Sweet 16. I for one thought they’d be too tired after winning five games in five days during the Big East tourney. But, low and behold, UConn continued to look like a team on a mission over the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. It hammered popular sleeper pick Bucknell 81-52 and got by Cincinnati 69-58. Make that seven straight wins – and seven straight spreads beaten – for the nation’s hottest team.

Kemba Walker hasn’t slowed down yet. He dropped 33 on Cincinnati. But it will be interesting to see how the Huskies respond if the defensively sound San Diego State manages to bottle him up. The second-seeded Aztecs are riding their first two NCAA tourney wins in school history and, for the most part, their “D” was the key in stopping Northern Colorado and Temple.

For San Diego State to keep pace with Connecticut, however, it will need more than just defensive prowess. Guys like D.J. Gay have to break out of their slumps and start contributing.

(3) Brigham Young Cougars vs. (2) Florida Gators

Thursday, March 24, 7:27 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Florida -2.5

Jimmer Mania continues! BYU is picking up steam in the NCAA tourney. It had more trouble with Wofford in its opener(74-66) than it did with Gonzaga (89-67) in the round of 32. The one constant has, of course, been national leading scorer Jimmer Fredette. The guy can’t be stopped, it seems. Fredette opened his tourney with 32 and 34-point efforts and now has 30 or more in six of his last seven outings.

Florid has been somewhat under the radar as far as No. 2 seeds go. It got past UCSC and UCLA without much trouble and has won six of seven overall, going 6-1 ATS over that span. Erving Walker laid an egg in the SEC tournament against Kentucky but has bounced back strong in March Madness, dropping 18 points on UCSB and leading the charge with 21 against UCLA.

Interestingly enough, these two teams met a year ago in March Madness. The game was a 99-92 overtime barn burner, with Fredette’s 37 points being the difference maker for BYU.