NCAAB Betting – Buckeyes Rebound With Big Win Over Spartans But Questions Remain

Three nights after falling to Wisconsin 71-67 for their first defeat of the online sports betting season, the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes blasted the Michigan State Spartans 71-61 to pick up from right where they left off before their 24-game winning streak came to a sudden halt. While it will take a couple of more days to figure out just how significant the win was, and see if the Buckeyes can parlay that result, Ohio State’s victory was big for a couple of reasons.

William Buford led four Buckeyes’ scorers that finished with double-digit point totals, scoring 23 points in the victory. Although it doesn’t make up for the loss to the Badgers, the win is significant because it gets Ohio State back on track and keeps them as one of just two teams in the nation that have only one loss. The Buckeyes have now won 19 straight home games, and the argument will once again come up about just how good this team is. While Buford decided to take the spotlight for a change, leading pay per head scorer Jared Sullinger scored 11 points on just 3-of-8 shooting, a concern for the coaching staff. While the positive is that he didn’t need to be the team’s best player, Ohio State will only go so far unless he can come up with a better performance on a more consistent basis. David Lighty and Jon Diebler also finished in double digits for the Buckeyes, with Diebler’s two three-point shots tying him with Shawn Respert for the second most in Big Ten history at 331. The record is 332, which was set by Pete Lisicky of Penn State.

While Sullinger struggled, the team did a lot of things right and that should make an impact when the votes are tallied after next week. While the No. 3 Texas Longhorns have already garnered recognition ahead of the Buckeyes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, there has to be an issue of whether they and the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks deserve to be seeded so high. The Jayhawks have already garnered concern after falling to the unranked Kansas State Wildcats on the same day that they were awarded with the top sports betting bonus position in the country, and that will be weighed in when the rankings are updated next weekend.

Still, there are big NCAA basketball betting question marks about whether or not the Buckeyes are the team that deserves that top spot. There is still the No. 4 Pittsburgh Panthers and the No. 5 and reigning national champion Duke Blue Devils that will also get consideration. All five teams have earned the right to have arguments made in their favor for the upcoming March Madness tournament, which is right around the corner. However, the question remains about just where the Buckeyes should stand right now, and where they will finish when it is all said and done.

NHL Betting Preview for Tuesday February 15, 2011: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Sports Betting Overview

Even people that are only involved in NCAA basketball betting are trying to figure out how the Philadelphia Flyers got shut out at home by the Los Angeles Kings over the weekend. As the NHL trade deadline approaches, it is doubtful that the Flyers will be buyers or sellers in the open market. But the betting services are thinking that the shut out loss to the Kings will be more of a wake-up call for Philadelphia than a foreshadowing of bad things to come.

The last time the Tampa Bay Lightning stepped on the ice, they won a very important divisional game over the Carolina Hurricanes. But that was three days ago. Sustaining momentum can be difficult with more than a day or two off in between games. The Lightning trail the Flyers by four points in the Eastern Conference standings, and this game can go a long way to helping to determine who will take the top spot as the playoffs get closer.

Philadelphia Flyers

The only thing the Flyer have to worry about when it comes to the shut out loss to the Kings is that the Kings were really on a roll and the Flyers could not stop them. It is the same problem the Flyers has in the playoffs last year. The Chicago Blackhawks were really on a roll, and the Flyers could not stop them. But the Flyers know how important this game is, and they intend to put some space between themselves and the Lightning. Despite the loss to the Kings, the Flyers are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. Even more impressive is the fact that the Flyers are 17-6-3 on the road. The Flyers have a better road record than home record. A team that is that comfortable on the road has a very good shot at getting back on track in an opponent’s building.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are an extremely tough team at home. This season, Tampa Bay is 19-6-2 at home. The Lighting are also 3-0 this season against the Flyers, and the Lightning have been able to score against the Flyers while shutting the Philadelphia offense down. Tampa Bay is the one team that the Flyers do not want to play in the regular season or in the playoffs. As the trade deadline approaches, the Lightning are not looking to make any moves at all. That means that the Flyers may have to deal with this Tampa Bay team in the playoffs, and it could be Philly’s Achilles heel.

The Bottom Line

The Flyers need this game, but after getting shut out by the Kings the Flyers are vulnerable. They are especially vulnerable against a Tampa Bay team that just shut Philadelphia out two weeks ago. Flyers fans may have to accept the fact that the Lightning has their number and that this could be a big problem for the Flyers. The Lightning are coming off of an emotional win just a few days ago, and they will find a way to use that to their advantage against the best team in the Eastern Conference.

BSN Sports Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning