Online March Madness Betting – Bulldogs Look To Quiet Red Storm

Online March Madness betting players have watched St. John’s emerge as one of the biggest surprises of the season, as they continually took down teams in the Big East, or anyone that visited Madison Square Garden. But the Red Storm will go to Denver for the Southeast region on Thursday, when they face Gonzaga, a deep team and a program who has been known for taking down the teams of the power conferences.

Gonzaga vs. St. John’s Betting – Thursday, 9:45 PM ET

The No.11 Bulldogs (24-9, 11-3 WCC) come into this game with a ton of momentum, winning nine in a row and claiming the WCC tournament as well. Gonzaga came into the season with high expectations, but suffered through a tough non-conference slate and a three-game losing streak in January. However, the Bulldogs are built for the postseason with players like Steven Gray, Robert Sacre, Elias Harris and Demetri Goodson, players who have been here before and won’t back down from a school from the Big East. Gonzaga is 11th in the country in field-goal percentage, 22nd in field-goal defense, and they’re an excellent free-throw shooting team, ranking 15th. MLB betting players know you have to be solid in the fundamentals, and Gonzaga is the poster child for that in college hoops.

The No.6 Red Storm (21-11, 11-6 Big East) fell against Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, but they’ve still won eight of their last 10 games. St. John’s have beaten some very good teams, due to playing in the Big East, but they haven’t fared as well when they’re not playing at home and in particular, at Madison Square Garden. Dwight Hardy leads a team loaded with seniors, and you could argue that Hardy has been the best player in the Big East over the second half of the conference schedule. But the numbers aren’t flattering for St. John’s (287% in three-point defense, 188th in rebound margin).

We’re betting 5dimes that this will be one of the toughest games of the first round for March Madness betting players to call, as Gonzaga is a dangerous 1-point underdog for St. John’s to draw. The Bulldogs beat St. John’s in the 2000 Tournament, then beat them in November 2001 at home while covering the spread both times. We’re giving Gonzaga the edge when it comes to crowd support as their campus in Spokane is much closer for their fans, and the Red Storm hasn’t been that great outside of New York. While St. John’s has a lot of seniors, the program hasn’t been to the Tournament since 2002, while the Bulldogs have players who are used to the pressure of the Big Dance, and that will be enough to power Gonzaga to a sports betting victory.

NHL Betting Preview for Tuesday March 15, 2011: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Buffalo Sabres

Sports Betting Overview

The Sabres honored the passing of former French Connection member and hockey legend Rick Martin with a win over the Ottawa Senators. But the win was more than an homage to a great player, it was extremely necessary for the Sabres to maintain their playoff status. As the March Madness betting begins, the Sabres sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. A loss in the first game of last weekend to the Toronto Maple Leafs threatened to derail the Sabres’ playoff hopes. But a strong sportsbook promo performance against the Senators helped to keep the Sabres locked into seventh place.

The Carolina Hurricanes keep dropping further and further in the NHL standings as the days go by. Right now, the Hurricanes are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and four points behind the eighth place New York Rangers. But the Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils are charging hard. The Hurricanes have been stumbling in the last couple of weeks, and they need to start picking up the pace if they want to stay in the playoff hunt.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are fighting more to keep seventh place in the conference than they are to catch the Montreal Canadiens and take over sixth place. The Sabres have 13 games left in the regular season, but they trail the Canadiens by seven points in the standings. The Canadiens are playing well and not giving the Sabres many chances to make up ground.

The Sabres are fending off the New York Rangers for that seventh spot. The Sabres and Rangers both have 76 points, but the Sabres have one more regulation win and that put them in seventh. In the last 10 games the Sabres are 6-2-2 with losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins clouding an otherwise impressive run. The team has responded to new owner Terry Pegula, and they hope to maintain their momentum going into the playoffs.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have a lot of problems. The team is 3-5-2 in the last 10 games, and that includes a 2-game losing streak. The teams that the Hurricanes are tangled with in the standings are all winning. The Hurricanes need to start putting some wins together or they will quickly find themselves looking up at the Devils, Thrashers, Leafs and Rangers.

The Hurricanes’ main problem is their defensive inability to clear the zone. The Carolina defense will often leave goaltender Cam Ward on his own in the defensive zone, and that has resulted in the Hurricanes giving up a lot of goals. A relaxed defensive approach in this game against the high-flying Sabres would be a huge mistake.

The Bottom Line

The Hurricanes lack the leadership and defensive toughness necessary to stand toe-to-toe against the Sabres. The Sabres are riding a wave of emotion and momentum so high that it is hard to say what team will be able to bring them down.

Gambling Advisor blog Pick: Buffalo Sabres