Cream Stays Near The Top

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/17/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Five different teams have graced college basketball's number one slot since Christmas, an incredible figure considering that there have been just eight polls released over that span of time.

If uncertainty at the top spot has been the norm, the predictability of the top five has rarely been questioned. From December 29 through February 16, only eight teams have had the honor of filling out those key positions.

Two of the four clubs - Connecticut and North Carolina - have not budged from the top five for a single week. Pittsburgh has been there seven of the eight weeks while the Oklahoma Sooners, who were ranked fourth the Monday after Christmas, are second in the poll.

The top four currently features those same clubs, an interesting twist since that quartet was ranked in the top four back on December 15.

I bring this up for one important reason. It has become very fashionable of late to look for a long shot with a realistic chance of winning the NCAA Tournament, such as Villanova, Butler, or even Missouri. Teams such as these could very well reach the Elite Eight and maybe even the Final Four, but it's unlikely any one of them will make it to the championship game.

Favorites were all the rage the last two seasons, and for good reason, as a pair of number ones (Kansas and Florida) came out on top. Not only that, all four number one seeds reached the final four last year, while 2007 saw two top-seeds and a pair of two's reach that plateau. Over the last five years, only one team (Florida in 2006) has won the tournament seeded worse than number two.

Despite chalk reigning supreme, it's still way too early to place any championship game bets. I know it's hard to resist but this time of the year should be spent on studying the strengths and weaknesses of the top teams instead of making future wagers. Try to watch as many games as possible from all different conferences and rank the favorites in order from one to eight. Don't forget to update any and all rankings on a week-to-week basis.

Most teams still have plenty of regular season games left, as well as conference tournaments, and lately, those postseason games have had extra importance. Eight of the last 10 NCAA finalists have won their league title, including all six championship game participants the last three years. Quite a contrast from the previous two seasons, when none of the four finalists had won their conference postseason title.

TEAMS TO STICK WITH

With such a large field, it's best not to get too caught up with odds, especially this early, since so many clubs will offer some type of value. In addition, many gamblers might think they'll be able to pick up higher payouts by placing their wagers earlier rather than later. It's true the odds may be juicier in February as opposed to March, but that's not always the case.

A perfect example came just last season when Kansas was 11-2 to win it all just 10 days prior to Selection Sunday. I'm sure those who wagered on the Jayhawks at that time were a tad annoyed when the odds jumped up to 5-1 immediately after the brackets were announced.

Since North Carolina, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Pittsburgh have been the best of the bunch the last couple of months, it's not surprising they are the top four favorites at this stage of the season.

The Tar Heels are the heavy choice at 5-2 with a huge gap before the Huskies' place on the list at 5-1. The 15-2 Sooners hold the third spot, while the Panthers are the only other club in single digits, at 8-1.

Recent history suggests that one of those four teams will be crowned champion on the first Monday in April, so the best advice I can give is to hold off as long as possible to secure the highest odds on the club you wish to back.

Wwwthegreek NCAA Basketball Betting News

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Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game

How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.

The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5).

Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries.

The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38).

Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.