I’ve picked 4 good winners on Thursday. The College Hoops action just gets better and better and better and Thursday’s action should be awesome. I am representing a handful of conferences here, the ACC, Big East, SEC, and the MWC to get solid coverage all around. Enjoy the picks!

Virginia Cavaliers (+5) @ Boston College Golden Eagles: The Cavs have struggled down the stretch, no doubt, but this team is underrated, and they are very well coached. That will be the main factor as the Cavs upset the Eagles in the ACC Tournament.

Georgetown  Hoyas @ Syracuse Orange (-5.5): The Hoyas have been up and down this year, but they are fully healthy now and are going to be a tough team to send home in the NCAA Tournament. However, the Hoyas played yesterday while the Orange just watched, that’s good enough for me to take the Orange.

TCU Horned Frogs @ BYU Cougars (-16.5): The Cougars won this battle on March 6th by 30 points as the Horned Frogs lost 77-107. TCU has lost 4 of their last 5 and they’re just 13-18 on the season. The Cougars are looking to improve their overall seed, and the more convincing their wins the better chance the move up the charts.

LSU Tigers (+12) @ Tennessee Volunteers: LSU always plays Tennessee tough, and the Volunteers have been really good at playing really mediocre against “lesser teams” this season. That’s a recipe for a double digit cover if I’ve ever seen one. Since 2006, this game has either gone to overtime or finished within 6. I’ll take the dogs.

NCAA Conference Tournament Picks: Thursday’s NCAA Picks originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 11, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. NBA Thursday Night on TNT & NCAA Hoops: Free Basketball Picks Denver Nuggets (+6) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (2-18: 8:00 PM...
2. Wednesday Basketball Picks: NBA and NCAA Games I have three solid games catching my attention in...
3. Free Basketball Picks for Tuesday: Big East Tournament & NBA Action I promised I’d throw some NBA games out with...

It’s not the Celtics and Cavaliers or the Lakers and Mavericks, but a couple young and exciting teams play a couple playoff bound clubs, and the hoops should be entertaining on TNT. The Bulls aren’t healthy, and they traded away some quality players for nothing at the break, so the only reason to watch them is Derrick Rose. The kid can play. The Magic are one of the East’s best, and they have been on their game lately. The late game will be full of buckets as the Blazers head to Golden State to play the Warriors. Any game in Golden State is entertaining, and this one should be no different.

Chicago Bulls @ Orlando Magic (3-11: 8:00 PM ET – TNT): The odds aren’t out late on Wednesday Night, so I’ll just have to give you a prediction for you to go by. The Bulls have given up 100 or more points in 8 straight games, losing 6 of those and their last 5 in a row. Those were all in Chicago, and now they head on the road where they are just 12-19 on the year. Oh, and Orlando is their destination. The Magic have just 6 home losses this season and are coming off 6 straight wins and playing their best team ball of the season. I’ll take the Magic over the Bulls, 106-92.

Portland Trailblazers @ Golden State Warriors (3-11: 10:30 PM ET – TNT): Again, there aren’t odds out for this game yet, so all I can do is give you a prediction and a reason, and you can decide based on that. The Warriors have played well against the spread, and despite their 17-46 record they’ve managed a 35-27-1 ATS record. But the Blazers are the better team, and lately they’ve played well against run and gun opponents, winning at Memphis and Toronto, and keeping up with Denver until late. The Warriors play their best ball at home, but the Blazers have been money on the road of late. I’ll take the Blazers over the Warriors, 110-97.

NBA on TNT Thursday Night Basketball: Free Picks & Previews originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 11, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. Free NBA Basketball Picks: Friday Night Games Alright, a couple NBA game intrigue me tonight, including...
2. NBA on ABC: Free NBA Basketball Picks and Previews The NBA isn’t chalked full of great games tomorrow,...
3. NBA on ESPN: Free Friday Night Basketball Predictions & Previews LA Lakers @ Charlotte Bobcats (+3.5) (3-5: 7:00 PM...

I have three solid games catching my attention in the basketball world tonight. It all starts this morning when the South Florida Bulls continue their best NCAA Tournament team impersonation when they play the Georgetown Hoyas. South Florida certainly has some big wins on their resume, but an upset over the Hoyas would be a big step toward post season basketball. The NBA game sandwiched between my two big college games sees the surprising New Orleans Hornets against the up and coming Thunder. The Hornets success without Chris Paul in the line-up is what’s surprising, while the maturity increase in Oklahoma has seen the old Sonics see playoffs in their future. Finally the action ends with Louisville hosting Cincinnati tonight as part of the Big East tournament. Neither of these teams are ranked, but both could easily beat any good team in the Nation, and I’ve been saying all year, Louisville is a very good and very underrated basketball team. Here are my picks.

NBA Basketball

New Orleans Hornets @ Oklahoma City Thunder (3-10: 8:00 PM ET): There still isn’t a line for the Hornets game, but I don’t think New Orleans covers. I’ll take the Thunder if they’re favored by anything less than 8, and I assume they will be. Darren Collison and the Hornets have been very tough since Chris Paul went down with an injury, but I think Oklahoma’s stout defense will cause too many turnovers for the Hornets to stay in this one. They won’t allow the Hornets to run, and they’ll have some very tough athletic advantages in key match-ups. I’ll take the Thunder.

NCAA Basketball

South Florida Bulls (+7.5) @ Georgetown Hoyas (3-10: 12:00 PM ET – ESPN): This one will be a close one. The Hoyas won’t out-big the Bulls, as South Florida has size and athleticism to compete with anyone. The Hoyas look like they are back to full strength, and that should help them here – but in a close game against a good South Florida team, I can’t help but take those 7.5 points.

Cincinnati Bearcats @ Louisville Cardinals (-6.5) (3-10: 9:00 PM ET – ESPN): It’s the Big East, where every team can make it happen, but I see Louisville winning this one by double digits. They won by 8 last time out, and didn’t play lights out. They should have some nice confidence after swatting down the Syracuse Orange last time out. Cincinnati lost 3 of their last 4, and they needed a 1 point win over Rutgers last night to advance to this game. I like the favroites here!

Wednesday Basketball Picks: NBA and NCAA Games originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 10, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. NBA and NCAA Basketball Picks November 17 2009 Here are some of my hoops picks from around...
2. NCAA Basketball Wednesday Night: Big East Free Picks Pittsburgh Panthers (+1) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6:00pm...
3. Wednesday Basketball Predictions: NCAA, NBA Previews & Picks Wednesday Basketball Picks – NCAA, NBA Previews & Picks:...

Obviously, the NFC West hasn’t gotten too much love in terms of their chances of winning. And I can’t blame the books, the oddsmakers, who in their right mind sees one of these teams reaching the Super Bowl in a stacked NFC? Saints, Eagles, Vikings, Cowboys, Giants, Falcons – none of these teams have a chance… Right?

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals (35-1)
San Francisco 49ers (40-1)
Seattle Seahawks (60-1)
St. Louis Rams (200-1)

Arizona Cardinals (35-1): There’s not much to like about the Cardinals right now. They are watching talent get shipped out, retiring, headed to free agency, and so on. They haven’t been great over the last few regular seasons, only to turn it on come playoff time – but without those mainstays, arguably their most important players on both sides of the ball (Dansby and Warner), and possibly trading Boldin, these Cardinals hardly look like the best bet in this division. So, even at 35-1, I would stay away.

San Francisco 49ers (40-1): I love the 49ers. They have a good young fiery coach, a tough nosed defense that is young and getting better, and a young quarterback that played pretty well last year. They don’t have a great offensive line, and I’m not sure they have much of an identity on offense, however, so they are a tough bet for me, even at 40-1. They have a chance to win this division, I’m just not sure that I trust Frank Gore to stay healthy, nor do I think he will be used properly. They have a chance, but not good enough for me to bet them.

Seattle Seahawks (60-1): The Seahawks were coached poorly last season. That’s the only way you can explain the way this very talented team played. They have an uncapped year a brand new coach that has been successful, and an owner that has been open with Pete Carol that money isn’t much of an issue, and that he wants to win now. They have a quarterback that has struggled, and an offensive line that has been bad enough to make any QB struggle. They have a defense that allowed a million big plays, despite obvious talent throughout. But this team has upside, no doubt about it. And with two draft picks in the first half of the first round this year, big pockets for free agency dollars, and a new outlook and coach – at 60-1, the Hawks are my favorite bet in the NFC West.

St. Louis Rams (200-1): The Rams are unlikely to win anything, but even I would put 5 bucks down on them to win – you never know, and they’ve been so involved in trade talks for pretty solid players that anything could happen. They have a good coach, i know that, and a defense that improved as the season moved forward. They need some parts, but a $5 bet gets me $1000 – that’s probably worth it to me.

Super Bowl XLV Odds: NFC West Teams originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 10, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. AFC West Odds to Win the Super Bowl: 2011 Super Bowl XLV Odds to Win Here are some of my thoughts on the new...
2. Super Bowl XLV Odds to Win: NFC East Preview & Betting Odds Here are some of my thoughts on the new...
3. Odds to win 2011 Super Bowl: AFC North Super Bowl XLV Odds Here are some of my thoughts on the new...

I promised I’d throw some NBA games out with my college picks this week, and that’s what I’m doing with the Celtics and Bucks on Tuesday Night. However, the game that I’m most interested in is the Red Storm/Huskies game in Round 1 of the Big East Tournament. For the Huskies, they have to do a lot in this tournament, maybe even win the thing, to get into the Big Dance. That’s a lot of pressure, but at least they have the talent to get it done. In the NBA, the Bucks are making a playoff run and they have some very unheralded players playing good basketball of late. The Celtics have won a few games in a row after really struggling – but this is a big one for both teams, and there’s a lot to like about the match-up.

St. John’s Red Storm @ Connecticut Huskies (-4) (2:00pm ET, 3-9 – ESPN2):  I’m sure it’s going to be a huge public favorite, but I have to take the Huskies here. St. John’s has nothing to lose, really, as nobody expects them to win, and they’ll have to take a roster sans enough talent to pull off 4 Big East games in a row, and win the Championship to dance. UConn might have to do the same, but this team was supposed to challenge for a Big East Title – and one thing that’s great about college basketball, even if you have a bad regular season, you almost always have a chance to challenge for a title. Look for UConn to get some big performances out of their stars and win this won by 10.

Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks (-1) (3-9: 8:00 PM ET): I like the Bucks. Nobody really knows them, most people don’t even realize that Jerry Stackhouse is on their team and playing good minutes for this unlikely playoff squad. Most don’t realize that Bogut is one of the more dominant big men in the league. Most don’t know that Carlos Delfino is doing it all at the small forward position, scoring, rebounding, assisting – everything. The only guy people seem to know is Brandon Jennings, and he’s struggled a bit since his hot start – but he’s starting to come around a bit too. This Bucks team could be dangerous. Especially for the Celtics. Boston is older and slower, and the Bucks are younger and faster. Boston is on a nice little run, but the Bucks should win at home – and I’m taking them -1.

Free Basketball Picks for Tuesday: Big East Tournament & NBA Action originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 9, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. NCAA Basketball Saturday on CBS: Big East Action Picks The Big East is full of great teams, so...
2. NCAA Basketball Wednesday Night: Big East Free Picks Pittsburgh Panthers (+1) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6:00pm...
3. Free NCAA and NBA Basketball Picks: Friday Night NCAA Hoops Picks: Morehead State Eagles (+21) @ Kentucky...

Here are some of my thoughts on the new “Odds to Win Super Bowl XLV”. I’m breaking it down into each division and dropping my thoughts over the next couple weeks. I hope you enjoy and get down with the breakdown.

NFC East
Dallas Cowboys (12-1)
New York Giants (24-1)
Philadelphia Eagles (16-1)
Washington Redskins (60-1)

This is almost the anti-NFC West. Where every team in the NFC West looks like a long shot, especially in the books, everybody (aside from the Redskins, who might very well have a very different look than last season) is being given a shot at Super Bowl glory. Three teams are better than 25-1 odds, and the Cowboys are close to a favorite to get to the Big Game.

Dallas Cowboys (12-1): There is a lot to like about Dallas. They don’t seem to be losing anybody of much significance, they have a big pocket to sign players that could improve the team, and they were one of the best teams in football going down the stretch last season – a season in which they got their first playoff win in some time. Did I mention Jerry Jones’ big pockets? Big. I like the Cowboys’ chances as much as anybody’s – but at 12-1, I’m thinking there’s a better bet in the NFC East.

New York Giants (24-1): Double the payback and still a very good team – meet the Giants. At 24-1, the Giants aren’t going to win you the lotto-type-money, but it’s still twice as much as Dallas. So much difference a year makes, huh? The Giants still have a solid offensive line, a good quarterback, and good defensive players. They will be healthy to start the season, and that means a good secondary – face it, this team is stacked with the same talent that had them in the Super Bowl a couple years ago. That, teamed with their solid odds makes them the best bet in this conference.

Philadelphia Eagles (16-1): The Eagles are a solid team, but they don’t have what it takes to go to the Super Bowl. I’d love to see them go, but they don’t have the offensive line or the defensive line to win when it matters most. Skill positions are solid, they have a solid secondary, they just need more push in the trenches, and without that, at 16-1, they are not worth a chance.

Washington Redskins (60-1): The Redskins are in a hurting spot on their lines as well, but at least their odds show that a little bit. They have talent on this team, no doubt about that, but I’m not sure the talent is good enough to work them into a Super Bowl through a coaching change, a philosophy change, a scheme change – there’s just so much that this team will be working through, learning, that even at 60-1, they are a tough chance to take.

Super Bowl XLV Odds to Win: NFC East Preview & Betting Odds originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 8, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. AFC East Super Bowl Odds to Win: 2010-2011 NFL Futures Bet Here are some of my thoughts on the new...
2. AFC West Odds to Win the Super Bowl: 2011 Super Bowl XLV Odds to Win Here are some of my thoughts on the new...
3. Odds to win 2011 Super Bowl: AFC North Super Bowl XLV Odds Here are some of my thoughts on the new...

The NBA isn’t chalked full of great games tomorrow, but a couple big ones come to mind. In one of the early games, this one showcased on NBC, the Lakers visit Orlando to play the Magic. LA has already had a bit of a tough time out East, needing OT to beat the Raptors (even without Chris Bosh) and getting throttled by the Bobcats. This was last season’s NBA Finals match-up, and it very well could be yet again. In the late game, two of the more talented teams out West go at it, and this could be an early playoff series. The Blazers have a couple great go-to guys, none better than Brandon Roy – and it will be interesting to see if he can keep up with Carmelo. Anthony is just coming off a great game after a bit of a slump – just in time for Sunday’s big game!

LA Lakers @ Orlando Magic (-2) (3-7: 2:30 PM ET – ABC): The Lakers had trouble with the Raptors then got smacked around by the Bobcats. They are struggling a bit lately, and being on the road is a tough place to get it back. They do have this guy, Kobe Bryant, and he could get them right back on track. But I like the Magic in this one. Orlando has more to lose here, playing at home, playing healthy and solid basketball of late – they should beat LA tomorrow and I’m thinking they do. I like them to cover.

Portland Trailblazers (+6) @ Denver Nuggets (3-7: 10:30 PM ET – ESPN): It’s hard to take Portland on the road, but that’s what I’m doing here. The road team in this match-up has won 5 of the last 6 and the Blazers are playing very good basketball. They have won 5 of their last 6 games, 4 of those wins came on the road. They have beaten up on teams lately. Denver has gotten some solid wins, but they’ve also lost some stinkers. I like Brandon Roy to have a big game for the Blazers.

NBA on ABC: Free NBA Basketball Picks and Previews originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 7, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. NBA on TNT Thursday Night Basketball: Free Picks & Previews It’s not the Celtics and Cavaliers or the Lakers...
2. NBA on ABC: Free NBA, NCAA Basketball Picks & Previews NBA Basketball Picks The first two NBA games of...
3. Sunday NBA Basketball on ABC, ESPN: Cavs Vs Magic, Jazz Vs Blazers Cleveland Cavaliers (+2) @ Orlando Magic (2-21: 1:00 PM...

North Carolina Tar Heels (+14.5) @ Duke Blue Devils: I’m taking Carolina for three reasons. 1 – The Blue Devils rely almost completely on their three point stroke to score points – any time that is the case, there’s a pretty good chance they don’t cover a 14.5 point spread. 2 – The Tar Heels may have played poorly this season, struggling often after a solid start, but they are a very long and athletic team, and a long defensive team makes it tough for 3-point shooting teams to get off easy shots, making it much easier to cover big spreads. 3 – This is North Carolina/Duke and the Tar Heels need something to hang their season’s hat on. They have been bad, didn’t even get close to meeting expectations, and moving right to next season is probably the best thing for this young team – but that means that they are playing their season in one game, and that is a huge motivational factor.

Also, despite rankings and success over the past decades of this epic rivalry, the level of seasonal success has rarely mattered when these two teams go head to head. It’s unlike any rivalry in sports, and because of that I’ll always take the big underdog in a situation like this.

Are the Blue Devils the much better team? You bet. But does the better team always win? Nope. In rivalry games, the upset chance grow even larger. I like the Heels to cover easily at Duke.

North Carolina Tar Heels @ Duke Blue Devils: Free Pick & Preview originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 6, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. Duke Blue Devils @ North Carolina Tar Heels Free Pick The Tar Heels can’t be this bad, can they?...
2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket vs Duke Blue Devils Pick Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-10) @ Duke Blue Devils...
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Duke Blue Devils: NCAA Prediction Please. This is the ACC where toward the final...

The Big East is full of great teams, so much so that solid teams that would be at the top of the charts in almost any league in the country are having a tough time plodding through their conference schedule and thus aren’t even ranked. A team like that is Louisville. The Cardinals have beaten some very good teams, and have played tight with some of the best in the land this season. They have a chance to put a big win on their resume as they build toward a higher seed. But Syracuse looks to hold tight to #1. In Villanova, the Wildcats host a Mountaineers team coming off a big win over Georgetown earlier this week. The Wildcats have struggled a bit, but could get right back on track with a win over the #8 team in the land. It’s getting tough in the Big East right now.

West Virginia Mountaineers @ Villanova Wildcats (-3) (12:00pm ET, 3-6 – CBS): The Mountaineers may have beaten up on the Hoyas last time out, but that was the last real “good” team they’ve beaten in just under a month. They were 3-3 after beating Pitt on February 2nd, with losses to each ranked team they played, and UConn, and wins over Cincinnati, Seton Hall, and Providence. The Wildcats have struggle of late as well, losing to Syracuse in a blowout, Pittsburgh, and UConn. The Cats won at WVU last time out – and I like them to win again here. Tough game to call, but I have to go with the home Cats.

Syracuse Orange (+1) @ Louisville Cardinals (2:00pm ET, 3-6 – ESPN): I like the Cardinals, I think they are more deserving of a ranking then most of the bottom 5 teams in the AP Top 25, but that doesn’t mean I think they are a favorite to beat the Orange. Syracuse plays damn well on the road, as they are currently undefeated playing away from home this season. Syracuse has everything you need to be successful, and I hardly think they’ll lose two in a row to Louisville. Last time out, the ‘Cuse couldn’t score, but a team like that going for redemption, I have to take them anywhere close to even.

NCAA Basketball Saturday on CBS: Big East Action Picks originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 6, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. NCAA Basketball Saturday: Free College Hoops Picks & Previews While the first three days of the week had...
2. NCAA Basketball Wednesday Night: Big East Free Picks Pittsburgh Panthers (+1) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6:00pm...
3. Wednesday Night NCAA Basketball: Big East and SEC Free Picks As some big Wednesday night games show themselves, I...

LA Lakers @ Charlotte Bobcats (+3.5) (3-5: 7:00 PM ET): The Lakers went ahead and lost in an overtime game last night, and now they have to go up against a Bobcats team that is usually pretty good at home. I say usually because the Cats have been in a little slump and have seemingly slipped from that sure thing playoff picture they were a part of. Now they still have plenty of opportunities to get to the post-season, they’ll just have to turn that ship back around to get it done.

The Lakers aren’t only coming off the 2nd of a back to back, but and overtime loss to boot – in a game where Kobe went for 39 and shot the ball very well. If the Bobcats are going to get a huge win, a statement win against a good team that could get them moving forward again, this is the time. I like them to win at home, making the Bobcats at +3.5 a pretty solid bet in my eyes.

Golden State Warriors @ Atlanta Hawks (-13) (3-5: 7:30 PM ET): The Warriors have been blasted by good Eastern Conference teams, and I don’t see a reason why that won’t happen in Atlanta on Friday Night. Atlanta can really run with the best of them, and they are very solid defensively as well. They are just efficient, something Golden State is not.

Now, the Warriors can come out hot as can be and stick with Atlanta, or anybody in the league for that matter – I mean, when they are hitting it, this team has no conscience. But chances of that happening are low, especially because the Hawks out-athlete the Warriors at almost every position and they are better basketball players to boot. 13 is a lot, but I have to run with the Hawks at home.

NBA on ESPN: Free Friday Night Basketball Predictions & Previews originally appeared on Lucky Lester Football Picks on March 5, 2010. Remember you can also Tweet This.

Related posts:

1. Friday Night NBA on ESPN: Free NBA Basketball Picks & Previews Friday Night’s Basketball action might not have a Celtics/Cavs...
2. NBA on TNT Thursday Night Basketball: Free Picks & Previews It’s not the Celtics and Cavaliers or the Lakers...
3. Free NCAA and NBA Basketball Picks: Friday Night NCAA Hoops Picks: Morehead State Eagles (+21) @ Kentucky...