Anyway, we are on full-time bubble watch now, as Championship week plow ahead in the heart of March Madness. This is the best time of year for NCAA fans, as the anticipation and the hype often are just as exciting as the games themselves.

Starting with the Big 12, where we could see seven teams get into the tournament. Missouri showed again it can’t win the games that matter, and they’re at the bottom of that list. Mizzou will get in, but they honestly should be a bubble team the way they’ve played. Texas, as well, is looking up at a crowded powerhouse of Big 12 teams, lead by Kansas and Kansas State. As for the conference championship, could K-State be out to prove their better than last weekend’s OT loss? Definitely, but that doesn’t mean the Jayhawks are in trouble. You can bet they’ll win and secure a No. 1 tournament seed – probably THE No. 1 seed.

In the Big 10, Illinois especially is at risk of missing out. But Illini fans know that story, they hear it every year. Minnesota, too, is bubbling here. Purdue, Wisconsin, MSU and OSU are the ones getting in. Come tournament time, though, I wouldn’t bet on any of them, even Purdue. But I’d probably take my chances on Illinois losing in the first round even if they do make it in. They are an inconsistent club on both sides of the court, and have shown nothing but erratic play that lacks true leadership all year.

And how about the usually untouchable ACC? Only Georgia Tech is on the bubble here. And with an RPI of 44, they really need some help to make it in. The conference that can do no wrong is probably looking at a half dozen teams representing in the tournament, including – now don’t be shocked – Duke. Speaking of which, be careful how quickly you jump on the Duke train again this year. Everybody knows they tend to disappoint when it matters, and if you think Jon Scheyer is leading this team to the Final Four, well, I’m not in the business of betting on the live or die by 3 teams, but that’s just me.

As I type this, the Cavs are getting crushed by the lowly Pistons. Not a good sign for them. Yeah, every team has down nights, but it looks like it might take them a while to adjust to Shaq’s absence. I could make a recommendation on the line of their next game, but the best advice is to steer clear of them altogether. They’re too unpredictable right now.

I’ll give you an underdog upset game coming up on Sunday, instead. Hawks at Knicks. Normally, I hate the Knicks chances, but I see a spark in them, and yes, it’s coming from McGrady’s direction. Wouldn’t that be crazy if this guy is the glue that brings the team together into something resembling a contender again? Lord knows, whenever that happens to any team, somehow Pat Riley gets the credit for it.

The Hawks play much stronger defense than the Knicks, holding teams to about 8 fewer points per game. They’ve won 2 of their last 3 road games, and have a convincing record at the moment.

Still going with the Knicks? Yup. Even without McGrady, they’ve topped 100 points 4 out of their last 5 games. They’re in an offensive groove, and I think that will win out at home over the Hawks defense, which will be playing its second road game in a row.

Hawks will get a 4 point line, but I’m sticking with my upset pick and saying the Knicks will win.

What exactly did they do to get there? Beat the No. 8 team? That’s a nice achievement, but hardly worth leapfrogging over both Kansas and Kentucky. So ‘Cuse is going on to play St. Johns and Louisville, both at home. Both games they should win handily, so I don’t seeing Kansas regaining the top spot at this point unless Syracuse blows another game.

Why not? Because that’s how these predictable polls work, and they’re almost getting to be as useless as the BCS in my opinion. And I certainly don’t go by what the AP or USA Today say when deciding how I’m going to approach my sports wagers for the week.

And trust me, I’m not a Kansas fan. But that’s a raw deal. OSU beat them for one half – one half – of a game. Admittedly, OSU – while above average – is far from a great team, and is barely above .500 in conference play.

If I were a gambling man (and I am), I’d wager Kansas is going to be out for revenge and set to prove they are the best team in the nation. Who knows, if they happen to lose one more game – perhaps when the Big 12 Conference tournament rolls around – will that cost them a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament?

The Jayhawks have back to back rival games against K State and Mizzou. Both teams are good, but the Kansas State game on Wednesday should be full of lightning. KU at home will be favored by 4, and it’ll be damn close. I’ll pick Kansas to cover by a hair.

The Lakers are 43-15, 6-4 in their last 10, and just kinda going through the motions right now. Michael Jordan always said for great teams, February was the “dog days” of the NBA season, so maybe that’s all it is. But if they can’t get jazzed up for a visit by fellow Western powerhouse Denver, that’s a whole different story. Denver score and gives up about 5 more points than the Lakers. I’m actually surprised at this point the Lakers still give up 96 points a game, as Artest’s addition was billed as just as much a defensive stopper as an offensive boost. With their 38-19 record, Denver still has its sights set on that No. 1 seed, and something tells me they’re going to bring some intense emotion to this road contest. And they might even pull off the upset. LA will get about a 4-point line, but I’d take a chance on Denver upsetting.

Miami, preparing to just get through this .500 season and then figure out what to do once Wade bolts, heads to my current No. 1 team in the East – Orlando. If this game were in Miami, I’d actually think about recommending the upset, as the Magic are a disappointing 17-13 away from home. But they’re 22-6 at home, and although Miami will make the playoffs, the Heat really have nothing to play for. They’re a lame duck team if I’ve ever seen one. The Magic will get a nice line, probably 8-9 points, and I think this one will be a blowout. Both teams hold opponents to 95 points, and I think they’ll come through and we’ll see a lower-scoring game, maybe a 94-82 type finish. Bet the Magic and the under.

This wildly popular track is 1.5 miles of speed, speed, speed. And here are my predictions. Tony Stewart makes his first statement of the season and finishes in the top 3. He’s run fine in both races so far, just in the middle of the pack, and currently sits at 17th in the early season standings. Him and Jeff Gordon love the speed tracks, and I expect both to stay in the hunt barring car trouble. They both have good cars that just need a little room to breath here.

I’d also keep an eye on Kurt Busch, and bet him in a one-on-one matchup with guys like Earnhardt or Burton in this one. He’s another guy who’s just not going to be kept down for long, and all the big names want to establish themselves as early as possible. It’s not really as easy to climb the points ladder as Jimmie made in look in 2009.

The Las Vegas track can get a little messy, so I’d be hesitant to throw all my eggs behind a single driver on a NASCAR odds long-shot, even if it is Jimmie, Dale or any of the other aforementioned speedsters. I feel safer, especially early on, taking a few smaller, targeted bets. That said, it never hurts to throw a long-shot in the mix for a moderate or small amount of money, just don’t bet the farm on Tony Stewart taking the checkered flag. One misplaced oil slick in the pit can take 3 seconds off someone’s time, which – as we all know – can be the difference between first and 20th.

Our powerhouse matchup is Cleveland at Orlando on Saturday. The Cavs have the best record in the East by a sizable margin these days, and Lebron and company are brimming with confidence. Of course, it was the same story last year until Orlando showed them all it takes is a lot of Dwight Howard to push through to the next round. And this year, a lot of Dwight Howard has a still-relevant Vince Carter to kick the ball around to from time to time. Think that’s not one of the top duo’s in the league? Think again. And Orlando is easily my pick right now to get back to the Finals, especially considering all of Boston’s age and health problems. (Yes, age is a problem). Cleveland suffers the same issue I had with them last year – a lack of depth. A big lack of depth. Orlando will be favored by 4 or so as the home team, and while I think this is going to be a very close matchup, they usually open up at the end in garbage time. I’m giving the edge to the Magic to cover.

The almost-rans pit Miami at Dallas. Too harsh to call Dallas an also-ran? Doubtful, since they play in the same conference as LA and Denver. What a great Western Conference finals that’ll be this year (bet on it). Miami, stuck in neutral as a .500 team, has to not only watch themselves slide down the ladder of Eastern teams each year, but watch most of the moves during the trade deadline being made to free up cap room so they can take a stab at stealing away Wade during the off-season. That’ll rattle your confidence, especially on the road, and it wouldn’t surprise me if things went downhill fast now that the All-Star break and trade deadline are over. Dallas hasn’t been on much of a roll lately, but they do still average 101 points per game. According to the latest NBA odds, Dallas will be favored by 7 or 8, and I’d bet them to cover.

And the Cubs teams (see ya’ next year) has Sacramento at the Clippers. In this one, you want to watch for…ah, who we kidding? Nobody cares about this game. Little fun fact, these teams are 3-17 combined in their last 20 games. Losing teams are the most unpredictable. Save your money for a better matchup.

The Big 10 is an intriguing conference right now, with a logjam of “pretty good” teams vying for first place. And only a game separates Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois and Wisconsin in conference record. Ohio State hosts Purdue on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. With both teams on a roll (Purdue has won 7 in a row, Buckeyes have won 6), and both teams right at 74 points per game, you have to start digging into other statistics here. OSU is 15-0 at home, and although Purdue is a very respectable 5-2 on the road, that’s a tough thing to walk into. If Ohio State’s defense can keep Moore below 14 points, they’ll have a good chance to cover the spread, which should be in their favor by 3 or 4 points. If it’s there, I’d bet Ohio State to cover on the strength of their home record and the fact that they kept the last 3 teams they played under 60. And let’s not forget the last time these two met in January – in Purdue – OSU won by 4.

Another Wednesday NCAA basketball betting matchup pits free-falling Texas against equally unimpressive Missouri in Columbia. Surprisingly enough, both these teams share the same 6-4 conference record. What’s not surprising is that Mizzou might actually be favored in this one. MU is 18-7 overall, but they just lost to Baylor, and are starting to thing they’re on the wrong side of the bubble if they don’t make a few convincing statements in the last few weeks here. I don’t see anybody getting through KU in the Big 12 tournament, so it’s do or die. Texas, once thought of as the top team in the country, has it’s own demons these days, but it’s mostly about positioning once the tournament rolls around. In the end, the oddsmakers don’t trust Missouri and their sporatic offense, and Texas will be favored by 4 or 5 points, and likely cover.

As expected, Kyle Busch (8:1), Tony Stewart (15:2 – the favorite), Jeff Gordon (8:1) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (9:1) are the only ones with better than 10:1 odds in the field to take the checkered flag. Jimmie Johnson follows just behind to round out the top 5 at 10:1 odds. Of this group, Earnhardt had the highest qualifying speed at 190.9 mph, trailing only Mark Martin, who was about 0.2 mph faster. Busch and Johnson came in at sixth and seventh, but closer to 190.

So we know Earnhardt’s car is up to the task, and we know he knows how to win. But is he worth betting on this early in the season? Maybe not straight up – as it’s a huge gamble in February to take a straight bet on any driver unless you’re hedging it with a field bet and/or a few one-on-one NASCAR betting matchups. If I were going to lay down a straight bet, though, it’d be on him or Stewart (21st in qualifying times), as they’ve both shown stability in practices and have the hunger to position themselves high early – especially Stewart.

Mark Martin deserves mention, as well, as he matches Johnson as a 10:1 shot to win the race, and deserves heavy consideration as a one-on-one favorite against perhaps anyone besides Gordon, Stewart and Earnhardt. Likewise, I’d take Johnson in a one-on-one against everyone but those three, too. In a one-on-one Martin vs. Stewart, I lean toward Martin on the strength of his qualifying time and stability of his practice runs. But both drivers are solid veterans who know how to win.

Gordon, Johnson’s teammate, is a nice outside risk to win outright. He’s tired of looking up to Johnson and still has all the talent to win this race, one he typically has performed well at.

We should start at the top, since the Yankees are going to be at the top again this year, too, if not among the top. The Yanks are a slim 2:1 to repeat in the AL and 3:1 to repeat as champions. And I can’t say I’d bet against them right now. What’s essentially the same team (minus Johnny Damon plus Curtis Granderson) is not just stock full of stars, but they have incredible depth, discipline and pitching to push right to the top from day 1. It’s another year to not be part of the AL East.

Last year’s surprise success and then major disappointment St. Louis Cardinals drop to a 15/4 favorite to win the NL, and an 8:1 favorite to win the title this year. And I think they’ll be back, those are both strong bets. I don’t know what happened to them in the playoffs, but they’ll be back. There’s too much talent to dismiss this team. Forget about McGwire and all his garbage, the team built around Pujols at the bat and a Wainright, Carpenter, Penny, Lohse rotation just needs to learn from their mistakes. Don’t you make a mistake and miss an opportunity to bet them while the odds will pay you nicely. I just have a feeling the money lines to start the season will be cautiously punishing to them, but you shouldn’t be swayed. Especially since they open against Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Houston.

And here’s a quick run through of the other top baseball teams and where they’re currently at in the futures. To win the title, Boston is a 13:2, Philly’s at 13:2, as well. Two teams who know what it takes to win but still seem to be missing that big piece or two. And the Angels, a team whose window seems to be closing quickly, is a little further away at 17:2. The Dodgers are 9:1 and Tampa Bay (fluke) is 11:1. Of that group, I could only see myself betting on Philly at the moment. But LA is a team that can run the table if they get hot at the right time, even steamroll through the Yankees.

First up, the Heat bring their 24-26 record to the nearly identical 23-24 Bulls’ arena. Chicago has been on a tear the last few weeks, shedding long-standing fears this season that the show we all saw during the playoffs last year was a distant memory. And you can expect the Bulls to be favored by 4 or 5 in this game. Everyone loves Derrick Rose now (for good reason), but I’ll give you two good reasons why you should consider betting the Heat, Rose being one of them. He can’t keep up the pace for much longer despite his talent and his youth. Even Jordan had off nights. Compound that with my second reason of Noah being shut down until after the all-star break, and you’ll start to question whether the Bulls are really the favorite here. Unless Rose puts up 30, where is the rest of the scoring going to come from? Somebody might step up, but there’s no Ben Gordon to offer a consistent second option this year. Plus, the rebounding will suffer with Noah on the bench, so the offense will have to work that much harder, and make the most of every possession, to pull out a victory that covers the spread. Bet the Heat.

The big-ticket weekend basketball matchup is the battle of #2 at #3, Orlando at Boston, two teams that know themselves quite well. And, not surprisingly, Boston is hurting. Taking this into account, as well as Orlando’s 33-16 record, winners of 7 of their last 8, the Magic should enjoy at 5 to 6 point spread in their favor in this one, even on the road. Now let’s go one of two ways here. If Pierce returns, which is the rumor right now, for this game, you can expect an electric atmosphere in Boston. For a team that’s been through so much this year, they know they need to gel soon or risk being left out in the later rounds of the playoffs (not having home court can be a killer for most teams, even when healthy). Rondo and Garnett have been carrying the load anyway, and Ray Allen is always a deep threat. It might sound weird, but I think the Magic might be taking this game for granted. They no doubt have a ton of confidence right now, and can see themselves coming out of the east, so they figure the game against a Boston team that won’t be 100% even if Pierce hobbles onto the court might just be in the bag. And in my opinion, they’d be wrong. The Celtics will fight hard in this one and pull off an upset. Bet them to win.