Sports Betting Games to Bet on - Mar 17th Edition

by Bodog Sportsbook | Mar 17 2009

Welcome to March Madness. This is easily the busiest time of year for sports bettors; we have four college hoops tournaments to deal with, including an orgy of 32 first-round games at the Big Dance – plus Tuesday’s play-in game. And don’t forget about the World Baseball Classic and the playoff drives in both the NBA and NHL. We’re on top of it all as we break down this week’s Top 5 betting games, with a special nod to the city of Boston for St. Patrick’s Day. All times are Eastern, and the freshest betting lines are always available at sports.bodoglife.com.

1. NCAAB: Virginia Commonwealth vs. UCLA (Thursday, 9:50 p.m.)

We start with the game everyone’s talking about. You might remember the VCU Rams (24-9 SU, 14-15-1 ATS) from their stunning upset of Duke (-6) in the first round of the 2007 Tournament. The Rams also took Pittsburgh (-7.5) to overtime in the second round before bowing out. This year’s squad is getting seven points against the Bruins (25-8 SU, 16-15-1 ATS), who lost to USC in the Pac-10 tourney and are a step slower on defense than we’re used to, leaving the over at 21-11 on the season.

Bet on College Basketball at Bodog Sportsbook!

2. NBA: Miami at Boston (Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.)

Betting interest in the Celtics (50-17 SU, 34-33 ATS) has waned somewhat since Kevin Garnett was bounced from the lineup with a strained knee. And no wonder: The C’s are 6-5 SU and 3-8 ATS without the Big Ticket – which is fantastic if you’ve been fading the defending champions. The latest word on Garnett had him returning on Friday or Saturday, giving bettors at least one more chance to take advantage. Miami (36-30 SU, 30-34-2 ATS) has been overvalued all year – this is the Dwyane Wade Show and not much else – but the Heat are definitely a strong over pick at 37-28-1 on the season and 7-2 in their last nine.

Basketball Odds at Bodog Sports!

3. NCAAB: USC vs. Boston College (Friday, 7:20 p.m.)

There’s really not a lot to like about the Eagles (22-11 SU, 15-13 ATS), at least not yet. This is one of the least experienced teams in the Tournament, featuring four sophomores in the starting lineup and senior Tyrese Rice at the point. But the talent level is there, as evidenced in victories over North Carolina (-23) and Duke (-7.5). Nonetheless, the Trojans (21-12 SU, 17-14 ATS) are 2-point favorites and deservedly so despite having the higher seed. USC is superior on paper at both ends of the court, especially on defense. This game will bust millions of brackets.

March Madness Betting at Bodog!

4. NHL: New Jersey at Boston (Sunday, 3:00 p.m.)

Our tour through Beantown ends with Sunday’s national telecast on NBC, featuring the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings. The 45-17-9 Bruins are six points clear of the 45-20-3 Devils, but New Jersey has three games in hand, and this is also the hottest team in the NHL with seven wins out of eight following the return of Martin Brodeur (.922 save percentage) from a torn biceps tendon. Boston is just 3-5 this month, and top defenseman Dennis Wideman (44 points, plus-30) took a puck to the knee on Sunday. He’s considered day-to-day.

NHL Hockey Odds at Bodog Sports!

5. WBC: Japan at South Korea (Tuesday, 11:00 p.m.)

We’re into the “Qualifiers” in Round 2. Japan went 2-1 in Round 1, splitting a pair of games with South Korea, then blanked previously undefeated Cuba 6-0 to advance to this point. South Korea’s story is much the same: 2-1 in Round 1, followed by a convincing 8-2 drubbing of Mexico. The winner of Japan-South Korea will qualify for the semifinal round. Yu Darvish is scheduled to start for Japan; the 22-year-old whiz kid is the top pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball, and he was indeed all that and a bag of dried cuttlefish against China in a 4-0 victory. Hyun Jin Ryu’s turn in the Korean rotation is up next after a 9-0 win over Chinese Taipei in their WBC opener.

Honorable Mentions

NBA: N.Y. Knicks at Orlando (Saturday, 7:00 p.m.)
NCAAB: Morehead State vs. Alabama State (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.)
NHL: Dallas at Vancouver (Tuesday, 3:00 p.m.)
Soccer: Chelsea at Tottenham (Saturday, 10:05 a.m.)
WBC: Cuba at Mexico (Monday, 11:00 p.m.)