March Madness picks are still foremost on the mind of sports handicappers but sharps are dominating the NBA.

Here is the sports bet preview of the Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Clippers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (13-54) have won the past nine meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers (26-43), but none of them were bigger than the last one on February 11.  In that game, the Cavaliers snapped their NBA-record 26-game losing streak at home with a 126-119 victory in overtime.  The Clippers will now try to end the series skid when the teams meet again on Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Since the last meeting, a few key players between the teams have switched sides, as LA dealt point guard Baron Davis to Cleveland for point guard Mo Williams and forward Jamario Moon just prior to the trade deadline.  Neither team has really benefited from the trade, as the Clippers are 5-6 since then and the Cavs are just 3-7.

Los Angeles is coming off a 104-94 home loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday in the first game back from a five-game road trip.  The Clips went 3-2 on the trip both straight-up against the spread and remain 11-3 ATS in their past 14 home games despite falling to the 76ers.

Randy Foye led LA against Philly with 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the field while star Blake Griffin struggled with his shot.  Griffin made just 3 of 12 from the field and 8 of 15 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points.  He scored a team-high 32 points in the last meeting with Cleveland but might be hitting the rookie wall, averaging 16.9 points on 40.2 percent shooting in the last seven games

The Cavaliers wrap up a three-game road trip in Los Angeles and have split the first two so far.  They beat Sacramento 97-93 on Wednesday as 9.5-point underdogs but proceeded to get blown out the following night at Portland, 111-70.  Ramon Sessions totaled a team-high 14 points against the Trail Blazers while Davis played less than 15 minutes and scored three off the bench.

This will be the first game back to LA for Davis, who underachieved in three seasons there.  He will not have leading scorer Antawn Jamison on his side due to a broken pinky and could be facing former teammate Eric Gordon, who has missed 24 of the last 26 games with a wrist injury.  Jamison scored a game-high 35 points in the last meeting.  The teams have split the last four meetings against the spread after Cleveland covered each of the previous five.

Top expert pick on today’s card: The winningest sports service off all-time, GodsTips has two more Wise Guy sides for the NCAA Tournament among four Big Dance winners. Get Duffy’s picks now

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a winning pick on Villanova (-1.5) to George Mason.

There is nobody on this planet who faded Jay Wright’s Wildcats more down the stretch than I did. I have no idea what happened to Villanova but they were absolutely putrid over the last month plus. This team couldn’t even compete no less win a game or cover one. It’s as if the ship completely sunk and the regression was something of the likes that I haven’t seen from a top 10 team in awhile.

With all of the above said and even with George Mason having the longest winning streak in the entire nation at one point this number is still a value on the squad from the Big East and in what really is a new season I’ll take my chances with ‘Nova.

I do like Jim Larranaga as a coach ever since the Final Four run a few seasons back and the 26-6 Patriots are a solid squad that should compete. I just feel though that after some time off the ‘Cats are will take a deep breath and play better ball. The talent is there as they are still a quality Big East team that should regroup and be able to beat what is a little brother type opponent from a smaller school in a smaller conference.

Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes are high quality ballers who should be able to do their thing and Yarou and Pena are also guys who will more than hold their own today. The confidence could be a little lacking from years’ past entering the Big Dance but Wright is a coach who should be able to get this train back on track and with the definite superior talent I will back the Wildcats and expect a win which should then entail a cover at this near pick price.

The best non-conference team that Cam Long and Mason have beaten this season may truly be in the opening game of the season against Harvard. The likes of George Washington, Liberty, Northern Iowa and Duquesne are alright but as long as Villanova is at little bit better than they have been, and I think they will be, I will gladly back the ‘Cats and deem this number a value.

Top expert pick on this game: Villanova from Matt Rivers

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OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has an NCAA Tournament spread pick Thursday is on West Virginia (-2.5) over Clemson.

Reasoning: This number is just wrong, very wrong. I will admit that Clemson has been playing some strong ball of late but Brad Brownell’s squad is still far from being an offensive force and just should not win this game. Demontez Stitt can score but truly the Tigers are somewhat offensively challenged and a few recent games won’t change my mind.

UAB turned out to be pretty much a dud in the game on Tuesday getting somewhat embarrassed but Clemson really is in a tough spot here having to travel and then play 36 or so hours later in an entirely different venue.

West Virginia isn’t great but they are pretty good and Bob Huggins is no doubt a high level coach that knows a thing or two about tournament basketball. The Mountaineers went 11-7 in the rugged Big East and finished the season with a 20-11 record. They are an experienced team that plays very well together and guys like Flowers, Mitchell, Mazzulla and Jones may not wow many people but as the more rested team and still the better overall squad I can’t help but view this number as way too cheap.

For some reason the oddsmaker has all of a sudden put a ton of stock into these Tigers. Clemson is still a school that is perennially weak away from Littlejohn Coliseum and after just playing I don’t see anything but at least a 6-8 point Mounty victory.

Top expert pick on this game: West Virginia

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True, the NCAA Tournament began on Tuesday with what many still regard as “play in” games.  However to most, March Madness really commences with the Big Dance Round of 64 Thursday.

Many of the nation’s best sports handicappers have big cards up already. We start with the best of them all. Mr. March is ready to continue the domination with seven Big Dance winners. Get four sides and three totals for Thursday from the greatest handicapper of all time.

GodsTips is 8-1 the last nine wise Guys and has winning days 11-of-14. Now go 7-0 with Thursday NCAA Tournament winners.

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OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a winner Wednesday is on Bethune Cookman (+21) to Virginia Tech.

I am not going to act as if I know the ins and outs of the Bethune Cookman basketball program but I can tell you that CJ Reed is a high quality player who was just named the player of the Year in the MEAC and this version of BC has played a few big boys this season so they should be prepared enough.

Virginia Tech is obviously the clear-cut superior team and will win this game but can Seth Greenberg’s team truly be motivated? Teams that get snubbed for the NCAA Tournament can either get angry and turn it up a notch or they can come with little emotion and just go through the motions. After just falling to Duke in the ACC Tournament I can’t help but only believe the latter is going to be a result here against little known Bethune Cookman. It’s just not a spot for Va. Tech to be all that fired up in and bury anybody.

Malcolm Delaney is awesome and should pour in at least 20 points and the Hokies may even build a big early lead thanks to sheer talent alone but playing hard for 40 minutes in the letdown of all letdown spots just seems a bit impossible to me.

Cookman did not have a big signature win and frankly didn’t fare too well against superior competition but they have at least dipped their toes in the sand by playing Akron, Central Florida, Baylor, Arizona and Santa Clara. They did not win any of the games but they did take the NCAA tournament bound Zips to overtime.

This thing is all about the Hokies being a little flat and if I am correct about that the line therefore seems a big too steep.

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The Miami Heat (46-21) are suddenly hot again and will test their mettle against a playoff-caliber opponent from the Western Conference for the fifth time in as many games when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-23) on Wednesday.  The Heat (-6.5) have won their last three games following a season-high five-game losing streak, including the past two in dominant fashion.

Miami is coming off a 110-80 rout of San Antonio on Monday, returning the favor for a 125-95 blowout they were on the losing end of 10 days earlier when they visited the Spurs, who own the NBA’s best record.  The Heat also clobbered Memphis 118-85 last Saturday behind a combined 55 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds from the duo of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.  The Grizzlies currently sit in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City has the fourth-best record in the West and leads the Northwest Division by 3.5 games over Denver.  The Thunder have won their last four games both straight-up and against the spread with the UNDER cashing in their past three.  They close out a three-game road trip in Miami and have beaten their last three opponents by double digits, all of whom reside in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Heat will provide much tougher competition for Oklahoma City after the team beat up on three teams from the East who have a combined 51 wins between them (Detroit, Cleveland and Washington).  The Thunder lost to Miami at home in the only previous meeting this season 108-103 back on January 30, as Wade, James and Chris Bosh totaled 75 points.

Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with a game-high 33 points against the Heat but made just 7 of 20 shots from the field.  After the game, Durant reportedly called Bosh a “fake tough guy” after the two had some choice words for each other in the first quarter.  Both players picked up technical fouls, adding some more intrigue to the rematch.

The Thunder had won the previous two meetings with Miami both straight-up and against the spread before the “Big Three” was assembled.  The total has gone OVER in seven of the last meetings, and the winner has scored 100 points or more in all seven of those games that went OVER.  The UNDER has cashed in Oklahoma City’s last three games overall though after four straight OVERs.

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Just as we in the sports betting community love to see the Cinderella story in every NCAA Tournament, we have to admit that we also revel in seeing the odd choke job, agreed? Here are my picks for the biggest bust teams this year. Keep your money — and your bracket picks – away from them!

Connecticut Huskies

I’m starting to see more and more bettors worry about UConn. At first, the hype machine revved in the Huskies’ favor. After all, they won the Big East Tournament last week and Kemba Walker is playing as well as anyone in the country. However, a closer look suggests Connecticut could be ripe for an upset. It played an exhausting five games in five days last week. How much will that take out of the Huskies and, more specifically, out of Walker? This is not a deep team. No contender is more reliant on its star. These are all ominous signs for UConn as it prepares to battle Bucknell.

Texas Longhorns

Will you find many places other than this sports betting blog picking Texas to fail? Maybe not. But I think sometimes Texas’ reputation outshines its performance. While some of the personnel have changed over, the coach hasn’t, and Rick Barnes’ boys choked in round one last year. In fact, Barnes-coached Texas teams have been bounced in the second round or earlier seven times in his 12 seasons with the Longhorns. Sometimes Texas’ guards force too many shots. If the Longhorns start to panic – say, in a second-round matchup with Arizona – that might happen again.

Wisconsin Badgers

Many signs point to Wisconsin being ousted as a No. 4 seed in the first round. The Badgers lost their last two games entering the tourney. In the most recent defeat, they were one-and-done in the Big Ten tourney after losing 36-33 to Penn State. Worse yet, Wisconsin struggles to defend against three-pointers and potential Cinderella pick Belmont is second in the country in three-pointers. Gulp.

Georgetown Hoyas

Does this one count as a bust? It’s borderline. Arguably, the Hoyas bandwagon emptied long ago, as Chris Wright was lost to injury, and Georgetown wound up an underwhelming No. 6 seed in the Southwest Region. But I put them on the bust list anyways as a warning to any college basketball betting fans who are easily swayed by the high-profile, “brand-name” teams.

Tick…tock…just hours until March Madness betting begins. Can’t wait. Now that we’ve covered all the regions, it’s time to explore some tournament sleepers and potential Cinderella teams.

It’s important to list and distinguish between sleepers and Cinderellas. A sleeper is an under-the-radar team with actual potential to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. You could actually throw down a sports betting long-shot pick on a sleeper to win it all. A Cinderella is an obscure, low-seeded squad with potential to pull off a huge upset or two. But it’s important to remember that, as much as the Valparaisos and George Masons of the world win our hearts, they never go all the way. Cinderellas are better for game-by-game picks.

SLEEPERS

Purdue Boilermakers

In the Southwest Region, powerhouse Kansas gets all the love from sportsbook bettors. Notre Dame and Louisville also have a decent contingent of supporters who swear by Big East teams. But Purdue has sleeper potential. The Boilermakers knocked off No. 1 Ohio State earlier this year and I love their senior tandem of JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore. Don’t sleep on Purdue.

BYU Cougars

No matter how many good teams across multiple sports BYU fields, it never seems to get taken seriously. Maybe it’s the Mormon thing? I mean, the Mormon thing got BYU’s third-leading scorer, Brandon Davies, booted from the team. Many people are writing the Cougars off as a result – but not this sports betting blog. Jimmer Fredette is so dominant that he could singlehandedly carry BYU to a date with Pittsburgh in the Elite Eight.

Arizona Wildcats

I know they’re caught in the dreaded No. 5 spot, a seed that has been upset a whopping 51.4 per cent of the time. But I still like Arizona for two reasons. One is Derrick Williams. The other is that, aside from Duke, every other contender in the West Region is flawed. I see Arizona reaching the Sweet 16 before bowing out against Duke.

CINDERELLAS

Bucknell Bison

Ooh, this is my favorite Cinderella pick. Everybody’s leaping on the UConn bandwagon, right? Kemba Walker is God! Connecticut is the Big East Tournament champ! The Huskies won five games in five days! That’s why I like Bucknell to do the unthinkable. Connecticut will be exhausted, as will Walker, and the Huskies are nothing if he goes cold. Go for it! Pick Bucknell!

Belmont Bruins

The upstart Bruins went a respectable 30-4 and, while they had the advantage of breezing through the weak Atlantic Sun, they had encouraging showings in non-conference affairs. These guys are great shooters and Wisconsin, a very common bust pick among pundits, has a devil of a time defending the three-ball. Watch out for Belmont.

USC Trojans

USC looks like a solid bet to survive a few rounds. First, it has to get past VCU in the play-in, but that should be no problem. After that, I really like the Trojans to upset Georgetown, which won’t have Chris Wright. USC is peaking just in time for the tourney and has an intriguing offense-defense tandem in Nikola Vukevic and Alex Stephenson.

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a free pick Tuesday is on Oklahoma State (-5.5) in the NIT against Harvard.

Reasoning: Tommy Amaker has done a really good job with the Crimson and I do believe that this Harvard team is legitimately good, not just Ivy League good. But with that said they are coming off of the gut wrenching loss against Princeton at the buzzer and now just a few days later have to go to a very different type of an atmosphere in Stillwater in a much minor tournament after having their hopes and dreams crushed the way they were. Can they be successful in this scenario? I just don’t see it happening.

The Cowboys certainly did not have one of their best years but they still finished up at 19-13 after winning three of their last five games including the great effort and one point loss to Kansas in the Big 12 tournament. I do like Travis Ford a lot and for the most part Okie State is always very good at home and it’s not like they are a heartbroken team that can sulk after not making the Big Dance. Obviously the loss to the Jayhawks was tough but they didn’t exactly come into that the Big 12 tournament as an at large team or one that had a real chance to win the conference tournament.

Marshall Moses, Keiton Page and Ray Penn lead a team that has beaten Kansas State and Missouri at home among others and no matter how improved and legit Harvard is they are still not up to snuff when compared to those semi heavyweights.

The emotional loss against the Tigers was beyond stinging for the smarter kids on the floor today and in the end tonight I’ll eat some chalk with Oklahoma State in Stillwater.

Top expert pick on this game: Oklahoma State from Matt Rivers.

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