The Detroit Tigers took over the AL Central in 2011 with an impressive 95-67 overall record, and are the clear-cut favorites to win the division in 2012. The Tigers finished 15-games ahead of second place Cleveland. That margin could be even bigger this season. Detroit went out and added one of the premier sluggers in the game in Prince Fielder, who will team up with Miguel Cabrera to form one of the most feared middle of the lineups in all of baseball. While the Tigers appear to have improved...
Read more about 2012 American League Central Predictions Cincinnati vs. Ohio State - March 20, 2012The East Region’s No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes look to advance to the Elite Eight with a win over the No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats in the Sweet 16. These teams are set to do battle on Thursday, March 22nd at 9:45 EST. This showdown between two in-state foes will be held in Boston, Massachusetts Thursday night. It’s their first meeting since a 72-50 home victory by the Buckeyes back in 2006. Taking a look at the odds in Las Vegas, I find a line of Ohio State -8 over Cincinnati and a total set of...
Read more about Cincinnati vs. Ohio State 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational Predictions - March 20, 2012Rory McIlroy’s reign as the No. 1 golfer in the world didn’t last long. Luke Donald regained the top spot with a win at the Transitions Championship last week. The win didn’t come easy, as Donald had to hold off Jim Furyk in a sudden-death playoff. Neither Donald or McIlroy will be in action this week, as the PGA Tour heads to Bay Hill, Florida for the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational held at Bay Hill Club & Lounge. Bay Hill is one of the more challenging non-majors on the...
Read more about 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational Predictions Florida vs. Marquette - March 20, 2012The No. 3 seed Marquette Golden Eagles take on the No. 7 seed Florida Gators in a Sweet 16 showdown on Thursday, March 22nd. This game will be held in Phoenix, Arizona at 10:15 EST, and it will certainly be one of the most exciting games in the West Region to date. Oddsmakers in Las Vegas expect a close one as they’ve installed a spread of Marquette -1.5 over Florida and a total set of 146 points. Marquette The Golden Eagles have gone under the radar for most of the season. They brought back a...
Read more about Florida vs. Marquette 2012 American League West Predictions - March 20, 2012The Texas Rangers won their second straight AL West title in 2011, finishing 10 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers were not only the best team in their own division, they represented the American League in the World Series for a second straight season. While the Rangers remain one of the better teams in baseball, winning the West for a third straight year could be a challenge. The Angels went out and signed one of the games best hitters in Albert Pujols and starting pitcher C.J. Wilson....
Read more about 2012 American League West Predictions 2012 National League East Predictions - March 20, 2012Once again the Philadelphia Phillies took home the NL East division title in 2011. The Phillies won their fifth straight division title with a league-best 102-60 regular season record. The Atlanta Braves finished second with a 89-73 record, while the Washington Nationals emerged from the bottom of the division to finish third at 80-81. The Phillies are the favorites to win the division in 2012, but it doesn’t figure to be quite as easy this time around. Not only are the Braves a serious contender,...
Read more about 2012 National League East Predictions 2012 National League Central Predictions - March 19, 2012It figures to be an interesting season in the NL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers won the division with a 96-66 record, but it was division rival St Louis who really made the most of their opportunity. Thanks to a late season collapse by the Atlanta Braves, the Cardinals were able to win the NL Wild Card. St Louis would go on to win the World Series in one of the most thrilling playoff runs in recent history. Both the Brewers and Cardinals will have to adjust to life without one of their elite players....
Read more about 2012 National League Central Predictions Wisconsin vs. Syracuse - March 19, 2012The No. 1 seed Syracuse Orange are set to do battle with the No. 4 seed Wisconsin Badgers in the Sweet 16. This East Region showdown will take place in Boston, Massachusetts at 7:15 EST on Thursday, March 19th. It will be the first meeting between these teams since 1999, which was won by Syracuse by a final of 68-49. Oddsmakers in Las Vegas have installed a line of Syracuse -4 over Wisconsin with a total set of 121 points. Syracuse The Orange put together a tremendous season to earn their No. 1 seed...
Read more about Wisconsin vs. Syracuse Louisville vs. Michigan State - March 19, 2012The No. 1 seed Michigan State Spartans are set to take on the No. 4 seed Louisville Cardinals in the Sweet 16 of the West Region. This game will take place in Phoenix, Arizona and tip is set for 7:45 EST Thursday night. It will be a rematch from the 2009 NCAA Tournament when Tom Izzo’s Spartans knocked out Rick Pitino’s top-seeded Cardinals in the Elite Eight. According to the latest odds, Michigan State is a 4.5-point favorite over Louisville with a total set of 125 points. Michigan State The...
Read more about Louisville vs. Michigan State 2012 National League West Predictions - March 19, 2012The NL West has been one of the more difficult divisions to predict, and that was definitely the case in 2011. The favorites coming into the season were the San Francisco Giants, who had just won the 2010 World Series. Others were claiming that it was going to be the Rockies who would overtake San Francisco in the division. As we all know, the Arizona Diamondbacks came out of nowhere to win the division with a 94-68 overall record. It was an impressive turnaround for Arizona, who finished last in...
Read more about 2012 National League West Predictions NCAA Tournament Picks Against the Spread - March 14, 2012UNC-Asheville (#16) v Syracuse (#1) – The loss of Fab Melo will likely keep the Orange from winning the NCAA Tournament, but it won’t stop them from rolling over UNC-Asheville. Lay the 15-points on Syracuse. Southern Miss (#9) v Kansas State (#8) – Southern Miss comes in having lost seven straight against the spread. That has Kansas State overvalued in what is a pretty even matchup. Take the 5-points and roll the Golden Eagles. Loyola-MD (#15) v Ohio State (#2) – It may...
Read more about NCAA Tournament Picks Against the Spread 2012 NCAA Tournament Possible First Round Upsets - March 14, 2012The chances of the better seed winning every game is slim to none. If you want to win your office pool, you have to be willing to take some chances on some upsets. The difficult part is picking which games the underdogs will win. A lot of the upsets take place in the opening round, which is where I will focus my attention in this article. Here is a look at my three favorite possible upsets out of each region. I chose to not include any of the 8 vs. 9 games, as those games are basically a toss up...
Read more about 2012 NCAA Tournament Possible First Round Upsets Tips on Filling Out Your Bracket - March 14, 2012Before starting to fill out your NCAA Tournament brackets, you want to gather as much information as possible. While the results change from year to year, there have been many constants over time. Surrounding yourself with as many tips and trends as possible will only increase your chances of winning the office pools you enter. I am going to fill you in with a few of my favorite tips on what to look for when filling out your brackets. By no means do you have to stick by these guidelines, though....
Read more about Tips on Filling Out Your Bracket NCAA Tournament Sleepers - March 13, 2012The brackets are out for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and this year could be as difficult as ever in predicting who will make the Final Four, as each region has a number of teams who you could make an argument for, and if years past have taught us anything, you never know what to expect. I have taken the time to breakdown the possible sleepers (teams not the top two seeds) in each region, which should help you make your tournament picks this year. East Region Sleepers: I believe the East is the toughest...
Read more about NCAA Tournament Sleepers Odds to Win Tournament MOP - March 13, 2012At the end of the 2012 NCAA basketball tournament the Associated Player names one student the Most Outstanding Player (MOP). Even though this player is not required to come from the winning team, it almost always is. The last person to win the award without cutting down the nets was Hakeem Olajuwon all the way back in 1983. Here is a look at some of the past champions: 2011 – Kemba Walker, Connecticut 2010 – Kyle Singler, Duke 2009 – Wayne Ellington, North Carolina 2008 –...
Read more about Odds to Win Tournament MOP Who Has The Easiest Road to the Final Four - March 13, 2012When making your NCAA Tournament picks its usually a good idea to look at each region and try to figure out which teams have the easiest road to the Final Four. When you have it down to the four teams you like in each region, it gives you a better idea of where you can throw in some upsets that won’t kill you if they don’t come through. Here is a quick look at the four teams who I think have the clearest path to New Orleans. South Region: No. 1 Seed: Kentucky Wildcats I really believe...
Read more about Who Has The Easiest Road to the Final Four Teams Entering the 2012 NCAA Tournament on a Run - March 13, 2012A recent trend when it comes to the NCAA Tournament is that teams coming into it on a good run usually tend to win it all. That’s indicated by the fact 10 of the last 14 champions have won their conference tournament. So we’re looking for teams that not only won their conference tournament, but ones that were also hot a few weeks beforehand. There may never be another team to have as magical of a run to win the national championship as the Connecticut Huskies last season. They won five games...
Read more about Teams Entering the 2012 NCAA Tournament on a Run #1 Seeds Odds for 2012 NCAA Tournament - March 13, 2012The 2012 NCAA Tournament brackets have been released and for the most part there were no arguments on the four No.1 seeds. Kentucky is the top seed overall and will play in the South region, with Syracuse being the No. 1 seed out of the East region, North Carolina the top seed out of the Midwest region, and Michigan State holding down the top spot in the West Region. One of the great things about March Madness is all of the different angles for fans. There are NCAA tournament contests where people...
Read more about #1 Seeds Odds for 2012 NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament Trends - March 13, 2012If you are having trouble filling out your bracket, these NCAA Tournament trends could help you win your league this year. As you should already know, nothing is certain in the field of 64, but if you play the numbers you just might end up winning your office pool this year. Pick At Least One 11, 12, or 13 Seed to Win in the First Round: These are the prime spots you need to look if you want to include some upsets in the opening round. At least one No. 11 seed has advanced in each year since 2004....
Read more about NCAA Tournament Trends Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out Your Bracket - March 13, 2012It’s time to fill out your 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, and I wanted to share with you some common mistakes to avoid. If you are a die hard college basketball fan, you likely don’t need a lot of help with your bracket. As many of you know filling out a bracket is something that everyone enjoys, regardless if you are an expert or not. If you are looking for some help, I recommend following these simply rules when you make your picks. Don’t Pick All Chalk (Team With Better Seed) ...
Read more about Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out Your Bracket Top Players to Watch in the 2012 NCAA Tournament - March 13, 2012The NCAA Tournament seems to be won every year by a team that had one player make big plays for them time and time again. Last year it was Kemba Walker, who averaged 23.5 points and 5.7 assists while leading the Connecticut Huskies to the 2011 title as a No. 3 seed. I am going to take a look at which players have the potential to carry their team to a title run in 2012. There has seemingly been a lot more teamwork this year, and not so many studs that have been carrying their teams all season. But...
Read more about Top Players to Watch in the 2012 NCAA Tournament Which No. 12 Will Beat a No. 5 Seed - March 13, 2012What makes the NCAA Tournament so special is the numerous upsets that occur every year. When making picks in a bracket, one of the most popular choices for an upset is the No. 5 vs. No. 12 match-up. There is some evidence out there to prove that this is the best time to pick an upset. Dating back to 1985, No. 12 seeds own a 36-72 (33.3%) record against No. 5 seeds. That means they pulled off the upset one out of every three times. You would think that a No. 11 seed would beat a No. 6 seed more often,...
Read more about Which No. 12 Will Beat a No. 5 Seed Best Opening Round NCAA Tournament Games - March 13, 2012While the four play-in games are now officially the first round, most still consider the opening round of the NCAA Tournament to be the 32 games played on Thursday and Friday. Most of the great games aren’t until you get to the round of 32 and beyond, but there are a number of exciting matchups scheduled in the round of 64. Here is a look at the best opening round games in the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket. Thursday, March 15 No. 9 Connecticut vs. No. 8 Iowa State (South Region) – Here...
Read more about Best Opening Round NCAA Tournament Games NCAA Tournament Upset Predictions - March 13, 2012The NCAA Tournament brackets have been set, and over the next few days millions around the country will fill out their brackets, and try and come as close as possible to what actually happens. If you have ever filled out a bracket, you know simply picking the team with the higher seed will not get you far win it comes to winning your office pool. Just like the regular-season, there are upsets all through the course of the tournament, and spotting early upsets is crucial to picking a strong bracket....
Read more about NCAA Tournament Upset Predictions Which No. 1 Seed Will Get Beat First - March 13, 2012If you look back over the years, you will see that 15 of the last 25 National Championship winners came into field with one of the coveted No. 1 seeds. It’s a big reason why you will see the majority of brackets with at least one No. 1 seed in the Final Four. The challenge that everyone faces is being able to predict which No. 1 seeds will live up to the hype, and which ones will be eliminated early. To help you with your 2012 NCAA bracket, I have taken a look at the four No. 1 seeds this year...
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