Roll em out and let's end the weekend winners. Be sure to post in the Game of the Day and Picks that Click area.

ICE PICKS

Sunday's Best NHL Bets

Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes were expected to get pummeled as -230 underdogs on Saturday with four AHL defensemen on the ice against the defending champions.

Instead, rookie Jamie McBain smacked the game-winning goal past Marc-Andre Fleury in overtime to give Carolina a 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh.

"You dream about it happening since you were a little kid and for it to be this kind of game, this kind of atmosphere, going against one of the top teams in the league and an overtime winner with not much time left, it's a pretty special feeling," the 22-year-old said.

The Canes are 11-3-1 since Feb. 5 and have defeated the Penguins twice and Washington once in that time frame.

Carolina continues to surge while chasing the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and will take care of a streaky Buffalo squad the team already defeated twice this year.

Pick: Hurricanes

San Jose Sharks at Edmonton Oilers (+210, 5.5)

The Sharks are beginning to resemble the team that perennially exits the playoffs in the first or second round after dominating the regular season.

San Jose has dropped five consecutive games for the first time in four years and the team is doing anything but peaking at the right time.

"Teams see that we've lost four or five games in a row and any time that happens, a team is vulnerable," coach Todd McLellan said. "You can feel the confidence in our room isn't what it should be or can be, but we've got to earn that back."

Much of the Sharks struggles can be attributed to the recent play of goalie Evengi Nabokov who has lost four straight starts behind a 3.50 goals-against average.

Edmonton has played to the over in four of its last five games, surrendering an average of 4.4 goals to its opponents in that stretch. San Jose has given up a total of 22 goals during its losing streak.

Pick: Over

West Regional Day 4 Picks

By SCOTT COOLEY

Syracuse Orange vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs (+7.5, 150)

The Syracuse smothering zone defense was in full force Friday night, holding Vermont to 34.8 percent shooting in the game and 5-for-22 from 3-point range.

The Orange motto coming into the NCAA Tournament was “Shut it Down” and they will have to recreate that shutdown defensive effort against a Gonzaga team that can bang the boards and has efficient perimeter shooters.

“We haven’t played anyone that plays a zone like Syracuse,” coach Mark Few told reporters. "With only one day to get ready for it, it's going to be a huge task (to win), especially in front of this crowd.”

With the game being played two and a half hours from the Syracuse campus, it will essentially be a home game for the Orange, much like their opening-round blowout.

Bulldogs guard Matt Bouldin said they will have to get their “bigs” some touches to be effective against the zone and that starts with NBA prospect Elias Harris.

Harris totaled 13 points in the win over Florida State and when the big German scored in double figures this season the Zags went 20-3.

The Bulldogs bench totaled 25 minutes and zero points in their first game, so fatigue has to be a concern for the five starters in this game.

But with Arinze Onuaku sidelined, Boeheim’s rotation only goes six deep with Scoop Jardine coming off the bench. Onuaku’s status for the game remains uncertain.

Prediction: Syracuse 82, Gonzaga 77


Xavier Musketeers vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (PK, 136)

Jordan Crawford made a name for himself this summer after dunking on LeBron James, but he made a splash in Xavier’s first-round win over Minnesota after leading the team with 28 points.

The Musketeers have advanced to the second round of the Big Dance four straight years and four of the team’s five starters were in this position last year.

"There are different ways to motivate kids and we're really tired of being The Little Engine that Could," first-year coach Chris Mack told the media. "We're a really good program and our kids aren't scared to play anybody."

Pittsburgh was extremely balanced in its 23-point rout over Oakland Friday. The Panthers shot better than 53 percent from the field, had six players score double figures and all but one of their nine players saw 10 minutes of action or more.

Pitt’s strength down low will be a concern for Xavier, which was manhandled on the boards at times in the Minnesota game which didn’t afford the team many second-chance opportunities.

It should be a tight game throughout but the more experienced coach in Jamie Dixon will prove to be the difference in the end.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 67, Xavier 63

South Regional Day 4 Picks

By PATRICK GARBIN

No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers (+1.5, 125.5)

Receiving little respect because of its loss of forward Robbie Hummel and a trendy pick to be upset, Purdue began the second half of Friday’s opening round with a 20-3 run to eventually defeat Siena, 72-64.

Keaton Grant (6.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg), who became a starter after Hummel’s knee injury, scored all 11 of his points in a span of only 5:10 during the Boilermakers’ decisive run. JaJuan Johnson (15.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.0 blocks) had a game-high 23 points and 15 rebounds.

In the victory, Purdue, a 4.5-point favorite, covered its first game in eight tries since mid-February. The Boilermakers are 13-18-2 ATS this season.

Texas A&M has been on a roll and it continued Friday. The Aggies had little trouble with Utah State, winning 69-53 and advancing to the tournament’s second round for the fifth consecutive year.

Freshman forward Khris Middleton (7.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) had a career-high 19 points and made 5-of-6 3-point attempts. Texas A&M is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games and 19-10 ATS this season – the 11th-best mark in the nation.

The second round game between Texas A&M and Purdue will pit two solid defenses against one another. In their last 10 games, the Aggies are yielding an average of less than 62 points per game while only two opponents have shot 44 percent or better from the floor. The Boilermakers are allowing only 61 points per game the entire season (29th in nation) while opponents shoot just 40 percent on field goals (36th).

The difference is, besides playing well defensively, Texas A&M is also extremely athletic. The sluggish Boilermakers will have a difficult time keeping up with the Aggies.

Final score prediction: Texas A&M 64, Purdue 57


No. 8 California Golden Bears vs. No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (-6, 143)

Entering Friday’s opening round against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Duke had struggled in recent NCAA tourneys, going 2-10 ATS since 2005. However, the Blue Devils’ blowout win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff helps prove this Duke team may be a little better and more confident than previous editions.

Duke’s “big three” of guards Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and forward Kyle Singler combined for 45 points while all three reached double digits for the 28th time in the Blue Devils’ 35 games this season. In addition, forward Lance Thomas added 12 points – more than twice his season scoring average.

“This is behind us,” said Smith of the 73-44 victory. “We’ve got to get ready for whoever we play next.”

“Whoever” is the California Golden Bears, who had little trouble with Louisville in a 77-62 opening-round win. Pac-10 player of the year Jerome Randle (18.7 ppg, 4.5 apg) and forward Theo Robertson (14.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg) each scored 21 points as California, a 1-point favorite, covered its 10th game of its last 12.

The Bears did struggle against the Cardinals’ height. California was out-rebounded 32-to-25 and Louisville’s big men, Samardo Samuels and Rakeem Buckles, combined for 36 points and 16-of-19 shooting from the field.

California, a relatively small team, is going to have a hard time matching up with Duke. The Blue Devils routinely out-rebound their opponents while, after their big three, four of the top five players are 6-foot-8 or taller. No Bear starter is taller than 6-foot-8.

This is the best Duke team in years and it should prove it today with a double-digit victory over an out-manned Cal team.

Final score prediction: Duke 75, California 63

East Regional Day 4 Picks

By DAVID PAYNE

No. 2 West Virginia Mountaineers (-5.5, 138.5) vs. No. 10 Missouri Tigers

Is anyone playing better than West Virginia right now?

The Mountaineers (28-6, 14-19 ATS) manhandled Morgan State in the opening round for their seventh straight win.

Missouri (23-10, 15-12) also was impressive in the first round. The Tigers ratcheted up their trademark pressure defense to pull away from Clemson in the second half. It was the best Missouri’s looked in a month, even though coach Mike Anderson’s team was out-rebounded by 12.

Rebounding has been an issue for Missouri all season (-2.9 rebounding margin). That’s a major concern against a West Virginia squad that lives off the offensive glass.

Missouri makes up for its lack of rebounding prowess with pressure, something Anderson said his team will be increasing throughout the tournament. The Tigers harassed Clemson into 20 turnovers and lead the nation in steals.

West Virginia struggled in high-scoring affairs against Villanova and Pittsburgh in early February.

Prediction: West Virginia 71, Missouri 67


No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers (-4, 121) vs. No. 12 Cornell Big Red

Cornell is talking a good game, but can the tournament darlings back it up?

“We’re just getting started,” 7-foot center Jeff Foote told reporters after Friday’s dominating win over A-10 champion Temple. "We have a really special team and we're capable of a special run. I don't think the mission is accomplished at all."

Always-gritty Wisconsin stands in the way of Cornell (28-4, 17-10) and the Sweet 16. The Badgers (24-8, 17-13 ATS) failed to put away Wofford on Friday, but survived and now must figure out how to slow down the hot-shooting Big Red.

The Badgers boast the fourth-ranked scoring defense and commit the fewest turnovers in the nation. That will certainly help, but where will the offense come from? Wisconsin hasn’t scored over 55 points in its last two games. Cornell has averaged over 80 in its last three.

The Big Red, of course, shoots a ton of 3’s. They average close to 10 made 3-pointers per game. Wisconsin made just 1-of-9 attempts from downtown against Wofford.

Prediction: Cornell 69, Wisconsin 62

Midwest Regional Day 4 Picks

By ADAM THOMPSON

No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+6.5, 133.5)

Free-throw shooting has been a concern for Georgia Tech (23-12). The Jackets were under 65 percent for the season before going a blazing 24-of-25 (96 percent) in Friday’s 64-59 upset of Oklahoma State.

Georgia Tech’s frontcourt duo of 6-foot-9 junior Gani Lawal and 6-foot-10 freshman Derrick Favors got it done, with a combined 26 points and 15 rebounds.

The team also did a great job on Cowboys star guard James Anderson, who went just 3-of-12 for 11 points. Iman Shumpert is most credited for slowing Anderson.

No time to rest on those laurels. Here comes Evan Turner and Ohio State (27-7).

“I was a defensive stopper in high school,” Shumpert told Yahoo Sports. “Evan is another tough assignment. Whatever I have to do.”

Turner didn’t have to do much in the Buckeyes’ 68-51 win over UC Santa Barbara. He scored only nine points on 2-of-13 shooting (with 10 rebounds and five assists), but the backcourt of Jon Diebler and William Buford combined for 39 points.

Despite the comfortable win, Ohio State still didn’t go to its bench. Three starters played 37 or more minutes. Tech had eight players see 17 minutes or more in Friday’s win.

The two teams do have similar opponents. Ohio State beat Florida State 77-64, while Georgia Tech lost to the Seminoles twice, 66-59 and 68-66. The Buckeyes did lose to North Carolina 77-73 back when the Tar Heels were ranked No. 7. The Jackets beat the Heels three times in ACC play.

Georgia Tech is a perfect 5-0 in NCAA games played at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. If the physical Jackets can wear down the Buckeyes – and most teams have not - they have a very real chance.

Prediction: Ohio State 70, Georgia Tech 67


No. 4 Maryland Terrapins vs. No. 5 Michigan State Spartans (+1, 142)

Michigan State (25-8) escaped past New Mexico State 70-67 Friday, with the help of an ill-timed lane violation by the Aggies.

At this point, it’s all about surviving and Michigan State kept its hopes of getting back to the NCAA title game alive.

Spartans star point guard Kalin Lucas, usually a top playmaker, called his own number and scored a career-high 25 points. Spartans coach Tom Izzo improved to 32-11 in the NCAA Tournament with the win.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the years I’ve been in this tournament, the words ‘survive and advance’ that everybody preaches is the truth,” Izzo said after Friday’s win. “I don’t want to say I’m glad we had a close game, but I learned something about these guys that I had been looking for this year. … We played well early. We struggled in the second half. And we finished the game. We’ve survived and advanced.”

In other words, Izzo is hoping his Spartans are out of their late-season funk.

Four players scored in double figures for Maryland (24-8) in its 89-77 win over Houston. The Terps’ multiple scoring options have been a source of strength and it’s also allowed leading scorer Greivis Vasquez (19.5 ppg) to avoid major extra attention.

Freshman Jordan Williams, a starter all season, arrived onto the national scene Friday, busting out a career-high 21 points and 17 rebounds.

Both teams go eight deep and have three common opponents, but not much can be deduced from them. Maryland lost to Wisconsin 78-69, beat Indiana handily and beat North Carolina 92-71. Michigan State lost to UNC 89-82 (again, back when the Heels were good), split with Wisconsin (54-47 win and 67-49 loss) and also handled the Hoosiers.

One big concern for Maryland will be keeping the physical Spartans off the board. Michigan State is averaging a plus-9.4 rebounding margin on the season. Maryland is at plus-1.4. The Terps will need to run down the floor and hit their shots and not many teams are as good at either - 15th nationally in scoring, 79.6 ppg and 29th in field goal percentage, 47.2 percent – as the Terps.

Prediction: Maryland 69, Michigan State 67

Gold Sheet Key Release

Cornell

Brett Atkins

40 Dime Big Dance Second Round Game of the Year - XAVIER MUSKETEERS

A rematch from the regional semifinals of a year ago when a much better Pitt team was able to edge Xavier 60-55, but came up short as a 6 1/2-point favorite. Well, the Musketeers are better than they were last season while Pitt is so much more inconsistent. Xavier has averaged 80.6 points a game over their last five and they have been money making machines, on ATS runs of 36-17-2 overall, 14-5 in non-conference action, 13-3-1 in NCAA Tournament play and 4-1 against Big East squads. The Musketeers have the players to hang with Pitt and the motivation to run them out of the building. Play Xavier today.

10 Dime Big Dance Power Play - TEXAS A&M AGGIES

Look at the Big 12 teams that are all build just alike - Baylor, Kansas State and Texas A&M. Baylor and Kansas State rolled in their second round games and I expect the Aggies will too. They are quick, have good guard play and very deep and athletic. Purdue has been ever-so shaky since losing Robbie Hummel for the season and they are on ATS skids of 1-6-1 overall, 0-5-1 after a win and 1-4-1 against winning teams. Texas A&M has stars in Kris Middleton and Donald Sloan and they have bee solid at the betting window, going 11-2 ATS in their last 13 overall, 21-8 on a neutral court and 8-2 in the Big Dance. Love the Aggies today to get an easy win and cover.

Joel Tyson

80 Dime - Cornell Big Red plus the points

Perfect matchup for the Big Red in round two, and I do mean P-E-R-F-E-C-T.

Cornell does it all - hit their threes, hit their frees, and they can rebound. Not only that, but this Ivy rep has played some heavy-hitters this season; Syracuse, Kansas, and Vermont to name 3, and also St. John's and Seton Hall - ALL of those schools made the postseason this year!

Wisconsin is a "nice" team, but they are limited, and they will not blow you off the court with their physicality.

Throw in the fact the crowd will definitely put their support in the Ivy reps corner, and you have the makings of Cornell dancing into the Sweet 16.

Take the points.

Tony George

3* Tournament GOY 3/21

Texas A&M -1.5

JIM FEIST

FREE

(709) DETROIT PISTONS
(710) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Take "Over"
It's difficult to believe this is a Detroit Pistons club. Piston teams of past were always known for their defense, but not anymore. This year's edition is allowing points in bunches. In fact, they haven't held an opponent to under 106 points in any of the last four games and have allowed over 100 points in eight of the last 10. Not surprisingly the club allows an average of 101.47 points per game on the road this season. The Cavaliers will surely welcome this type of team to The Q. The Cavs have the league's best record and look to secure home court throughout the playoffs. Cleveland averages 102.2 ppg this season, that's 9th best in the NBA. The Cavs have coasted against inferior opponents this year and that's bad for a team preping for the playoffs. I like the OVER here on Sunday as I fully expect the Pistons to give up a lot of points. However, keep in mind the Cavs have a much tougher schedule coming and they do sometimes get disinterested in teams like Detroit. If we can keep them focused then this one should go OVER the total on Sunday.

Larry Ness
Free pick

718 Syracuse -7

Syracuse was 28-2 before losing its last regular season game at Louisville, which was the final game played in historic Freedom Hall (no shame there). The Orange received a double-bye in the Big East tourney but lost to revenge-minded Georgetown, which Syracuse had beaten twice during the season. Still, Syracuse got a No. 1 seed but in the West Regional. The good news here was that the school's first two games would be played in near-by Buffalo. Syracuse took care of Vermont on Friday 79-56, shooting 54.9 percent, including 10-of-22 three-pointers (Vermont was held to 34.8 percent, 5-22 on threes). Gonzaga is in its 13th straight NCAA tourney, opening with a 67-60 win over Florida St. The Seminoles entered with the nation's best defensive FG percentage (37.4 percent) but they are severely offensively challenged. In Syracuse, the Bulldogs will face Boeheim's tough zone D plus an offense which features five-double-digit scorers plus two others who add 8.9 and 8.1 PPG. The team's top scorer and rebounder is 6-7 Iowa St transfer Johnson (first season at Syracuse), who is averaging 16.0-8.4. The 6-9 Onuaku (10.5-5.1) missed the Vermont game with a quad injury and is expected to miss here but I'm not sure it matters. Gonzaga shoots 49.4 percent and averages 77.2 PPG but the Orange are the nation's top-shooting team (51.7 percent) and average 81.4 PPG (6th-best). The Bulldogs have two big guards in Bouldin (15.8-4.7-4.0) and Gray (13.7-4.2) who can shoot over Syracuse's 2-3 zone but let's note that the Bulldogs are 0-4 vs No. 1 seeds in their previous 12 tourney appearances and they are a LONG way from home, while the Orange have to feel as if Buffalo is almost a home game. The Jayhawks got upset by Northern Iowa on Saturday and Syracuse "took notice." Expect an easy win by the Orange.

RINKPLAY SPORTS

7* Streakbuster GOY
Dallas Stars over Phoenix Coyotes

5* Philadelphia Flyers PL over Atlanta Thrashers
3* Colorado Avalanche over Anaheim Ducks
3* San Jose Sharks PL over Edmonton Oilers

Bobby Maxwell

FREE

Duke has looked like a team on a mission lately, winning 13 of their last 14 games with the only loss being at Maryland. They rolled through the ACC tourney, and had to win some tight ones, then came out and crushed Arkansas-Pine Bluff 73-44 in the opening round. I’m not sure Cal is going to be able to stay with Duke and I’ve got no problem laying the chalk with the Blue Devils.

Duke has only allowed 55 points a game over the last five and held the opposition to 37.5 percent shooting. Kyle Singler is playing the best basketball of his career and had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the opening round win.

The Golden Bears have Pac-10 Player of the Year in Jerome Randle but the Blue Devils are able to shut down point guards. For Cal to even keep this one close, Theo Robertson is going to have to have a monster game. But I expect Duke’s swarming defense to be too much for Cal tonight.

Cal is on ATS slides of 3-13 as a neutral site underdog, 1-7 as an underdog overall and 1-4 against ACC teams. Duke has covered four of the last five times they’ve faced a Pac-10 squad.

The Golden Bears aren’t deep enough to stay with Duke in this one. Lay the chalk and play the Blue Devils.

3* DUKE

Bobby Maxwell

FREE

Pitt is one of those teams that is hit or miss. The Panthers look sensational one night, only to turn around and fail to do anything and fall the next time out. Meanwhile, Xavier is a fantastic team with a very good tournament resume. I expect them to come out today and take this to the Panthers and win it.

Xavier has made it to the second round each of the last four years and to the Elite Eight in 2008 and the Sweet 16 last year. Meanwhile, Pitt has fallen in this second round game in two of the last four years, falling to Michigan State in 2008 and to Bradley in 2006.

There’s a little revenge on the minds of the Musketeers as they lost in last year’s regional semifinal to the Panthers, 60-55, but cashed as a 6 ½-point underdog. Xavier was facing a much better Pitt team last year.

The Musketeers know how to score, putting up 80.6 points a game over the last five outings and limiting the opposition to 68.8. They have been very good at the betting window also, on ATS runs of 36-17-2 overall, 36-16-1 on a neutral court, 14-5 in non-conference action, 13-3-1 in NCAA Tournament action, 9-1 as an underdog and 4-1 against Big East teams. Pitt is just 3-8 ATS on a neutral court and 1-5 ATS as a NCAA Tournament favorite.

Xavier is a damn good team and you can expect big things from Jordan Crawford in this one. Him and his Musketeers have a chip on their shoulder from last year’s tourney. I’m going with the Musketeers in this one.

4* XAVIER

Karl Garrett

FREE

Deja-Vu today, as Xavier and Pittsburgh have at it for the second straight year in the Big Dance. Last year, the Panthers were 60-55 winners as the 6 1/2-point favorite, and a similar result will not be a surprise today.

The fact this game is priced closer to a pick obviously means I feel the Panthers will be able to cover against the last Atlantic 10 rep standing.

Both teams took care of business in the opening round with relative ease, but it is the Pitt, 89-66 win over Oakland that has caught my attention.

That is the first time since mid-February that Jamie Dixon's team has scored that many points, and while I don't expect them to ring the bell for that many against the defensively-staunch X-Men, I do expect the Panthers to win this game.

Since the line is priced quite close to a pick, an outright win almost assures a cover, and I will side with the Big East rep in this go-round.

4* PITTSBURGH

Karl Garrett

FREE

For Sunday, have to side with Michigan State at a near pick over Marlyand.

Granted, the Terrapins were more impressive in their first round win, but Maryland had a foe that was defensively-porous in Houston. That won't be the case today when they face the Spartans.

Keep in mind Michigan State did charge all the way to the final Monday in last year's Big Dance, and while they have been maligned a lot this season, to get them at this price is a steal in my book.

Maryland's dozen point win over Houston on Friday deserves a deep look, and if you look at the free throws missed by the Cougars - 12 of them! - you will see that the game could have been a lot closer had the Cougars netted half of them.

I have a feeling this Michigan State team is just about ready to hit their stride.

Can't go against Izzo at this price.

Take Sparty here!

2* MICHIGAN STATE

RatedPicks

CBB 03/21 Gonzaga at Syracuse pick: Syracuse pts: -7 3 units
CBB 03/21 Cornell at Wisconsin pick: Cornell pts: +4.0 3 units
CBB 03/21 California at Duke pick: Duke pts: -6.5 3 units
CBB 03/21 Texas A&M at Purdue pick: Texas A&M pts: -2.0 3 units

Brandon Lang

NOTE:
The best bounce back.

After the Temple implosion on Friday, I had to win on Saturday to put myself in position for winning week # 4 in a row.

Well, Kansas State stepped up and delivered just like I knew they would and this March winning streak just keeps going and going.

I'm talking about a 10-1 run my last 11, and a 15-3-1 my last 19 in the biggest basketball money making month of the year, March baby.

Nothing beats winning in March and considering the fact I am looking for college basketball winner # 11 in the last 12, I would say my opinion is right where it needs to be heading into the round of 32 today.

Have a great feel for college basketball right now and the product I am churning out speaks for itself. Simple as that.

Feel great about the 10-1 run. The 15-3-1 college best bet run. 3 straight winning weeks.

Looking for more tonight. I want 11 of the last 12. I want to push the best bet run to 16-3-1. And more than anything else right now, I want 4 straight winning weeks.

This winner today does just that so let's get it on.

10 DIME - XAVIER MUSKETEERS

This game is all about avenging last season's stinging Big Dance loss. That is exactly what the Musketeers are going to do this afternoon to Pitt.%key% The Panthers beat Xavier last year in the Sweet 16, 60-55 and I can tell you flat-out the Musketeers well remember the sting of that defeat,

Note: I will be back with my complete breakdown by 11 am eastern!


FREE PICK - GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS