NCAA Rankings: Accessing the top teams in the Nation

As the NCAA Basketball’s regular season comes to en end and we get ready for the Tournament, for all the betting action that takes place during March Madness, we begin to keep an eye out for changes on the top ten of the polls. The last games of the season are quite important for when it comes to filling in our NCAA Basketball Bracket, as usually it is the games that stay stronger at the end that have more success in the single elimination championship.

 

Early this week, the discussion was started when Kansas was promoted to the No.1 spot in the nation. Just a couple of hours later, the Jayhawks were losing an important game against instate rivals: the Kansas State Wildcats. So that was just about enough to really get the discussion going among some students in Austin, Pittsburgh and Columbus, because, let’s face it: it doesn’t look good when the new No.1 team in the Nation falls 84-68 to a team that had only defeated them twice in the last 45 games.

 

So what could we expect for the next poll? Well, expect good thing to come around for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Sure they lost to the Wisconsin Badgers, but the squad has made a good comeback with an important win over Michigan State. Still, if they want to hold on to the No.1 spot they must survive in West Lafayette on Sunday and hold strong at home vs. Illinois on Tuesday.

Expect some great basketball from the Texas Longhorns as well. We are predicting the guys from Austin, Texas, to end up in the No.2 spot in next weeks rankings. The Longhorns had to bring one their A-game on Saturday against Big 12 rivals, Baylor. At 23-3 for the season, the Longhorns are still a legit option for the postseason. If the Texas defense keeps up the good work, an undefeated Big 12 regular season isn’t so far off.

Pittsburgh continued with its impressive on the road success with a win at Villanova on Saturday. This is even more impressive if you consider that Pitt was playing without their star point guard Ashton Gibbs. Saturday’s road game at St. John’s should be one heck of a battle, so keep an eye out for the betting lines for this game. The Pittsburgh Red Storm has been vicious against ranked teams when playing at Madison Square Garden lately. They could just keep up with that success.

the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops a nation

It doesn't get any better than a horse race that has a public holiday for it. The Melbourne Cup will be run tomorrow (3pm local time, 4am GMT). This may be the strongest Cup ever, it's certainly the best in my era with Group 1 winners galore, but it also has a few that should have been excluded on recent form.

So You Think is an absolute superstar. It showed on Saturday it can settle, go to sleep and then switch back on when necessary. That's what Saintly did to win in 1996, and only a rough trip in running is likely to beat him. From gate three, he might just squeezed and shuffled back a bit. Even still, very hard to beat him, no major concern about the distance despite not having run further than 2040m, High Chaparral's are flying in Aus at the moment and it would be fitting for the 150th Melbourne Cup to go to the master, Bart Cummings.

As for the others:

Shocking - won last year, goes up in weight, but loves Flemington. Was drawn v.wide last year so not bothered by that.

Campanologist - Godolphin horse which will keep on running, but doubt he can win. German and Italian form is not up to this.

Zipping - jolly old fellow, a 9yo running as well as ever, but can't see him better his previous record of two fourths.

Illustrious Blue - don't rate him, this isn't Goodwood. Does have G.Boss aboard though.

Mr Medici - Hong Kong horse who ran well in the Caulfield Cup despite the swamplike conditions. Not a million to one.

Shoot Out - early spring form in the sprints, now looking more like a stayer. AJC Derby winner in the autumn, ran home nicely on Saturday in the Mackinnon. I'm on him at 33/1 but struggle to see him beating the fav.

Americain - impressive in the Geelong Cup when didn't have much room until late but ran on well to win. Mosse to ride, will like the give in the ground. Best of the foreigners.

Tokai Trick - 9yo Japanese horse, super-tough stayer, but surely a 9yo can't win the strongest Cup in memory? Will keep on going though, chance for the exotics.

Buccellati - travesty that this horse is in the field ahead of others with better form this year. No hope.

Descarado - won the Caulfield Cup in extreme conditions. Drawn 1, must push forward or will get locked away. Top run on Saturday as well.


Harris Tweed - 2nd in the Caulfield Cup, fifth in this race last year, chances improved on very wet track, but dour enough to get into the placings on firmer ground too.

Manighar - Cumani import, ran fifth at Caulfield, will appreciate firmer ground. Drawn wide but decent chance.

Master O'Reilly - fourth in 08 and09 but has done nothing this year. Lucky to be in the field.

Monaco Consul - third at Caulfield, another High Chaparral, will keep on running. Last year's VRC Derby winner.

Profound Beauty - the hyped Dermot Weld horse. She ran fifth in 2008 but the field that year was decimated by equine influenza and the travel restrictions in Australia. She's now 7, has been beating small fields in Ireland, and now she's drawn gate 22 of 24. Can't see her in the money.

Zavite - 19th of 22 last year, unlikely to do much better.

Bauer - 2nd in 2008 (see Profound Beauty), hardly raced since. Cumani runner, could surprise but will be leaving him out of my exotcs.

Holberg - the more highly-rated Godolphin runner. Will go forward, Frankie is desperate to win this race after so many placings over the years, on horses from this stable which weren't given much hope. 3200m no problem for him having won over that distance at Royal Ascot as a 3yo.

Precedence - flying this spring but ran dead last in the Sydney Cup in the autumn. Received a controversial penalty to get into the field at the expense of a few others, don't think he deserved it - you can't justify him being within 2.5kg of SYT.

Red Ruler - how on earth is this horse in the field? A million to one.

Linton - up and coming stayer who gives the impression he'll be better next year. Owned by Lloyd Williams who has won this race on more than one occasion.

Once Were Wild - AJC Oaks winner, better run on Saturday but more to find to trouble these.

Maluckyday - got into the field by winning very impressively on Saturday. That's the same formline and weight as Shocking won with last year. Must be a chance, Saturday's jockey (who can't make the weight) described him as the best stayer he'd ridden since Kiwi, the Cup winner of 1983.....

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Two schools of thought here - either the favourite wins easily so concentrate on finding value in the placings to land the trifecta and First 4, or the fav is a risk and anything could win.

Will be going wide in the SYT banker trifectas, including runners at juicy odds such as Campanologist, Linton, Mr Medici, Monaco Consul.

Set your clocks, I'll be staying up all night.... Can't wait!Posted byScott Fergusonat13:43