Thursday, April 13, 2006

"Everybody bets, and in America NCAA football and basketball are a bettors dream!" said says Alex Czajkowski, Sportsbook.com. "As soon as one season ends fans start betting on it all over again. This year we set records for volume of wagers and we expect that trend to continue again in 2007."

Billy Donovan's Gators have been at the big dance for the past five years but it took a sophomore forward, Joakim Noah, to lead the team to the title game. Odds for Florida to repeat in 2007 are 7-1. Florida was a team thought to be a year away from contending for the title. Well they won it in 2006 and may just be the team to beat again in 2007 - they'll be primed to do it again with Noah back on the roster.

North Carolina is tied with Florida at 7-1 to take the title, and after an early and unexpected exit this season the Tar Heels will be looking for redemption. This year's big story might be Ohio State. Thanks to David Stern and the NBA's new age limit requirement, the highest rated high school prospect since LeBron James is going to be lacing up his sneakers for the Buckeyes this season. With an explosive, young lineup headed by man-child Greg Oden, the Buckeyes sit at 8-1 to win the championship. If they do, they might not be the only Buckeye team celebrating this year.

On the gridiron, 2007 is shaping up to be a battle between Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Buckeyes outplayed the Fighting Irish 34-20 at the Fiesta Bowl last year and looking ahead the teams are projected to battle it out for the Championship. Ohio is listed at 5-1 and Notre Dame and Oklahoma at 6-1. If the Buckeyes do prevail in both sports, they will be the first school ever to capture both the basketball and football titles in the same season.

Pete Carroll has vowed that his Trojans are over their Rose Bowl loss and ready to work and stay on top. The storied program will likely rise again and are listed as 8-1 favorites. The defending champion Longhorns are a 12-1 bet.