After getting through the first day of March Madness betting on Thursday, online betting players should be all warmed up and ready to go on Friday. Here’s what you should take in your sportsbook:

No.9 Oklahoma State vs No.8 Tennessee (East, 12:25 PM ET)

The Volunteers are 2-point sportsbook favorites after reaching the SEC tourney final, but Oklahoma State’s high-powered offense will give them a run. Go with Tennessee.

No.11 Utah State vs No.6 Marquette (West, 12:30 PM ET)

The Aggies are 4.5-point underdogs according to March Madness odds, but the Golden Eagles have been terrible since losing Dominic James. Take Utah State in an online betting upset.

No.11 Dayton vs No.6 West Virginia (Midwest, 3:00 PM ET)

The Flyers, who are a 8.5-point underdog, were a sweet Cinderella pick before slipping down the stretch. West Virginia also happens to be playing very well right now, so go with the Mountaineers.

No.12 Arizona vs No.5 Utah (Midwest, 7:10 PM ET)

The Wildcats were just brutal in the homestretch, but March Madness odds are still making this game a PICK. Arizona is really streaky, while the Utes won the Moutain West. The Wildcats also have motivation as they just barely made the Tournament. Take Arizona in another upset.

No.10 USC vs No.7 Boston College (Midwest, 7:20 PM ET)

No knock on the Eagles, who are 2-point underdogs despite being a No.7 seed with wins over UNC, Duke and Florida State, but the Trojans have won five in a row en route to the Pac-10 title. Freshman DeMar DeRozan is coming into his own, and he’ll be the difference in a USC victory.

No.12 Wisconsin vs No.5 Florida State (East, 9:55 PM ET)

The Seminoles are 2.5-point favorites in their first Tournament game since 1998, and in Toney Douglas, they have one of the most explosive scorers in the region. Wisconsin is another team that barely made it in, and the Seminoles will have to much for them. Make Florida State your March Madness betting pick on Friday night.

March Madness betting players, get on your marks. The most wonderful time of the online betting season is finally here, and after a rough go in the conference tournaments, I’m here to try and guide you through the sportsbook Madness. Here are a few of the games to watch out for on Thursday:

No.4 Washington-No.13 Mississippi State (West, 5:00 PM ET)

-State are ride the wave of an unlikely SEC tourney win, but the Huskies should edge them.

No.7 California-No.10 Maryland (West, 2:55 PM ET)

-The Terrapins have one of the best all-around players in the country in junior guard Greivis Vasquez, who will power Maryland to an upset.

No.7 Clemson-No.10 Michigan (South, 7:10 PM ET)

-The Tigers started fast and stumbled late, while the Wolverines pulled it together late in the season. Momentum is huge for online sports betting players, so go with the Wolverines.

No.5 Illinois-No.12 Western Kentucky (South, 9:55 PM ET)

5-12 matchups always cause March Madness betting players some stress during the Tournament, and here is your upset special. The Hilltoppers rolled to the Sweet 16 last year, and have won 11 of their last 12 games.

No.7 Texas-No.10 Minnesota (East, 7:10 PM ET)

The Longhorns and Golden Gophers have been inconsistent all season, but Minnesota’s offense is atrocious. Go with Texas in your March Madness betting picks.

If this is a prelude to my March Madness betting picks, then I’m in trouble. Then again, who knew Syracuse would take UConn to SIX overtimes? The Orangemen were 5.5-point sportsbook underdogs against the Huskies, who had already beaten Syracuse 63-49 at home this year. But in the longest game in the history of the Big East, the Orangemen outlasted the Huskies 127-117 in one of the most enthralling games I’ve ever seen. There are a number of stats that I can throw out there, but here are the most important:

Turnovers – UConn 27…..Syracuse 16

Free-throw percentage – UConn 57.1%…..Syracuse 78.4%

Ask last year’s NCAA finalists from Memphis. Teams who can’t shoot foul shots late in the game usually don’t pan out well on the March Madness betting front. And 27 turnovers? Ouch. If the Huskies want to remain near the top of the March Madness betting pile, they MUST take better care of the ball.

March Madness betting has my head all in the clouds, and I’m so anxious to get to my sportsbook that I don’t know what to do with myself. Here’s a quick run-through of the rest of the tournaments, and I know I went more in-depth with the ACC, but the beginning of the tournaments snuck up on me, so here goes:

Big East: I wanna see UConn-Pitt 3, because I don’t think there’s any way in college basketball betting hell that the Panthers can beat the Huskies three times this season. Problem is, they’ll probably wear themselves out before meeting top-seeded Louisville in the final, where the Cardinals will be victorious and earn an inside track on a No.1 seed.

Pac-10: Online betting odds still favor UCLA, even though Washington won the regular-season title. The Huskies have flown under the radar all season, but look for this tournament to be their coming-out party, especially freshman guard Isaiah Thomas. Don’t sleep on Washington, March Madness betting players.

Big-10: Michigan State. Seriously, bet on anyone else in this tournament, and you’re setting yourself up for a loss. Tom Izzo’s squad got this.

SEC: This will be closer than people think, although LSU has been the league’s best all year. Tennessee, however, has a very good coach in Bruce Pearl, and underachieving Florida can say the same about Billy Donovan. LSU stumbled into the tournament with a pair of losses, so I’m taking the Vols, because they haven’t played up to their potential yet this year.

NEVER underestimate the coaches, folks. They’re pretty much the difference around this time of year when it comes to March Madness betting.

March Madness betting has me so excited for the “Big Dance”, I can barely contain myself. There are so many games in my sportsbook this weekend, it’s insane. Saturday, No.1 UConn and No.3 Pitt go at it, and later that night, No.6 Louisville and West Virginia will battle, and the Huskies, Panthers and Cardinals all have a shot at the Big East crown. But the grandaddy of them all comes on Sunday, when No.2 North Carolina and No.7 Duke throw down.

The Tar Heels should be the online betting favorites in this contest, and they’ll be going for a season sweep of the Blue Devils, who can earn a split of the title with a win. The Tar Heels rolled to a 101-87 win at Duke on February 11th, powered by Lawson’s 25 points. Look for more of the same on Sunday, as the Blue Devils don’t have anyone who can keep Lawson from getting in the lane.  Tyler Hansbrough will also have a big game as it’s his last game at the “Dean Dome”. Bet on North Carolina to claim the ACC regular-season title as they head into the conference tournament, and cement their status as the March Madness betting favorites.

March Madness betting fans wait every year for the tradition – the NCAA Tournament. That’s because everyone loves the upsets.

Here’s an update on all the key dates for the 2009 March Madness Tournament:

Selection Sunday: March 15, 2009 – NCAA basketball odds will be posted

Opening Round Game: March 17, 2009 – Play-in game

First Round: March 19-20, 2009 – That’s the day when 12 seeds upend 5 seeds on the college basketball point spread

Second Round: March 21-22, 2009

Third Round: March 26-27, 2009

Fourth Round: March 28-29, 2009 – Final Four odds will be posted

Final Four: April 4 & 6, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

So I wrote last week that North Carolina’s loss to Boston College to open up the ACC portion of their schedule was no reason to get up in arms. The Tar Heels followed with a 38-point beating of Charleston College, which figured to give them momentum heading into their meeting with then-No.4 Wake Forest.

Needless to say, it didn’t work out so well. The Tar Heels fell by 3, but it’s not quite panic time yet for you Tar Heel fans. Sportsbook odds still give North Carolina a big betting edge to win the national championship at -150, as they don’t even need to win the ACC. They just need to get to the Tournament, and NO ONE will want to face North Carolina. I have a feeling that the scene of Wake Forest fans storming the court will be incentive enough to send the Tar Heels on a big run through the ACC.