#5-IOWA HAWKEYES

The 2011 Iowa Hawkeyes come in under the radar after a disappointing 2010 which saw them lose 5 games by less than 7 points.

Iowa's offense looks to be one of the better offensive units in the conference with a veteran offensive line, a QB with big game experience, an all-conference wide reciever and a star in the making running back. James Vandenberg takes over for the departed Ricky Stanzi and has WR Marvin McNutt back as his main target. Marcus Coker will run behind an offensive line that looks to rival Iowa's famed 2002 offensive line.

The Iowa defense has been good to great every year for the past 10 seasons however there are major holes in this years edition. The defensive line must improve on a terrible 2010. The linebackers are young and there is little depth behind them. The Hawkeyes secondary showcases all Big Ten corner Shawn Prater and return specialist Micah Hyde.

Iowa will get off to a quick 4-0 start which includes a win over Big East favorite Pittsburgh. The Big Ten schedule is favorable and features a year end clash against Nebraska. Michigan State visits Kinnick Stadium for a second straight year the week after Michigan comes calling. Prediction: 9-3 overall, 5-3 in conference.

#6-MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Brady Hoke takes over in Ann Arbor after the failed Rich Rod experiment and looks to restore the good name and pride that has previously defined Michigan football.

Denard Robinson is back behind center after an up and down 2010. Michigan's main challenge in 2011 will be keeping Robinson healthy. His style is conducive to taking big hits which is the main reason why Hoke will attempt to keep Robinson in the pocket more this fall. Michigan's undersized offensive line wants to run the ball between the tackles this season which means running backs Michael Shaw and Vincent Smith will need to be durable.

Poor defense is what eventually doomed the Rich-Rod era and things don't look to get much better right away. The Wolverines will will return to a standard 4-3 alignment this fall which should help defensive tackles William Campbell and his running mate Mike Martin in getting back to making plays in the offensive backfield.

Michigan hosts 4 non-conference foes including Notre Dame and an under-rated San Diego State team. The Big Ten slate looks managable despite finishing against Nebraska and Ohio State (both also in Ann Arbor). Prediction: 8-4 overall; 4-4 in conference.

#7 NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS

Pat Fitzgerald returns for another year in Evanston after 3 straight bowl appearances. One has to figure that at some point, hopefully soon, the big boys will come calling to pluck Fitzgerald away from Northwestern.

Dan Persa, who arguable is the best QB in the Big Ten, returns after his 2010 campaign was cut short due to injury. Questions remain if Persa will actually be healthy enough to compete at that same high level this fall. RB Mike Trumpy contributed as a freshman and will see an expanded role carrying the ball this year. Persa should end up carrying the ball less than he did in 2010 due to the possibility of further injury, and as a result, Adonis Smith will see more carries.

The Northwestern defense looks to be around the league average however they do return 3 of 4 starters in the secondary. The battle in Evanston has always been keeping opponents points off the board. This does not figure to change in 2011 as the Wildcats will be involved in several high scoring shoot outs.

Northwestern opens with a good test at Boston College, a game that will likely be determined by the health of Persa. The other 3 non-conference games should be wins for the Wildcats. During Big Ten play, Northwestern misses Wisconsin and Ohio State but travels to both Nebraska and Iowa. Prediction: 7-5 overall, 4-4 in conference.

MR. THURSDAY NIGHT RETURNS!

Football is back and the season opens with a bang as more than a dozen games take place on this wonderful Thursday Night. We'll focus our attention on the Big Ten favorite Wisconsin Badgers as they host UNLV.

UNLV is extremely young all over the field including at QB as Caleb Herring is making his first college start tonight. UNLV hasn't featured a good defense since Stacey Augmon graduated so look for the Badgers to pile up the points as Russell Wilson makes his highly anticipated debut at Camp Randall. Occasionally teams will struggle out of the gate as Wisconsin did last year at UNLV before pulling away late. We look for it to be much easier this time around for the Badgers as they will roll UNLV, 51-10.

WISCONSIN -34 VS UNLV

#8-PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

Penn State continues their slide down the Big Ten standings this year as questions surround Joe Pa's future. While no doubt a legend to the game, Paterno's time has passed and the program in Happy Valley will be better off once he calls it a career.

Evan Royster has finally graduated after what seemed like an 8 year college career. Silas Redd will take over at running back and will likely be a better version of Royster. Rob Bolden will battle Matt McGloin for the starting quarterback position on an offense that hasn't been a threat through the air for two years now.

The Penn State defense looks solid as usual with linebackesr Michael Mauti, Gerald Hodges, and Nate Stupar all returning. If there is a question on defense, it wiil be on the defensive line where tackles Devon Still and Jordan Hill still are unproven.

The non-conference schedule features a September clash with Alabama along with 3 easy wins. During league play, Penn State gets Nebraska and Iowa at home which should help but they end the season at Ohio State and Wisconsin. Prediction: 6-6 overall, 3-5 in conference.

#9-ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

The Zooker returns for another season in Champaign with what appears to be his most talented team yet as 15 starters are returning.

Impressive QB Nathan Scheelhaase looks to build on an impressive 2010 when he totaled 868 yards rushing in addition to his 1,825 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air. Star RB Mikel Leshoure is off to the NFL so Jason Ford looks to finally get his shot full time. The offensive line returns three of five starters and is led by senior left tackle Jeff Allen.

On defense, the secondary figures to take charge now that the Illini's two defensive line anchors from 2010 Corey Liuget and Clay Nurse are gone. Ball hawking cornerbacks Tavon Wilson and Terry Hawthorne will allow the Zooker to send the blitz out of almost any defensive package.

Illinois hosts two gimmes prior to hosting a good Arizona State team in late September. The conference slate looks manageable with no Iowa or Nebraska however Ron Zook always finds a way to lose the close games. Illini fans will hope 2011 is it for Zook after another disappointing season. Prediction: 6-6 overall; 3-5 in conference.

#10-PURDUE BOIILERMAKERS

The Boilermakers enter the 2011 season looking to rebound from a 4-8 2010 campaign. On the plus side, Purdue returns depth and experience at many key positions. On the downside, these same players went 4-8 last fall.

Offensively, Rob Henry had won the starting QB job until he went down in camp with a season ending injury. Robert Marve (if eligible) will get another shot to lead a Boilermaker offense that has lacked their signature high octane passing game for the past several seasons. Ralph Bolden returns at RB after missing all of 2010 with a knee injury. The WR position is the main question mark on offense however the OL returns 4 starters.

On defense, Ryan Kerrigan is gone (NFL) which figures to negatively impact an already weak defensive line. Purdue’s secondary looks to be the strength of the unit with Ricardo Allen back after 3 INTs and 2 TDs last season. Purdue also boasts perhaps the best kicker in the country with Carson Wiggs. Once past midfield, Wiggs is in range.

The non-conference schedule features 3 very winnable games followed by Notre Dame visiting West Lafayette. The Boilers figure to get out of this stretch at 3-1 before entering conference play vs Minnesota. Prediction: 5-7 overall, 2-6 in conference.

#11-INDIANA HOOSIERS

New head coach Kevin Wilson takes over in Bloomington looking to restore a program that has been sputtering now for the better part of two decades.

Star quarterback Ben Chappel has graduated which means Dusty Kiel likely gets the nod behind center this fall. Wilson is known to be an offensive guru so the Hoosier faithful are hoping he can turn Kiel into what he turned Sam Bradford into at Oklahoma. The ground game doesn’t look much more promising with Trea Burgess likely to get the bulk of the carries after amassing 600 yards in his first two seasons.

On the defensive side of the ball, things do not look much more promising for a unit that gave up 40+ points four times last season (including 83 at Wisconsin). Jeff Thomas returns at linebacker but that doesn’t figure to be enough for an Indiana team that ranked 102 in points allowed in 2010.

The non-conference schedule is light as usual with trips to Ball State and North Texas surrounding home games versus Virginia and South Carolina State. The Hoosiers likely come out of this with a 2-2 mark before heading to conference play where they travel to Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State. The only real hope for a conference win comes in their annual state showdown with Purdue. Prediction: 3-9 overall, 1-7 in conference.

#12-MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

Today begins our annual Big Ten conference rundown. If past years are any indication, you can take these locks to the bank! Up first is the Golden Gophers of Minnesota:

The Gophers enter the season coming off another losing season that improbably ended on a high note with a home win over Iowa.

Jerry Kill takes over in Minneapolis and will do so with a gaping hole at QB after the graduation of Adam Weber. Highly ranked dual threat recruit Marqueis Gray takes over an offense which figures to be able to move the ball on the ground with DeLeon Eskridge returning.

As usual, the defense looks to be the weakness for Minnesota. Last year the Gophers gave up over 33 points and 400 yards of offense per game and it doesn’t appear that will improve in the new 4-3 system brought by new Defensive Coordinator Tracy Claeys.

Minnesota opens at USC then plays 3 mid-majors (at best) at home. A 3-1 start looks likely however the Gophers last victory of the 2011 season may very well come in September. With no Indiana on the schedule, the best shot for a Gopher conference victory looks to be versus Illinois on the last Saturday of the regular season. Prediction: 3-9 overall, 0-8 in conference.

MLB RETURNS

We've got wagers in 3 seperate sports for you today/tomorrow........as Mr. Thursday Night continues to blaze the books!

PHILLIES/ROCKIES 2 TEAM MLB PARLAY

BUTLER/KENTUCKY 2 TEAM ML NCAA PARLAY

FLYERS/COYOTES 2 TEAM NHL PARLAY

SOUND THE ALARMS

3-0 on the NCAA hardwood yesterday raises our tournament record to 17-8 including a 17-5 run. 2 elite games plus 12 games on the ice equals a busy Saturday for Mr. Thursday Night and HC&P. We are expecting Derrick Williams and Arizona to finally end UCONN's incredible run while the clock finally reaches midnight for giant killer Butler. A few more NHL plays will likely be added later in the day. Good luck!

ARIZONA ML (+130) vs UCONN

FLORIDA -4 VS BUTLER

BOSTON BRUINS/LOS ANGELES KINGS 2 TEAMER +140

FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL

The hits just keep on coming here at HC&P as a 3-1 NCAA Thursday boosted our tournament record to an outstanding 14-8. Four more games tonight plus 5 games on the ice to choose from.

VCU ML (+160) vs FSU

NORTH CAROLINA (-105) -4.5 VS MARQUETTE

BUFFALO SABRES/WASHINGTON CAPITALS 2 TEAM NHL PARLAY (+130)

TO THE ICE

Our focus once again returns to the ice as the NCAA tournament takes a 3 day break. The weekend NCAA mark was 11-7 which is mighty impressive considering the 0-3 start. Two games in the NHL tonight as the beat up Penguins face the beat up Red Wings. Calgary also travels to LA a night after blowing a late lead in Anaheim.

LA KINGS/DETROIT REDWINGS 2 TEAM NHL PARLAY +160

MR. THURSDAY NIGHT=MR. MARCH MADNESS?

The hammer dropped on Saturday as Mr. Thursday Night posted a 4-0 NCAA mark running his tournament record to 9-5. Expect more of the same on Sunday as 3 games have caught our eye.

On the ice, the Coyotes return home after a very sucessful western road swing to take on the Black Hawks. Despite playing at home and having more points that Chicago on the season, the odds makers have made the Hawks the favorite in this one. Also of note, the Yotes will have a rested Ilyz Bryzgalov back between the pipes after getting Friday off. We see the Yotes staying hot and moving closer to clinching a playoff spot with a 3-1 win.

NORTH CAROLINA -4.5 VS WASHINGTON

NOTRE DAME -5 VS FLORIDA STATE

ARIZONA +6 VS TEXAS

PHOENIX COYOTES (EVEN) VS CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS

CREAM OF THE CROP

We've reached the 2nd round which is when the cream of the crop begins to rise to the top. Favorites will rule the day on the college hardwood as we have 4 sure-fire March money markers for your ass today. On the ice, the teams in playoff battles will be hungry this weekend so find your NHL bubble teams and ride them all the way to the bank. Good luck to all.

3 TEAM NHL PARLAY: WILD/KINGS/SABRES

RICHMOND -4

WISCONSIN -3.5

KENTUCKY -4

SAN DIEGO STATE -6

FANTASTIC FRIDAY

Another subpar day was made up for by MTN with the late add a SJ/PHX/CGY 3 teamer which salvaged the night. Today we've got 1 high value NHL parlay and 3 NCAA picks. The NHL parlay includes 2 of the 4 best team in hockey but the payout does not reflect that. Lock this in before Nicklas Backstrom returns and the number drops.

CAPITALS/CANUCKS +290

ILLINOIS ML VS UNLV

MICHIGAN +1.5 VS TENNESSEE

VILLANOVA -1.5 VS GEORGE MASON

Our 4 Unit NHL Parlay went KABOOM resulting in a winning night here at HC&P. The NCAA tournament kicks off in full force and there are 11 games on the NHL slate so it will be a busy Thursday.

ODU -2.5 VS BUTLER

SDSU -15.5 VS NORTHERN COLORADO

SJU -1 VS GONZAGA

FLAMES/COYOTES/MAPLE LEAFS PARLAY +340

RECOVERY

Mr. Thursday Night took one on the chin last night but today looks to be a 3-0 day as the NHL winds down while the NCAA tournament "First Four" carries on.

USC -4.5 VS VCU

**4 UNITS**DETROIT RED WINGS/VANCOUVER CANUCKS PARLAY (+130)

ANAHIEM DUCKS/CAROLINA HURRICANES PARLAY (+190)

THE MADNESS BEGINS

1-1 last night for Mr. Thursday Night as he once again learned the San Jose Sharks can not be trusted. The NCAA tournament kicks off tonight with a pair of play-in games. We're banking on UAB gaining a little bit of motivation from the media ripping them the past two days. In the NHL, Carolina travels to Buffalo with their playoff lives on the line. This clash is game 1 of our 2 team NHL parlay with the other matchup featuring a decimnated Coyotes squad traveling to Calgary to face the Flames in the always difficult Saddledome.

NHL PARLAY: CAROLINA/CALGARY +310

NCAA: UAB +5 VS CLEMSON

EDIT: Adding MONTREAL (-120) VS WASHINGTON

NCAA Tournament Week

March Madness is upon us with action beginning tomorrow night in what promises to be one of the most unpredictable tournaments in recent history. While we wait for the basketball to get under way, Mr. Thursday Night has a couple of hockey plays to keep you entertained this evening. Mr. Thursday Night continues to tear up the NHL, and is coming off a very nice 3 teamer last night.

Tampa Bay Lightning ML (-105) at Toronto Maple Leafs

San Jose Sharks/Vancouver Canucks 2 team parlay (+250)