While NHL trade deadline 2012 will be on the minds of many who track hockey player movement, March Madness is about to begin as teams are starting to jockey for their spot in the NCAA Tournament, and we still have the conference championships as well. Here are five teams to take to the bank.

Kentucky (+275) – No one in the country is more talented, and no one is more active on defense than the Wildcats, and some Wagerweb reviews will show that Kentucky is still improving. Anthony Davis is a defensive barrier and may be the national Player of the Year, but the key to Kentucky’s chances is Marquis Teague, who is still learning to run John Calipari’s offense.

North Carolina (+450) – The Tar Heels may have as much talent as Kentucky, but they can be mentally broken, it seems, and it remains to be seen how they will be affected by their stunning loss to Duke on their home court. North Carolina has an inside-outside game to rival anyone in the country, but they’ll need a strong showing in the ACC Tournament to sway some players that use pay per head software.

Duke (+500): The Blue Devils are on the rise after their win at North Carolina, and Austin Rivers capped his best game of the season with the buzzer-beater. Duke still has to work on their inside presence, however, because they would have gotten run out of North Carolina if they weren’t hitting their three-pointers. They live by the trey, but they can also die by it and the Blue Devils have to manufacture scoring when they aren’t hitting their long-distance shots.

Syracuse (+650): Fab Melo may be the single-most important player to any team’s March Madness betting odds; without him, the Syracuse zone isn’t as challenging once you get past the perimeter. But Melo’s shot-blocking presence is the key to their success, and Kris Joseph needs to continue to be aggressive at the offensive end of the floor.

Kansas (+1000): The Jayhawks have played well above expectations this season, and Thomas Robinson could be next year’s national Player of the Year if he decides to stay at school, and they have a veteran point guard in Tyshawn Taylor, although he can be prone to bad decisions. The Jayhawks have also been hardened by a tough schedule and a win in the Big Tournament could cause their odds to go down; they could even end up leapfrogging the loser of Duke/North Carolina (and it’s no certainty that either will win the ACC Tournament). It would be a smart decision if you jumped on Kansas’ NCAA basketball betting odds now before they lose value.