2011 March Madness betting is underway and brackets are being filled out at a rapid pace as the most wonderful time of the year has tipped off for college hoops players. Here is a quick look at how the Tournament breaks down, and who we think will cut down the nets in Houston.

The No.1 Seeds

Ohio State, Kansas, Duke and Pittsburgh are all deserving top seeds, although the Panthers were the only ones who failed to win their conference tournament. The Blue Devils will be out to defend their national title, but Duke has a tough bracket in the West, while Kansas looks to have a clear path to the Final Four. But then again, your March Madness bracket rarely goes as planned, does it? Ohio State is the No.1 overall seed, and they’ll have a big target on their backs.

The Next Level

In the East, North Carolina, Washington and Kentucky all have what it takes to push the Buckeyes, while in the aforementioned West, Duke will be chased by Arizona, Texas and San Diego State, possibly the most underrated No.2 seed in history. In the Southeast, Pitt has to worry about the likes of Gonzaga, St. John’s (who beat Pitt this year), a resurgent Kansas State and Florida. Finally, in the Southwest, Purdue and Notre figure to be Kansas’ biggest obstacles, but even MLB betting players would warn you to watch for the underdog. Don’t forget about BYU, either.

The Darkhorses

Dangerous lower-ranked teams to keep an eye out for include Gonzaga, Missouri, Utah State, Richmond, Old Dominion and even "elite" programs like UCLA and Michigan State, especially the Spartans, who may be the most dangerous 10-seed in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

The Pick

There are no teams that set themselves apart from the rest of the country by a wide margin, but we’re looking at a Kansas-Ohio State final. The Jayhawks should get just enough challenges along the way to keep them interested, while the Buckeyes are versatile and experienced. We’re going with the Jayhawks to come away with their sixth national title and first since 2008, because Kansas’ depth will allow them to run a number of different defenders at Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger and the Buckeyes’ three-point shooters that feed off the freshman big man. Kansas has a good mix of youth and experience on the team, they can score inside and out, but their depth is what sets them apart because they can wear teams down in the second half of games. The Buckeyes are a great team, but we’re going to go with Kansas by seven or eight points, so lay a bet on the Jayhawks.