This week North Carolina, Florida, UCLA, Kansas, Georgetown, Ohio State, and Memphis all advanced to the Elite Eight. Texas A&M was unfortunate enough to lose by one point in favor of Memphis.

The Final Four should be interesting to watch as a four #1 seeds are competing against four #2 seeds.

Below we have listed the chances the #1 seeds have of winning their final two games:

- The Florida Gators, the defending champions have a 36% chance;
- Georgetown has a 24% chance;
- Ohio State 22% chance;
- UCLA 18% chance.

Here are the true odds calculated according to the percentages presented above:

- Florida 2.8-to-1;
- Georgetown 4.1-to-1;
- Ohio State 4.5-to-1;
- UCLA 5.6-to-1.

In the two semi-final games we will see UCLA compete against Florida. It should make for some interesting watching as this is a rematch of last year’s national finals. The Bruins are also serious contenders as their only lost game was last year, 73-57 against the Florida Gators.

In the semi-final games we have the opportunity of seeing some of the tallest players in the world. I am talking about Greg Oden who is 7’1” and Roy Hibbert who is 7’2”.

Ohio State versus Georgetown should be an interesting match as we will get to see if Ohio can take Georgetown’s half-court style.

The national finals present four possible match-ups. Here are the true odds for all those match-ups:

- Florida vs. Georgetown: 32% or 3.1-to-1;
- Florida vs. Ohio State: 30% or 3.4-to-1);
- UCLA vs. Georgetown: 20% or 5.0-to-1);
- UCLA vs. Ohio State: 18% or 5.4-to-1).

The new release “Casino Royale” has brought James Bond back into perspective. What could be better than to organize a Black tie event with a James Bond theme?

If you want to throw a big black tie party prepare for a lot of work. Lots of people think it is really easy to plan a themed function, but in fact it isn’t. This is especially true when you wan to do something extraordinary, something that will stand out.

If you want to transform your function into a themed party, promotional literature will not cut it. It takes more than that, but the good thing is that you can achieve this in many ways. The main goal is to give the impression of a themed function. If your guests have that impression then you have done it.

Here are some pointers to get you started:

•    Get an authentic Aston Martin DB5 or other vehicle related to the James Bond films. Put them on display to set the scene. All the guests will notice them before arriving to the venue.

•    Hire a look-alike. It can be any character in the movie, but Bond or one of his archenemies is the best choice.

•    Hire a professional photographer. All the guests arriving in bond-esque pose make for a great photo opportunity. Maybe some of them will even want to take a picture with the look-alike.

•    Offer a wide variety of cocktails for a first drink, but make sure to include Bond’s famous vodka martini, shaken not stirred.

•    Get a string quartet to play the famous Bond soundtracks as background music whilst all the guests wait to be seated for dinner. This will truly capture the essence of the Bond theme.

•    Dress the room with props, backdrops and other theme elements in order create the perfect Bond atmosphere. It will make for the best venue transformation. Use color backdrops which come in all sizes and add depth to the theme. Crate a focal point by positioning a themed backdrop at the back of your stage area.

•    After diner has been served you can entertain your guests with numerous forms of entertainment such as authentic casino tables. You can use them to play for fun or to raise funds. It relates to the movie “Casino Royale” and it is great fun at the same time.

•    Get an electronic simulator to ad depth to the Bond theme. Chose between a simulator that flies a 747 jumbo jet or a Jet Ski simulator that will give your guests the impression of something that may have occurred in a Bond film.

The thing with black tie themed parties is knowing how to use your limit budget and extract the most theme from it. If you have trouble with this maybe you should consider hiring a professional event organizer. He will make your event a success by using your available budget.

As you may know the Final Four has very difficult betting lines and certain knowledge is required to make the right decision when it comes to picking the winner. There are many variable needed to be taken in consideration and that may be overwhelming to handle. A good sportsbook and its handicappers will help you with that.

The handicappers will analyze everything related to the teams but most important they will analyze the ATS (Against the Spread) record. This is often forgotten but it easily can point out the team which has the most winning chances.

Another important information presented by the handicappers is how a team manages when starts from the underdog position. A team which was all season underdog may perform better in the Final Four than a top ranked team. A great sportsbook will answer all these questions and it will help you win.