We are just over three weeks away from Selection Sunday, the date that the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee fulfills dreams and breaks hearts.
There are some teams already guaranteed a spot in the dance, and they are favorites to be in the Final Four. While most of the rest of the field is hoping to try on Cinderella’s slipper for the three-week journey to the Final Four in New Orleans.
National Championship Favorites
Last weekend the NCAA Selection Committee released its current snapshot of what their top-16 looks like, and their favorites largely coincide with the betting favorites.
Gonzaga is the much-deserved top dog, currently paying +450. The Bulldogs are also the top-ranked team in the polls and by the Selection Committee. The second-ranked Auburn Tigers – in the eyes of the Selection Committee – is actually fourth in the current betting odds, paying +1000.
Kentucky was sixth in the released weekend bracket, but the Wildcats are actually second in betting odds, paying +800. The Wildcats from Arizona are the third-highest betting favorite, paying +850.
The Selection Committee gave one of its top seeds to Kansas, the same bracket where Kentucky is the No. 2 seed. But the Jayhawks are paying +1600 to win the National Championship, which is double the payout of Kentucky.
Final Four Underdogs
Tennessee is projected to be the third seed by the Selection Committee, but they are paying a whopping +5000 on a National Championship futures bet. For a team getting that much love from the powers that be and also has wins over North Carolina, Arizona, and Kentucky just over a week ago, that is an incredible value.
Likely, by the time the NCAA releases its full bracket, the odds on Tennessee will have dropped.
The Houston Cougars are in or near the top-10 in most of the various power rankings, but bettors haven’t seemed to notice. The first-place team in the American Athletic Conference is paying +4000.
Darkhorses Worth a Look
Connecticut is a top-20 team, the Huskies are in third place in the Big East, and they have wins over Auburn and Villanova. The win over Villanova was just this Tuesday – UConn’s fourth win in a row – and they are playing much better basketball than their +10000 odds would suggest.
Another excellent value play is Iowa, who is also playing its best basketball as the postseason nears. The Hawkeyes, paying +10000, have won five of their last six games and rank fourth in the nation in points scored per game. Iowa ranks first in the nation in assists to turnovers, and it’s that kind of mistake-free basketball that wins games in March.
Pay Per Head Software
Conference tournaments begin at the end of the month, and then it’s non-stop elimination basketball for all of March. This is the perfect time for independent bookmakers to join forces with a top pay per head software provider like WagerHome.com.
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