Mad about March
Mad about March
With league tournaments beginning this week and ending by March 11th, the top seedings for March Madness start to come into focus. Here’s how the top teams stack up before conference tournament play.
This week’s Top Four in the college basketball landscape:
#1. Houston - The Cougars jump back into the top spot and should remain here without a clear threat in the AAC tournament.
Odds to win NCAA Title: +600
#2. Alabama - Alabama endured a week of controversy and the team’s first loss in the SEC, to Tennessee. If the Tide reach the SEC title game, they will likely earn a #1 seed.
Odds to win NCAA Title: +800
#3. Kansas - I’ve been saying it for a couple of weeks now, here comes Kansas! They move up again and look like the class of arguably the best conference in the country, the Big 12.
Odds to win NCAA Title: +900
#4. UCLA - Another loss by Arizona sealed the regular season Pac-12 crown for the Bruins. They are above average on both ends of the floor and have experience. This will be a tough team to eliminate in the tournament.
Odds to win NCAA Title: +1200
Best of the Rest:
#5. Purdue - The Boilermakers seem to have a Hoosier problem, losing to Indiana for the second time this season on Saturday. More telling is the team’s inability to defend quality wing players like Jalen Hood-Schifino, who dropped 35 points on Purdue from all over the floor.
Odds to win NCAA Title: +900
#6. Gonzaga - The Zags pulled out a big win over Saint Mary’s on Saturday night that will likely result in another regular season league title. With a conference tournament title, the Zags still have an outside shot at a #1 seed.
Odds to win NCAA Title: +2500
#7. Marquette - Marquette is on top of the Big East standings and has won four in a row including two against top-25 opponents. Marquette will earn a top 2 seed with a Big East Tournament final visit.
Odds to win NCAA Title: +3500
#8. Virginia - Despite a two-game losing streak, the ACC is still Virginia’s to lose. If the Hoos can settle in, they will earn a top-2 seed.
Odds to win NCAA Title: +2500
Best Future Odds:
A couple of blue-blood programs to keep an eye on as March Madness approaches: Duke and Indiana. The Blue Devils have won four in a row and possess one of the best defenses in the country. They currently check in with +5000 odds to win the title. Meanwhile, Indiana ousted Purdue for the second straight time and has a future star on its hands with Hood-Schifino to pair with Trayce Jackson-Davis. And point guard Xavier Johnson is due back soon. Odds for the title: +2500
In parenthesis, NCAA Tournament title odds. Odds courtesy of BetMGM.com
By Mark Ruelle
