Getty Update odds to win the march madness NCAA tournament
Shortly after the release of the March Madness brackets, Oddsshark released their updated odds to win the March Madness NCAA tournament. Although Duke (shocker) comes in as the heavy favorite, the tournament behind them is wide open and ripe for the picking with some great value.
March Madness NCAA Tournament Betting Prediction & Picks
(Odds courtesy of OddsShark.
Duke is the runaway favorite to win and rightfully so, but what’s the fun in betting on the favorite? With such a deep field outside of Duke and the chance for an upset always looming in March, let’s take a look at some of the more undervalued teams that could offer a massive payday (along with a realistic chance to actually win).
Best Bets to Win
Texas Tech (+2500)
Despite being a three seed, Texas Tech gets some generous odds due to Duke’s sheer talent advantage. Despite this fact, Texas Tech is one of the best defensive teams in the nation and despite dropping their last game to a red-hot WVU team, has the makeup to go very deep in the tournament. Also bolstered by the fact that they wouldn’t theoretically face Duke until the Final Four, Texas Tech has a good chance to win their region and compete with any team they see in the Final Four. As they say in college basketball, “defense travels” and Texas Tech has defense in spades.
Nevada (+2500)
Once again finding themselves in the seventh seed, Nevada is undoubtedly a much better team than their ranking would indicate. Although prone to checking out of games and losing to lesser opponents, the Wolfpack learned a tough lesson last year in the tournament against Loyola-Chicago and will not be overlooking any opponents. A veteran roster headlined by the human swiss-army knife Martin twins, Nevada is a rangy defensive-minded team capable of scoring in a variety of ways.
Oregon +10000
Despite lacking their star freshman Bol Bol, Oregon found their rhythm in the Pac-12 tournament and bullied their way through the uncharacteristically weak conference. Arguably the hottest team in college basketball, Oregon is the team nobody wants to face right now and despite lacking Bol, has a number of other talented players courtesy of their loaded recruiting classes in recent years. If Oregon can stay hot, they pose a nightmare matchup for any team in the country. Plus, Bill Walton absolutely adores Oregon (the team and the state)!
Syracuse +6000
Although OddsShark gives them better odds compared to the Ducks, the Syracuse Orange are probably less equipped to win out the national championship. However, one can never rule out Jim Boeheim and his notorious 2-3 defense in the NCAA tournament. This Syracuse team is experienced and even upset the Duke Blue Devils on their home court during ACC play. While guard play is usually the deciding factor in the tournament, Syracuse’s hopes sit on the shoulders of the massive Pascal Chukwu. If Chukwu can dial in and avoid mental mistakes in the center of the 2-3 zone, Syracuse becomes one of the toughest teams in the nation to score against. Just like with Texas Tech, defense travels in the tournament and Syracuse’s notorious zone cannot be overlooked.