Betting Advice: Men’s College Basketball Futures Before Selection Sunday
The shocking and thrilling outcomes known as “March Madness” is in full effect in conference tournaments ahead of Selection Sunday!
We have already seen defending national champion Baylor, Big Ten top seed Illinois and SEC top seed Auburn knocked out of their respective tournaments in their first games. Duke and Villanova barely survived and advanced Thursday in their opening games in the ACC tournament and Big East tournament, respectively.
We had an amazing day Thursday here at SI Betting, as my respected investments went 6-0 against the spread (ATS) for a clean sweep of the board!
As we progress this weekend, the upsets will undoubtedly continue!
With Selection Sunday just two days away, I polled some of my colleagues where they felt the value was in futures’ odds at SI Sportsbook before we see the road each team will be assigned by the selection committee.
Without further ado….
Check the Latest Odds at SI Sportsbook
Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
SI Fantasy’s Craig Ellenport:
I’ve never been much of a Duke fan, but I’ve got mad respect for Mike Krzyzewski. Ending his storied career with another NCAA title would make for great theater, and he’s got the team to do it. At the very least, expect Coach K to make his 13th Final Four appearance – which would pass the legendary John Wooden for most all-time. Once there, Krzyzewski’s big-game experience will be the difference and guide the Blue Devils to a dramatic victory. If there’s a sleeper worth looking at, I’d take a flier on Arkansas. The Razorbacks entered the SEC tournament as the fourth seed behind Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee – and they beat all three of those teams during the season.
BETS: Duke +1000; Value: Arkansas +4000
SI Betting and Fantasy‘s Kyle Wood:
Does defense still win championships? That’s how the old adage goes, at least, and by the advanced metrics, Texas Tech has the top unit in the country on that side of the ball. That matters in March when it’s crunch time. The Red Raiders’ offense leaves something to be desired compared to other top-flight teams, but they get the job done and shoot a solid percentage from the field as a team, even though their three-point shooting is a clear weakness. TTU gets after the ball and holds opponents below 39% from the field. That helps make up for just an OK offense. And what I love most about Texas Tech is they’re battle tested. That’s always going to be the case in the Big 12—and they’ve defeated Baylor twice, Texas twice and Kansas once—but their non-conference schedule also pitted them against Gonzaga (a loss) and Tennessee (a win). I like the odds here for a team who has proved it can beat the best teams in the nation.
BET: Texas Tech +2200
SI Betting’s Matt Ehalt:
I actually placed bets a week ago that answer this question, but I’m starting to feel uneasy about my value play. That’s resulting in a change. Overall—and I hate doing chalk plays in futures betting—I believe this is Gonzaga’s (+375) year. I don’t see another team actually beating them. If the Bulldogs can’t win it this year, when are they actually going to win it all? So many of these other teams are flawed. For value, I bet Duke two weeks ago at 13-1 and like that value, but they just are not instilling confidence right now coming off a loss to UNC and an uninspiring win against Syracuse. So, let’s go with UCLA. As I wrote in my Pac-12 tournament betting preview, I’m in on the Bruins. A good roster with postseason experience is always a plus, especially this year where so many contenders are flawed. A team with a great player like Johnny Juzang can make a deep run. At 25-1 value, that’s a bet I’ll make.
BETS: Gonzaga (+375); Value: UCLA (+25000)
SI Betting and Fantasy’s Bill Enright:
Is nostalgia sound logic for banking on a team? Absolutely not. Is that going to step me? Absolutely not. While Coach Mike Krzyzewski is pulling a Donna Summer for his “Last Dance,” his squad is surely locking in a No. 1 seed in the tournament. There’s no better way for Coach K to end his swan song than cutting down the nets. Oh, and then of course there’s his loaded roster of future NBA superstars including Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, both of whom should be lotto picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. Grab that +1000 as you watch Coach K claim his sixth national championship.
BET: Duke +1000
John Minchillo/AP
SI.com’s Dan Lyons:
The Tigers are currently tied for the sixth-best odds to win it all over at SI Sportsbook, and while the NCAA tournament is always a crapshoot, I like the value there. A surprising early SEC tournament loss aside, this team has the star power necessary to make a run in March, with the sensational Jabari Smith and two-way big man Walker Kessler joined by reliable guards K.D. Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. The tough SEC has Bruce Pearl’s team pretty well tested, and while the program doesn’t jump off the page as your typical basketball contender like some of the others atop the current odds like Gonzaga, Kentucky, Duke and Arizona, they’re not a total newcomer either. Pearl’s team made a somewhat surprising run to the Final Four in 2019, and sat at 25–6 before the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA tournament. This may be the best team he’s had On The Plains yet, and while some suspect three-point shooting scares me a bit, I like how they’re built as we near the Big Dance.
BET: Auburn +1200
SI Betting’s Frankie Taddeo:
Earlier this year, I invested in the Kentucky Wildcats (+1400), the Baylor Bears (+1800) and the Villanova Wildcats (+2100). I believe all three teams have elite production at vital positions, great coaches roaming the sidelines and veteran leadership. Looking at the updated odds at SI Sportsbook as of Friday morning, my eyes still land on Kentucky thanks to the superb 1-2 combination of projected NBA lottery pick TyTy Washington and the best player in the country in forward Oscar Tshiebwe. The likely runaway winner of the Naismith Award is averaging an eye-popping 17.3 points and 15.3 rebounds per game playing in one of the best conferences in the country. As we know, Selection Sunday will tell us way more after we see the road each team will have to travel to book a punch a ticket to New Orleans. My advice is hold off on placing any Futures’ wagers if you haven’t already invested as these odds are not the ‘true-odds’ you will find post bracketology. With a wide open field, the Madness is almost here. Buckle Up!
BET: Kentucky +800
SI COLLEGE BASKETBALL BETTING REVIEW
2021: SI Betting is hoping to pick where we left last season when our NCAA tournament betting plays yielded major financial success, thanks to Alabama (+220), Illinois (+375) and Georgia Tech (+2500) all delivering conference tournament championship victories in the SEC, Big Ten and ACC, respectively.
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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
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