Ed Welch
The calendar has flipped to March, which can mean only one thing: betting on the NCAA tournament odds. Over the next two weeks, the final field of 68 teams will be decided which makes it a great time to search out betting trends in the odds to win March Madness.
In what appears to be a wide-open year for the Big Dance, these teams below could provide some money this March is they can win the national championship.
Kentucky Wildcats 14/1
The Wildcats are always among the college blue bloods at the top of the board when the March Madness odds open, but a pair of mid-season non-conference losses to Ohio State and Utah sent UK tumbling down the futures market. Since then, the Wildcats have been outstanding with only two losses in conference play and a great two-way team that can score and defend with the best teams in the country.
Kentucky has won eight straight games heading into the final week of SEC play, with John Calipari getting his promising squad to peak at the right time. The Wildcats really put themselves ahead of the rest of the SEC with a dominating win over Auburn this past weekend and have the depth and pro-ready talent to make some noise during the NCAA tournament.
Michigan State Spartans 20/1
Michigan State is another school that was among the favorites to win the NCAA tournament when the odds markets opened, but with the Big Ten being a beast to navigate this season, the Spartans fell off the pace and down the March Madness board. Michigan State, however, is heating up at the right time, winning three straight games after a 4-6 stretch in January and February.
Tom Izzo is a master at navigating the bracket and has an experienced team that knows what it takes to win during March, having gone to the Final Four in 2019. Cassius Winston is one of the best players in the country and leads a MSU squad that can light it up on offense and shut it down on the defensive end.
Seton Hall Pirates 20/1
The Pirates are the beasts from the Big East. Seton Hall is a big physical team that will pound on opponents on both ends of the floor, a huge advantage in those quick turnarounds during the postseason. The Pirates length does a great job defending the rim and holding opponents to just 39% shooting from the floor. They sit second in the country in blocks per game and have a go-to scorer on the other end in Myles Powell.
Seton Hall is also picking up steam in the final week of the Big East regular season with three straight wins and a two-game lead atop the conference. The Pirates are projected to earn a No. 2 seed thanks to its strong conference performances but also a stout non-conference calendar as well. Seton Hall took Michigan State to the brink during non-conference play, losing by three back in November.
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