The sheer number of upsets that took place in the opening rounds of the March Madness tournament has made this year’s NCAA tournament one of the most exciting of all-time. The unpredictability has destroyed brackets and put the pressure on the higher seeds. Meanwhile, the lower seeds have to feel that much more confident after witnessing the upsets that took place early on. Here is a look at some of the biggest storylines from this year’s March Madness as well as some updated odds to win the tournament.
Favorites
Villanova +600
With one No. 1 seed done and a handful of other top seeds following suit, Villanova is now the consensus sports betting favorite to win this year’s tournament. The Wildcats should be able to take care of business against West Virginia in the Sweet 16, opening the door for a deep run. Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson lead a talented and deep cast of talent that has the potential to lead Villanova all the way to a title.
Duke +800
After wins over Iona and Rhode Island, Duke’s path to the Final Four became a little clearer when Michigan State went down. The Blue Devils are on a collision course to meet Kansas in the Round of 8, but that’s a challenge they can definitely handle. With a clear path to the Final Four, Duke deserves to be considered among the favorites to win it all.
Kentucky +1600
Virginia’s loss opened the door for Kentucky to make a deep run in the South region. Then Cincinnati and Arizona went down and the South region became wide open. The Wildcats have the talent to go the distance and the road to the Final Four just became a lot easier. At +600 odds to win it all, Kentucky is a decent value bet among the remaining favorites to win a national championship.
Sleeper Picks
Nevada +50000
Nevada turned a lot of heads with its win over Cincinnati. While they still have a long way to go to win a title, their odds improved when Tennessee and Arizona went down. Kentucky is the toughest obstacle in the Wolfpack’s way but if they can find a way to get past Loyola Chicago then they only need one more win to reach the Elite Eight. Nevada is still a long shot to win it all, but the odds might make it worth taking a chance on them as a sleeper pick.
Syracuse +25000
The Orange are once again in the Sweet 16 after taking down TCU and Michigan State. Now they are focused on getting back to the Final Four with Duke the next team standing in their way. If they can upset the Blue Devils, they should be able to reach the Final Four. The Orange are still clearly a long shot to even get past the next round. However, at long odds Syracuse might be worth putting some money down on as a deep sleeper pick that might just be capable of making a Cinderella run.
Odds To Win March Madness
Wildcats +600
Blue Devils +800
Wildcats +1600
Bulldogs +1500
Wolverines +1400
Jayhawks +1200
Mountaineers +2500
Boilermakers +1200
Red Raiders +4000
Aggies +15000
Tigers +15000
Wolf Pack +50000
Wildcats +50000
Seminoles +35000
Ramblers +25000
Orange +25000
