The Best Bets for March Madness 2010
by Aaron Torres
With the 2010 NCAA Tournament just about set to tip-off, it’s time to start looking at the odds on winning the championship. Let’s take a look today at some of the favorites, as well as a couple teams further off the board to consider:
Kansas (+175): The Jayhawks come into the NCAAB betting odds as the favorite, and there’s a reason why. They’ve gone 32-2 already on the year, and finished the regular season 15-1 in the Big XII, before blitzing through their conference tournament as well.
They’re deep and talented, as starters Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry will have bright futures in the NBA, as all three averaging double-figures in points on the season. Twins Marcus and Markieff Morris provide depth down low, combining to average close to 12 rebounds a game.
But for all the talk about Kansas’ high scoring offense (after all, they do average 85 points a game), what gets neglected is just how good this team is defensively. They give up just 63 points a game, while also allowing opponents to shoot just 38 percent from the field.
Even at such low odds, this still may be one of the smartest bets on the board.
Syracuse (+700): Obviously so much of this comes down to the health of center Arinze Onuaku, who may be out the first weekend of the tournament with a quad injury.
But even still, Syracuse is talented and experienced, entering the big dance with a 28-4 mark after a season in the rugged Big East.
What’s most impressive about Syracuse is how truly efficient their offense is. They finished the 2010 season ranked No. 1 in the country in field goal percentage, making close to 52 percent of their shots from the field.
It won’t be an easy run for Syracuse, but if they can make it through the vaunted West Regional, and get Onuaku back healthy, they’re as good a bet as any on the board.
Ohio State (+1200): A little further down the board, we find Ohio State, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest.
The toughest thing for Ohio State is that their region is loaded, with Kansas and Georgetown sandwiching them as the No. 1 and 3 seeds respectively. But who’s to say the Buckeyes will even have to face either?
Regardless, Ohio State is hot, having won 13 of their last 14 games, including the Big 10 Tournament championship this past weekend. They are led by All-American Evan Turner, who does it all, averaging a staggering 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists a ball-game. But he’s certainly not alone, as William Buford, Jon Diebler and David Lighty all average in double-figures too.
Georgetown (+2000): The Hoyas may actually be one of the best bets in all these college basketball betting odds, as they enter this tournament one of the hottest teams in college basketball, having made it all the way to the Big East Tournament final before losing to West Virginia.
Like Syracuse, Georgetown is one of the most efficient teams in college basketball offensively, as they rank in No. 4 overall in field goal percentage. Things won’t be easy, but nobody has a better 1-2-3 punch than the Hoyas, who feature future NBA stars Greg Monroe, Austin Freeman and Chris Wright.
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