Selection Sunday has come and gone and now everyone knows which team will head against each other in the first round of the tournament. Some teams that have shown up on the roster were a given but others managed to squeeze in the tournament and basketball betting fans are eagerly waiting to see which team will have a Cinderella story.
Some sports handicapping expert believe that they would not be surprised from a historical perspective that any team from the Big 12 will make the Final Four and that at least three teams that are in the 12th seed will get at last one upset this year.
Kentucky will definitively make it pass round 1 and round 2 but then again, so will North Carolina so the big question is who will come out on top when they face each other in the Sweet 16.
We love the Wildcats but this year, the prediction is that North Carolina has a stronger team and will eliminate the Wildcats when they meet.
Speaking the round of Sweet 16, here are three teams we predict will make that round.
Wichita State will make it despite being only a no. 11 seed. Looking at the bracket, Wichita State has a pretty open path to that round.
Kentucky and North Carolina will certainly make it as their opponents are not in the same league and looking at the basketball odds put out by the bookies, they are also in agreement.
One of the team that is heavily being wagered on for this year’s tournament is Michigan State. In fact, many sports betting enthusiast believe that they will win the whole thing. On the other hand, Michigan has to go through Virginia if they both make it that far and Virginia is not only ranked at a higher seed and definitively have a strong team this year including Denzel Valentine, the National Player of the year.
However, this is the NCAA Basketball tournament and everyone including computer software, have their own opinion. One example from FiveThirtyEight says that Kansas has 19% chance of winning the whole tournament leaving North Carolina with a 15% chance, Michigan at 17% and Oklahoma with a 14% chance of winning the tournament.
Of course, predicting the winner of the tournament is only good if you are looking to place a bet with long odds but for those working on a bracket, it’s a totally different game so no matter who you pick, make sure to enjoy the tournament!
P.S. if you want some help with your March Madness Bracket, check out this March Madness Bracket Tutorial