The 2023 NCAA Tournament is a little bit over two months away with conference play going on currently during the college basketball season. There hasn’t been much chatter about the odds to win it all this season. The Final Four location this season will be NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
A season ago, the Kansas Jayhawks won it all as a one-seed against the eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels. Bet on March Madness isn’t always easy because it is a one-and-done tournament, but what are some of the ways to bet on a potential NCAA title winner?
Always Look at the Top 25 Standings
Just like in every sport, there are always the top teams in that respective league. Some of the top teams in the country this season are the Houston Cougars, the Kansas Jayhawks, the Purdue Boilermakers, the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Uconn Huskies.
Looking at the Top 25 standings is critical when wanting to bet on a potential NCAA Tournament winner because the number one seeds have been champions over the past several seasons. The last non-number one seed who won it all was the Villanova Wildcats in 2016 against the North Carolina Tar Heels also.
Over the past few seasons, the Kansas Jayhawks, the Baylor Bears, and the Virginia Cavaliers were all number-one seeds who cut down the nets. Bet on the teams who you think will be a number one seed this season and you’ll be in great shape. The March Madness odds for those teams are usually very high.
Watch Out For the Frauds
If you want to bet on other teams to win it all that aren’t number one or two seeds that’s fine. However, every year, there seem to be a couple of frauds. For example, the Iowa Hawkeyes were one of the hottest teams entering the tournament as a five seed and won the BIG10 title. A lot of people picked them as a dark horse to win it all, but they were one and done.
Another team that can be a fraud is a higher-ranking team like the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They have never won a National Title before and were bounced as a number one seed in the Sweet 16 against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Gonzaga isn’t in a power 5 conference and they always get ranked high every single season. A lot of people will need to learn not to bet on them.
Be careful When Betting On the Defending Champion
Betting on the defending champion is never a good sign. The Florida Gators were the last team to go back-to-back in 2006-2007. It has been a very long time since that has happened and it has also been a long time since the defending champion made it past the Round of 32.
The Baylor Bears and the Virginia Cavaliers were bounced early before having a chance to defend their crown. Be careful when betting on the Kansas Jayhawks this season because they are a very talented team and will be a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, but this is a stat that can’t be ignored when filling out brackets.
If the Jayhawks somehow can break this trend this season, then they have a great shot to go back-to-back this season. The March Madness lines for Kansas to go all the way this season are very good, but always watch out.
Number One Overall Seeds
Betting on the number one overall seed can be a very tricky situation. The Houston Cougars are on track to potentially earn that right this season, but the last number-one overall seed to win it all was the 2012 Kentucky Wildcats because the 2013 Lousiville Cardinals NCAA title was taken away from them. It has been over a decade since the number one overall seed won it all.
Using this in your mind will go a long way in betting the winner. Sometimes, it may just be better to find out when selection Sunday comes for the NCAA Tournament to bet on a March Madness winner.
