Futures Odds to Win – March Madness Gambling Predictions
The 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament gets underway this Tuesday and Wednesday with the First Four play-in round in advance of Thursday and Friday’s second-round 32-game slate.
The field is filled with 68 contenders, but as in any race, there are favorites, contenders, and longshots.
The following is a look at a few teams that fall into each category along with their current odds to win it all as provided by BetOnline.
The Favorites
Kentucky +225
It is hard to make a case against a team that went 32-2 this season, except the fact that it lost its conference tournament title game as a 7.5-point favorite.
The Wildcats only other weakness may be its youth and inexperience in NCAA Tournament play, but the overall wealth of talent on this team easily compensates for that.
North Carolina +500
The Tar Heels opened the season as the second-favorite behind Kentucky to win this year’s national title and not much has changed since that point.
The only cause for concern is an injury to John Henson’s wrist, but it does appear to be serious enough to keep him out of the lineup. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Contenders
Duke +1800
The main trouble with the Blue Devils has been consistency especially down the stretch with ugly losses to North Carolina and Florida State in two of its final three games.
If Coach K can get this team on track over the next few weeks there is tremendous value in these odds as Duke is still a threat to win anytime it steps on the court.
Florida State +3200
The key to Florida State making a run to a national title is carrying the momentum from its recent run in the ACC Tournament into this tournament. Florida State is talented enough to play with any team it may face and its has already proven it is capable of beating the Tar Heels in a neutral location.
The Longshots
New Mexico +5000
The Lobos are shaping up as this year’s Butler Bulldogs. They are deep in talent and have proven they know how to win with an overall record of 27-6. If New Mexico can get by Michigan State in the Sweet 16; it has a pretty clear path all the way to a Final Four matchup against Kentucky.
Cincinnati +5000
The Bearcats finished in a three-way tie for fourth-place in the Big East, but made it all the way to the conference championship with a stunning 71-68 victory over No.1 seed Syracuse in the semifinals.
Cincinnati would need a lot of things to go right over the next three weeks to win it all, but it now has the confidence it can beat anyone it may face along the way.
