Did you happen to have Baylor, Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Wisconsin, or Iowa winning it all in your bracket? If you did, chances are your bracket is most likely busted.
However, even though your bracket won’t be winning any office pools, you can still bet on a team to win it all in the Tournament Championship game.
So which teams have the most value heading into the Sweet Sixteen? Here are our 5 picks for best futures bets:
No. 1 Arizona +500
I’ve been saying all tournament that the Wildcats have been the most consistent, all-around team in the nation all season. Still, Arizona has the highest odds out of the three remaining No. 1 seeds. It makes sense since the Wildcats must square off against the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen. The Cougars pose quite a problem for the Wildcats. Houston owns perhaps the most stringent defense in the nation, allowing only 58.9 points per game. They have the potential to slow down the Wildcats’ up-tempo offense and knock them out of the tournament this weekend. Still, should Arizona prevail, they will have a favorable matchup against either Villanova or Michigan in the Elite Eight.
Additionally, Arizona should have the advantage between the four remaining teams in the Midwest region – No. 1 Kansas, No. 4 Providence, No. 10 Miami, and No. 11 Iowa State. Besides Kansas, no other team matches up well against the Wildcats in a potential Final Four showdown. If Arizona can overcome Houston’s elite defense, then the Wildcats should be able to walk into the Finals.
No. 5 Houston +900
On the other end, Houston is in the same position as Arizona – get past the Sweet Sixteen, and the rest of the way should be relatively easier. The Cougars have caught many off-guard this tournament as they had no trouble dismantling Illinois in the Second Round after comfortably defeating UAB in the First Round. Though Arizona will be the toughest competition they will face to date, the Cougars match up well against the Wildcats. Their methodical pace should slow down Arizona’s vigorous offense, and if they manage to contain the Wildcats on the boards, they will be in a prime position to score the upset. At +900, this is excellent value for a team that potentially will be the best team on their side of the bracket should they defeat the Wildcats. The Cougars managed to make it to the Final Four last season before losing to the ultimate champion Baylor. They are worth a gamble.
No. 3 Texas Tech +1300
It wasn’t long ago that Texas Tech forced OT against Virginia in the 2019 NCAA Tournament Championship. Three years later, the Red Raiders have enough talent on the roster to make it back into the Finals and look to secure the championship trophy. This squad is just as dangerous defensively as the 2019 team. True, they face a tough road ahead, needing to beat Duke in the Sweet Sixteen before taking on Gonzaga, most likely in the Elite Eight. Still, this Red Raider squad has been impressive against elite schools, going 7-4 against Top 25 teams in the regular season. They aren’t intimidated by the competition and can also put up points on the board. This is good value we are getting with a championship-caliber team.
No. 4 UCLA +1400
Last year, UCLA nearly pulled off the seemingly impossible of reaching the Finals as a No. 11 seed before Gonzaga knocked the Bruins off in the Final Four 93-90. One year later, this Bruins’ squad is loaded with even more talent and in a great position to set up a rematch with the ‘Zags in the Final Four. First, UCLA must defeat the resurgent UNC Tar Heels, fresh off their upset over No. 1 Baylor. Should the Bruins overcome the red-hot Tar Heels, they will have to face the winner of the No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 15 St. Peter’s matchup. The Bruins are the better team than both schools and will be favored most likely in the Elite Eight. UCLA is no stranger in its long, storied history to deep tournament runs, and it appears they are headed for another one.
No. 11 Michigan +5000
How about siding with the team that most experts and fans felt had no business making the tournament? The Wolverines overcame No. 6 Colorado State and knocked off No. 3 Tennessee in the first weekend of play. They have a favorable matchup in the Sweet Sixteen against Villanova, and if they should win, it will set the Wolverines up against either Houston or Arizona in the Elite Eight. We have seen in the past with teams like Syracuse and UCLA last season of No. 11 seeds making deep runs. Could the Wolverines prove all naysayers wrong and win it all? It’s worth a shot with the given value.
