Championship Week came to a close with a bang this past weekend with a number of great conference tournament championship games. Now it is time to put your handicapping skills to the ultimate test by picking the overall winner of this year’s NCAA Tournament based on the betting odds at 5Dimes’ online sportsbook
Breaking Down the Brackets
As expected, the ACC’s Duke Blue Devils earned the No. 1 overall seed with Saturday’s 73-63 victory against Florida State in the conference tournament title game as seven-point favorites. Duke has also been opened as a +175 favorite to go on and win this tournament as well. Playing out of the East Region of the NCAA Tournament bracket, the path to the Final Four is pretty straight forward.
The Big Ten’s Michigan State Spartans are the No. 2 seed in the East with the LSU Tigers out of the SEC penciled in at No. 3. If the left side of the bracket goes chalk, Duke will face the WCC’s Gonzaga Bulldogs in the semifinals as the No. 1 seed in the West. From there, the Blue Devils could face a familiar foe in the national title game with the ACC’s Virginia Cavaliers the No. 1 seed in the South Region along with the rival North Carolina Tar Heels set as the top seed in the Midwest Region.
The second-favorite on the NCAAB futures board at 5Dimes is North Carolina at +500. Gonzaga is third on the list at +550 betting odds, and Virginia is fourth at +600.
With a healthy Zion Williamson playing at a high level for Duke in the recent ACC Tournament, going chalk offers quite a bit of value at those +175 odds. Anything can happen in a single-elimination format, but the Blue Devils are built for a very deep run.
Finding Value in the Brackets
Gonzaga and North Carolina were among the short list of teams that were able to beat Duke this season at full strength. Each side also has the depth and tournament experience to take the Blue Devils’ spot at the top of the list. The two faced one another in the 2016 National Championship Game with the Tar Heels coming away with the 71-65 victory.
The SEC’s Kentucky Wildcats are an interesting option at +1200 odds to win this tournament. Playing out of the Midwest Region as the No. 2 seed, Kentucky could be on a collision course with North Carolina for a trip to the Final Four.
Everyone knows about Virginia’s past issues in the Big Dance which could clear the path for another SEC team making a deep run. The Tennessee Volunteers earned the No. 2 seed in the South Region for their efforts this season and their betting odds to win the national title are set at +1400.
Gonzaga’s main competition in the West Region could be the Big Ten’s Michigan Wolverines as the No. 2 seed. Their betting odds to make a title run are set at +1300, right in between Kentucky and Tennessee.
Rounding out the top 10 teams on the list, the Big 12’s Texas Tech Red Raiders are next at +2000 before Florida State joins the Big Ten’s Purdue Boilermakers at +3000 betting odds.
Everyone loves the bracket busters that pop up each year in this tournament. While it is hard to think of the defending national champion as an underdog, the Villanova Wildcats’ odds to win their third national title in four seasons have been set at +6000. The Wildcats are No. 6 seeds in the South Region coming off their recent run to a Big East Tournament title after winning the regular season title.
Odds to Win 2019 March Madness Tournament
- Duke +200
- Gonzaga +550
- North Carolina +600
- Virginia +750
- Kentucky +1000
- Michigan State +1400
- Tennessee +1600
- Michigan +1600
- Texas Tech +2000
- Auburn +3300
- Florida State +3300
