NCAA Tournament Odds for the West
March is getting pretty crazy, dare I say mad. To hype the oncoming March Madness here is the odds for the West Division in the NCAA Tournament.
Southern, 50-1
This is not a team you want to lay your money on. Their season record that helped them find their way into the tournament was the result in playing against teams that are truthfully not that great. Don’t be surprised to see Southern drop in the first round.
Iona, 30-1
Iona is a great offensive team at number two in the nation. If they can really step up their defensive play they could make a surprise splash and bust some brackets. I wouldn’t hold my breath though.
Harvard, 30-1
Harvard has made the tournament, but I am not sure how deep they are going to go into the Madness. Their problem is they cannot rebound the ball. They are the second worse offensive rebounders in the country. This flaw could send them packing in the first round.
Boise State, 25-1
Boise State is definitely a team that earned their spot in the tournament this year. You would be hard pressed to find doubters in that regard. Will they get their first NCAA Tournament win this year remains to be seen. 25-1 odds are the type of odds that team who bow out in the first round normally have. I am not ready to count them out quiet yet, though.
La Salle 25-1
Do not be so quick to write off this team. It was just a short time ago that this team upset Butler. They have it in them and March Madness will certainly bring out the best in Le Salle.
Belmont, 20-1
The little school that could is chugging into the tournament to the surprise of many. Do not take them too lightly as they can score the ball. I’d be willing to predict that this is a team that picks up its first March Madness win this year at the least.
Ole Miss, 14-1
If Ole Miss shows up and ditches their old inconsistencies, the SEC Champions are a team that could take this Tournament by storm. They are riding high and full of confidence coming into March Madness.
Iowa State, 15-1
The Cyclones are a one trick pony. It is no secreat that their entire game plan relies on the long ball. They lob the ball from behind the arc more often than not. If a team can defend against the three, Iowa State falls quick.
Wichita State, 15-1
This is a team that I like. They are a great all around team that could pull out some upsets and go deep into March Madness.
Pittsburgh, 10-1
Pittsburgh is a team that is comfortable playing out of it comfort zone with an 8-5 on the road record. They will likely go a few round into March Madness.
Notre Dame, 9-1
While Notre Dame can control the ball, it takes more than preventing turnovers to have a successful NCAA Tournament run. That is simply one piece of the puzzle. Notre Dame are unfortunately missing a few pieces from their puzzle.
Arizona, 9-1
Arizona has had a rough latter part of the season. However, if they can recapture the magic that led them to their initial 20-2 out of the gate record, they can go deep into March Madness.
Wisconsin, 8-1
Wisconsin has the potential to beat any top tier team in this tournament. They proved this over their regular season where they beat several top 25 teams.
Kansas Sate, 7-1
Kansas State is a safe bet to go into the second round. After that it is a bit more up in the air for this team.
New Mexico, 7-1
New Mexico is hot at the moment. They are riding high of win the Mountain West division Championship. They will ride this wave into March Madness and should make a nice go of it.
Ohio State, 5-1
The Big Ten Champions very well could surpise us all. While all eyes are on Louisville and Indiana, they could very well sneak up on us.
Gonzaga, 4-1
Gonzaga will likely see its first Final Four this season. On my brackets I have Gonzaga winning it all.
