West Region Futures Odds
After seeing Gonzaga, New Mexico, Kansas State and Wisconsin already go down to early round upsets, bettors are probably pretty weary of betting anything to do with the unpredictable wild West region of the NCAA bracket. However, after seeing each of its teams play two games (three in La Salle’s case), we have a much better idea of what to expect going forward in the West. Here is a look at the four teams and their updated futures odds to win the West region and out take on each potential wager.
Ohio State Buckeyes: 1/1
With the No.1, 3, 4 and 5 seeds out of the way, it would seem like the West region is up for two-seed Ohio State’s taking. Odds makers seem to agree, giving the Buckeyes 1/1 odds to advance to the Final Four, but as we’ve seen so far, in the West anything can happen.
We also saw the Buckeyes barely squeak out a win against Iowa State in the round of 32, relying on a clutch game-winner from leader Aaron Craft. Considering Arizona’s squad will present many of the same challenges – athletic guards, good shooters – Ohio State could be in for another dog fight (or cat fight in this case) and might not be so lucky this time around.
Ohio State is definitely a favorite, but the Buckeyes aren’t a sure thing, so I don’t like them much at 1/1. I’d be comfortable putting a wager down at 3/1 or even 2/1, but not 1/1.
Arizona Wildcats: 2/1
The Wildcats have impressed so far after mowing through their first two opponents, but Ohio State will certainly be the toughest team they’ve faced, not just in the tournament, but probably all season. However, if the Cats do get past Ohio State, they’ll have a great chance at taking down the West against either La Salle or Wichita State. Arizona should have slightly less-favorable odds than Ohio State, but since the Buckeyes are being overvalued, so is Arizona here at 2/1. I would like the Wildcats more at 3/1. However, they are still a slightly better pick than Ohio State with a little more value.
Wichita State Shockers: 13/4
When factoring in the Shcokers’ odds and their relative chances at winning this region, I would say that a wager on Wichita State presents the best value of the four teams. After all, the Shockers already proved they can knock off top teams with their win against Gonzaga and with the bevy of talented outside shooters they have, it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to see the Shockers win their next two games. And at 13/4, bettors stand to make some decent coin if Wichita State pulls it off, so the Shockers are a solid pick here.
La Salle Explorers: 9/1
We’ve seen how talented La Salle is in its three tournament wins, but considering no 13-seed has ever made the Final Four, a wager for the Explorers is the definition of long shot. The 9/1 odds would be valuable for a dark horse, but La Salle’s chances are too slim to warrant a wager at those odds. Yes, they only have to win two more games, but against this type of competition and with this much pressure, I don’t expect the Explorers to pull it off. I might consider it if they had something like 15/1, but 9/1 is not getting enough value for a true long shot.
