March Madness sees a lot of the No. 1 seeds go through to the Final Four round, but a number of upsets take place up through the Sweet Sixteen. It’s at that point when the Cinderella teams — such as Wichita State, Dayton and Florida Gulf Coast, to name a few, in recent years — tend to get eliminated. If they do make it to the Elite 8 round, running into a big-name perennial buzz saw such as Duke, Michigan State, Kansas or Kentucky.
Mar 2, 2020; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cassius Stanley (2) is fouled by North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Braxton Beverly (10) during the second half of what turned out to be an incredible game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 88-69. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of those teams, a few of them are among the top teams in this field, with squads such as North Carolina, Michigan and Florida experiencing “down” years — compared to where they usually are, a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the tournament. North Carolina, in fact, may not make the tourney at all, which would be a huge shock, and certainly something basketball fans aren’t used to seeing.
Feb 29, 2020; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs pose with the WCC Regular Season Trophy Championship after a game against the St. Mary’s Gaels at McCarthey Athletic Center. With this victory under their plate Gonzoga sets their eyes on making a championship run. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
And even though those teams are on the outside looking in this season, NCAA odds dictate that a few squads have the best odds to win this year’s tournament, and, as such, they’re very likely to qualify for the Final Four. Kansas is the overwhelming favorite, according to Vegas Insider, at 9/2 odds, followed by both Baylor and Gonzaga — sitting pretty at 8/1. All three of those teams have the talent on their rosters to make a deep run, and the pedigree, as well as coaching staff, to know how to get it done in March Madness. The conference tournaments have yet to be played, but unless one of these teams suffers a monumental upset in their first game, expect all three of them to earn a No. 1 seed — further solidifying their chances to qualify for the Final Four.
Mar 2, 2020; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard MaCio Teague (31) and Baylor Bears guard Devonte Bandoo (2) show some emotion as they react to a 71-68 overtime victory against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Ferrell Center. The game took a number of unexpected turns as the Bears brought what was easily one of the best performances of the season. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Fans love to watch upsets happen, but it’s the chalk that gets far in the tournament, which history shows. Back these teams to get to the Final Four, and you’ll likely win that particular bet, without sweating too much.
