College basketball lines – Don’t sleep on the Huskies (and other underdogs)
Picking underdogs with high March Madness odds in March is one of the toughest things for fans, because you know there will be a surprise or two (if not more)—it’s just difficult to select which teams will pull off the upsets. Some teams, though, appear more poised than others to wear the glass slipper. Here’s a peek at five teams from the major conferences that online sports betting players should take a look at heading into the “Big Dance”.
College basketball lines: this year's potential sleepers
- Huskies, Sun Devils step up in the Pac-10
- Tigers, Boilermakers emerge to challenge conference leaders
- Mountaineers trying to sneak under the radar
Washington (+4000)
The Huskies have come out of nowhere to challenge UCLA in the Pac-10, powered by the guard duo of freshman Isaiah Thomas and senior Justin Dentmon. Senior forward Jon Brockman is a double-double man in the post, and the Huskies rank in the national Top-20 in points scored. If there is a knock on the Huskies, it’s their defense, which is in the bottom third of the country. However, college basketball lines have Washington at +4000, so they would be worth a March Madness betting look.
Arizona State (+5000)
A star player and tough defense is a good thing to have heading into March, and the Sun Devils have that, along with college basketball lines of +5000. Sophomore guard James Harden will probably be a lottery pick if he declares for the pros, while senior forward James Pendergraph creates space in the lane for Harden to operate. The Sun Devils are also in the Top-30 in terms of scoring defense, and Arizona State will be up for it as they haven’t reached the Tournament since 2003.
Missouri (+3000)
The Tigers are another team that favors offense over defense, as they are in the Top-10 in points scored, but suffer in points allowed. The Tigers are also tops in assists, and second in assist-to-turnover ratio, and taking care of the ball is crucial in the March Madness tournament. Senior forward DeMarre Carroll will be trying to end his college career with a bang and, with their college basketball lines of +3000, the Tigers offer some great value this year.
Purdue (+4000)
The Boilermakers have failed to make it past the second round in the last two years of the Tournament, which may be why they have college basketball lines of +4000 this year. Their leaders are a trio of sophomores, guard E’Twaun Moore and the forward duo of JaJuan Johnson and Robbie Hummel, who the Boilermakers missed badly in back-to-back losses at Ohio State and Illinois. Purdue is as stingy defensively as anyone in the country and defense goes a long way in the Tournament.
West Virginia (+4000)
It’s easy to forget about the Mountaineers given the strength of the Big East this year, and sportsbook odds aren’t giving them much credit at +4000. But West Virginia is very solid defensively, it takes care of the ball and, in junior forward Da’Sean Butler, the Mountaineers have one of the best players in the nation that gets no attention. After last year’s run to the Sweet 16, the Mountaineers should be a strong consideration when going over your college basketball lines.
For more analysis of the college basketball lines, bookmark the Betting Edge at betonline.com.
Washington Tucker was practically raised at Rucker Park. Though a freak knee injury cost him a major college basketball scholarship, his “sixth-sense” on the hardwood has translated into a spectacular career in basketball handicapping.
