Final Four Odds – Without Jayhawks, Wildcats Favored
The March Madness tournament has been its usual fantastic self with unpredictable upsets, crazy finishes and unexpected contributors. While teams like Northern Iowa, Washington, Ohio and St. Mary’s have surprised as underdogs, they have also reshaped the bracket with their wins. With the No. 1 overall seed, Kansas, out of the picture, the young Kentucky Wildcats are now favored to make the most noise in the final four.
- Wildcats still struggle with free throw shooting
- Duke is not flashy, but very effective
- Ohio State has caught all the breaks
East Region Final Four Odds: Kentucky -155
Online betting fans know that the Kentucky Wildcats are the tournament favorite with Kansas out of the way, but everyone should still be weary that this is a very young team. To this point, they haven’t looked young as they have blown out their opponents rather easily, but a matchup against a tough defensive team like West Virginia could give them some trouble.
There is no question that they are the most talented team remaining, but free throw shooting is still a problem, which is a John Calipari signature. Their freshmen haven’t shown their age so far but it only takes one game to do so.
South Region Final Four Odds: Duke -140
Very quietly, the team that everyone loves to hate has put themselves in great shape for another Final Four and another championship. The Duke Blue Devils have also blown out their first two opponents but they have received little credit for their efforts.
The reason they haven’t been lauded as much as they should is because they aren’t a flashy team. Sports betting cappers know that should this team meet Kentucky in the Final Four, Duke would be the underdog mostly because of their style of play. But don’t underestimate this squad. They play defense, they are fundamentally sound and they are experienced. That should be enough to come out of the South region.
West Region Final Four Odds: Syracuse +110
The No. 1 seed that was supposed to be the most vulnerable – the Syracuse Orange – hasn’t shown any chinks in the armor quite yet. The Orange romped over the Vermont and Gonzaga in the opening two rounds and should they have a healthy Arinze Onuaku for the rest of the tournament, should be able to reach the Final Four rather easily.
NCAA basketball betting fans continue to underrate the Orange because they were not even seeded in the preseason. But this team is for real as they have climbed to the No. 1 seed overall, won the Big East in the regular season and is showing what they are capable of in the tournament. This team has what it takes to win it all and without the prospect of facing the Jayhawks in the Final Four, this team could be cutting down the nets in Indianapolis this year.
Midwest Region Final Four Odds: Ohio State -115
The Northern Iowa Panthers sent this bracket for a spin when they upended the No. 1 seeded Jayhawks. This was supposed to be the bracket of death but as it turns out, this really isn’t that tough overall.
The Michigan State Spartans aren’t going to be too tough to deal with now that star guard Kalin Lucas is out for the tournament. Meanwhile, Northern Iowa is still just a mid-major that Ohio State can probably handle very easily. So if the Buckeyes can get past the Tennessee Volunteers, they’ll very likely head to the Final Four. The Buckeyes also caught another break when No. 3 Georgetown lost in the first round. It appears that all the pieces have fallen into place for them.
The Buckeyes are the sportsbook favorite to win the Midwest, but can they win it all? Their depth is lacking and while Evan ‘Almighty’ Turner is a phenomenal player, he won’t be able to carry this team on his own.
