March Madness
betting is almost complete, as the conference tournaments will all be over
this weekend, and Selection Sunday hands out the remaining bids. Here is a look
at five teams who need big performances in their tournaments, and those who bet on sports should pay attention,
because it’s often the bubble teams that can emerge as Cinderella for the “Big
Dance”.
Miami
The Hurricanes were a preseason top-25 team, but they
endured a brutal nine-game stretch in which they won only twice, and lost three
overtime games. Outside of home wins over Florida State and Wake Forest, the
Hurricanes haven’t really beat anyone this year, and they have to be one of the
biggest sportsbook
disappointments this year.
Saint
Mary’s
The Gaels were hurt by a nine-game injury to star guard
Patty Mills, and a massive loss to Gonzaga in the West Coast tournament was the
last thing they needed. The Gaels have two solid wins on their resume, against
Utah State and San Diego State, but will that be enough?
Florida
The Gators were back-to-back champions in 2007, but
they find themselves in trouble in 2009. The weakness of the SEC doesn’t help
any, and neither does a disgusting loss to an awful Georgia team, albeit on the
road. Beating Washington and South Carolina should count for something, but
even if they make the Tournament, the Gators are probably a year away from
being serious March Madness betting contenders.
Arizona
Inconsistency has tamed the Wildcats this year, as a
three-game losing skid was followed by a seven-game winning streak, and then
they lost four straight before beating lowly Stanford. Splitting their meetings
with UCLA and USC is a good thing, as well as wins over Washington, Gonzaga and
Kansas, but a terrible road record and a sweep at the hands of Arizona State
could be their downfall. The Wildcats are probably the toughest call for voters
to make.
Michigan
The Wolverines had one of the toughest schedules in the
country, and came out okay with wins over Duke and UCLA. However, they were
inconsistent in the Big Ten, and losing to a really bad Iowa team doesn’t help
matters. The Wolverines can probably get in with a single win in the Big 10
Tournament, but March Madness betting
players are advised to stay away, as Michigan was very poor when away from
home.