At the onset of the 2020 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, a host of familiar names were listed as favorites. Kansas, Michigan State, Duke, Kentucky, and Baylor top the College Basketball betting chalk. Gonzaga was favored as well, although with ambiguous credibility. Only Dayton rated as something of a surprise as a top tier favorite. Recent seasons have seen only the big-name schools cut down the nets at the end. Let’s examine likely public favorites to win the 2021 National Championship!
2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
| Date: | March 16, 2021, through April 5, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Check Schedules |
| March Madness TV Coverage: | Check Listings |
| College Basketball Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
COVID-19
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the 2020 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was canceled. But many of the same top teams from 2020 will be betting favorites for 2021.
Kansas Jayhawks
By reason of a 17-1 Big 12 Conference, the regular-season record is Kansas considered national championship material. Gamblers love the Jayhawks for their consistent offshore betting value. Kansas went 19-12 against the spread this season.
Michigan State Spartans
Late on Michigan State delivered strong value with four payouts in their last five games. MSU was a disappointment for much of the campaign but has a strong balance that began to click. At the end of the regular season, Sparty ended with a share of the Big Ten title. Also, keep in mind Michigan State was a Final Four team in 2019.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Three years ago, Gonzaga made the national championship game. But the fact remains that the Bulldogs usually go bust in March Madness. Once again, the Zags won the weak West Coast Conference at 15-1 straight up and 31-2 in the regular season. Of great concern was that Gonzaga covered only three of their last nine games.
Dayton Flyers
Now the Flyers were one “under the radar” team that was not among the blue blood marquee brands of College Basketball betting. One of the best offenses in the country with a strong complimentary defense punched Dayton’s ticket. The Flyers finished 17-14 vs. the odds with five payouts in their last eight games.
Kentucky Wildcats
Starting with an inconsistent first three months, the Wildcats finished with power down the stretch. Kentucky ended up 15-3 in the SEC to win that league’s championship by a three-game cushion. Further, U of K paid in eight of their last 10 games to finish with a 17-14 profit on the board for 2019-20.
Baylor Bears
The account of being ranked number one in the country most of the season did the Bears end 2020 in disappointment. Baylor finished two games behind Kansas in the Big 12 Conference race with a record of 15-3. Besides that, the Bears lost four of their last five to the spread. But they are one of the toughest defensive teams in the land. Further, Scott Drew is a top tier coach.
Seton Hall Pirates
Despite leading the Big East race most of the year, The Hall faded at the end. Creighton and Villanova shared the league crown with the Pirates as each team posted 13-5 conference marks. More emphatically Seton Hall got the cash in just two of their last seven games. Still, it was a magical run for a program that continues to ascend each year.
Florida State Seminoles
At the onset of the postseason, the Seminoles are often ignored. Yet coach Leonard Hamilton’s program has made the Elite Eight in 2018 and Sweet Sixteen in 2019. Fashion that they actually won the ACC regular-season title undisputed at 16-4 on the 2019-20 campaign. Hence, gamblers were attracted to a hot team with seven covers in their last 10 games.
2021 March Madness College Basketball Betting Pick: Kentucky Wildcats