March Madness betting this season could be popular on teams from the Atlantic 10 conference. The league has not sent more than three teams to the tournament since 2004 but this year there could be as many as six teams on the board in March Madness odds.
March Madness betting has the Atlantic 10 playing a very tough non-conference schedule this season and it has helped their teams. Xavier, Temple, Richmond, Rhode Island and Dayton have schedules that rate among the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. Just look at some of the wins out of conference for the Atlantic 10. Dayton defeated Georgia Tech, Temple beat Villanova and Richmond beat Missouri. Charlotte is part of the conference race as well. Looking at the Atlantic 10 we find that they have as many top teams in the RPI as the ACC.
Last year in March Madness betting there were not a lot of mid-major teams but that is not going to be the case this year. Last year in March Madness odds it was just Butler, Xavier, Dayton and Brigham Young getting the bids from non-power conferences. This year in March Madness betting the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West are going to get a lot of bids. Conference USA is also in the mix with UTEP and UAB. The Missouri Valley is going to get Northern Iowa and they will get another team if the Panthers lose the conference tourney. Saint Mary’s could get a second bid from the West Coast along with Gonzaga. It should be mid-major central in March Madness betting this season.
What that means in March Madness odds is that conferences like the Pac-10 and ACC are going to be in trouble. The Pac-10 might only get one team in March Madness betting. How rare would that be? Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 there has never been a year in which a power conference did not get at least one at-large bid. That streak is almost assuredly going to end as the Pac-10 is likely to just get their tournament winner and no other teams in March Madness betting. Only one team in the conference, California, has less than five conference losses. Cal and Washington as the top teams but neither has done anything to deserve a bid.
Quite a few big names teams are not going to make it in March Madness odds this season. Unless they win their conference tournament, defending champion North Carolina is not going to make it UCLA is in the same boat. Connecticut is also in trouble.