At the onset of the season, the Houston Cougars were a strong College Basketball odds favorite with the public. Fans and gamblers have seen why. Houston is one of the most impressive teams in college basketball. And head coach Kelvin Sampson is a big reason why. Sampson is a demanding old-school type of coach. Yet he commands the respect of his players. Sampson attracts the best recruits in the country. Houston has the nation’s top-ranked defense. It is a perfect storm for college basketball glory in H-Town. But there are plenty of bona fide alternatives.
2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
| Date: | 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament runs from Tuesday, March 14 through Monday, April 3, 2023 |
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| Location: | Final Four to be held at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas |
| Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
Kentucky Wildcats No Longer A Who’s Who of top Tier Chalk
Equally important to discovering the top teams for the 2023 NCAA Tournament is learning who to avoid. The Kentucky Wildcats are one of the biggest names on any sports betting board. But for the past few years, UK has been all hat and no cattle. Kentucky is in an alarming free fall. Since December 28, they suffered decisive losses at Missouri, at Alabama, and vs. South Carolina.
In particular, the 78-52 loss to the Crimson Tide was a personal humiliation to coach John Calipari. Alabama coach Nate Oates schooled Calipari by neutralizing Kentucky superstar Oscar Tshiebwe. In fact, Oscar was rendered so ineffective that Calipari had to pull him from the game.
Kentucky got the cash in only four of its first 16 games. Of major concern is that Calipari is not getting any production from his litany of 5-star recruits. Kentucky fans want a coaching change. But Calipari has then handcuffed with a massive buyout.
Kansas Reloads for Another National Title Run
Last year head coach Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks used a talented and veteran roster to win the national championship. This year the expectations were low for a repeat. Instead, Kansas is proving to be a team that reloaded. Self has recruited effectively enough to avoid a rebuild. Kansas won 15 of its first 16 games of the season. However, their name-brand and new lineup got the cash only seven times. KU has played strong team defense to push through the transition period.
UCLA Emerges as the Power of the West
The UCLA Bruins stunned the NCAABB betting world two years ago by making the Final Four. While head coach Mick Cronin was lavished with praise, there were legitimate concerns about sustainability. Now, Cronin has proven that UCLA is here to stay. And the Bruins are built for their eventual move to the Big Ten Conference. This year UCLA has one of the nation’s best defenses. But Cronin has recruited enough skill to keep the offense scoring too. Most important of all. The Bruins got the cash in ten of their first 17 games.
Purdue Powers to Top of Big Ten With Old Fashioned Hard Work
Nobody could find the Purdue Boilermakers at the top of the last several national recruiting ratings. But Purdue is the college basketball equivalent of having brains and brawn. Head coach Matt Painter’s team plays some of the toughest defense in the nation. And Zach Edey is the go-to player that a serious Final Four contender needs.