Lost in shuffle and noise of “Championship Week” is the American Athletic Conference Tournament. Boasting three nationally ranked teams the AAC remains overlooked in comparison. Yet the Public Betting NCAA Basketball may find some gems in this week’s tournament in Orlando. Regular season champion Cincinnati does bring national marquee credentials. Houston does boast a strong history. And Wichita State is respected by those in the know. What makes this event so appealing is its unpredictability.
2018 American Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament
Date and Time: Thursday, March 8 through Sunday, March 11, 2018
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
NCAA Betting Online Odds at SBG: Click here!
2018 ACC Tournament TV Coverage: CBC, ESPNU, ESPN2
Opening Day
Opening Day of the American Athletic Conference Tournament features four games. The winners will advance to meet the top four seeds on Friday. Which means another full card of four games on that day. Semifinal doubleheader action is set for Saturday. CBS will televise the championship game on Sunday afternoon. Cincinnati combines the regular season title and a name brand to emerge as the chalk. No other team in the AAC has as much Public Betting NCAA Basketball cache. However, Houston, Wichita State, Tulsa and Memphis can all state a case.
Defense vs. Offense?
Defensively few teams are as strong as the Cincinnati Bearcats. Head coach Mick Cronin’s unit ranks second in the nation for points allowed. Most noteworthy is that Cronin will lead Cincy to the Big Dance for the seventh straight year. Also the regular season conference title is his third with UC. Houston ranked 24th best in the nation for defense. Rob Gray gives the Cougars an individual weapon that Cincinnati lacks. With 18 points and five assists per game Gray had a stellar senior campaign. Offense sparked Wichita State’s success. WSU ranked 20th in the country for scoring.
Tulsa
Tulsa was a team that was greater than the total sum of its parts. Identity remains an issue holding them back. Closing strong with seven payouts in their final nine games, UT did offer value. Not many programs have better name brand cache than Memphis. Abysmal offense and a mediocre defense make them unappealing with gamblers. However, the Tigers also closed strong with five covers in their last six games.
Cincinnati Champs
Champion Cincinnati was also a profitable online sportsbook commodity. Only 11 times in 28 games did the Bearcats fail to get the money. Over the total paid in just ten of UC’s games this year. Under the radar as a top money maker was the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Few teams could match their reliable run of 18 payouts in 27 games. Also impressive was Houston losing only 10 out of 26 games with the spread. Among the big money losers was defending ACC tourney champ SMU. With nine payouts in 26 games the Mustangs busted bankrolls.
Matchup to Watch
Scoring prowess is a public betting NCAA basketball concern for Cincinnati. March Madness success often comes with a hot shooting hand. Hence both Houston and Wichita State rate as live dog alternatives. Beyond the top three there is not much to realistically pick from here.
2018 AAC NCAA games Betting Odds Picks
Rob Gray gives the Houston Cougars a difference making player. With that in mind UH makes for an intriguing value pick.
NCAA Betting Online Pick: Houston Cougars