Posted on
3/19/2008 5:41:33 PM
Bet on NCAA March Madness 2008 – Year of the Cinderellas?
By Robby Maddux
No. 1 seeds should blast its way through the opening round in the Big Dance as they face the No. 16's. But that's not always the case. Detecting early upsets and Cinderellas is crucial to a successful bracket and NCAA basketball betting.
Never in NCAA tournament history has all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four. But this could be the year, and considering the strength of each top-seed, it's tempting to select each to dance in San Antonio in this year's Final Four.
March Madness is days away from tip-off and we have an excellent $1,000,000 March Madness bracket on offer. In addition to our $1,000,000 bracket, we will also be offering a $10,000 Sweet 16 Bracket and a $10,000 Elite 8 Bracket.
Download the BetUS free printable bracket PDF today!
But to get a leg up on your bracket building brethrens you have to take a risk and have a powerhouse going down. A No. 1 that has the potential to be sent home early is the Kansas Jayhawks (31-3).
Kansas has lost in the first round in two of the past three tournaments. The Jayhawks lost as a No. 3 seed (to Bucknell) in 2005 and as a No. 4 (to Bradley) last season. However, they'll have history on their side this year: A No. 1 seed has never lost in the first round.
In addition to busting brackets early, the Jayhawks are just 2-5 ATS (against the spread) in their last seven NCAA tournament games.
BetUS NCAA basketball odds list Kansas the hefty 22½-point favorites in the first round against No. 16 Portland St. on Thursday, but that could be another indicator they may not be able to play role as ugly Step-Sister, because they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a favorite of 13-points or higher.
The Jayhawks won’t have to go far for its first game in Omaha but they are a money-shredding 3-15 ATS in their last 18 Thursday games. And,
Portland St. is 4-0-1 ATS in their last five neutral site games as an underdog.
Cinderella is only a fairy tale and in the end it's almost always the ugly Step-Sister cutting down the nets. But, finding the shockers is another key to a money-making bracket and profitable March if you bet on NCAA basketball.
A Cinderella that may wear the glass slippers this season is the George Mason Patriots (+6½). Two years ago, the Patriots turned a second chance into the chance of a lifetime, using an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament as the impetus for a magical three weeks, a stunning run that took them all the way to the national semifinals.
George Mason still has two players who were starters on the Cinderella Final Four team of two years ago, forward Will Thomas and guard Folarin Campbell. They are the leading scorers for the Patriots. Campbell, a sophomore when he led George Mason is scoring in the tournament two years ago, said the key for this team is not trying to duplicate that magic.
George Mason are the Colonial Conference champions and are 23-10 as the No. 12 seed in the East. They play No. 5 Notre Dame (-6½) in the opener on Thursday, and would battle the winner of the Washington St. Cougars and Winthrop Eagles game in the second round.
- Patriots are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA tournament games.
- Patriots are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA tournament games as an underdog.
- Patriots are 16-5-2 ATS in their last 23 Thursday games.
The glass slippers could also fit the Horizon League championship Butler Bulldogs (-4). Butler earned an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001.
Butler has a terrific backcourt of Mike Green and A.J. Graves, who helped push their team to a 29-3 record and No. 7 seed in the East bracket. The Bulldogs take on the South Alabama Jaguars (+4) in the opening round on Friday. If Butler gets past the Jags they'll take on the winner of the Tennessee Volunteers and American Eagles meeting.
- Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA tournament games.
- Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
- Bulldogs are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 non-conference games.
- Bulldogs are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Friday games.
With everything said, and with thoughts of your bracket in tow, don’t bank to heavily in Cinderellas but don't leave them out all together. They rarely last past the second round. Only three times has a team seeded worse than No. 8 reached the Final Four (Penn in 1979, LSU in 1986 and George Mason in 2006) and only three times has someone worse than a No. 4 won the NCAA title (N.C. State in 1983, Villanova in 1985 and Kansas in 1988).
Go to the BetUS.com online sportsbook today to bet on NCAA basketball. We have the most current NCAA basketball odds and lines, as well as player and game props. Join BetUS.com to experience the best in online sports betting action!