Up to NCAA B Articles

posted March 3, 2008 at 20:13 in NCAA B Articles

BetUS NCAA Basketball March Madness Odds:

CONFERENCE TO WIN 2007-08 NCAA HOOPS CHAMPIONSHIP

ACC Conference +200

Big East Conference +700

Big 10 Conference +800

Big 12 Conference +300

CUSA Conference +450

Mountain West Conference +7000

Pacific 10 Conference +250

SEC Conference +700

Field +1200

The Big Ten conference in basketball has started to resemble what many people perceive it to be as a football conference, which is the "Big Few" and the "Little Many." This is not a deep conference, but do the top teams in this league give it an opportunity to present VALUE in betting on it to win the national title?

BetUS NCAAB betting odds to win NCAA Championship: BIG TEN +800 (8/1)

Looking at some of the top contenders:

INDIANA -- The Hoosiers have a couple of thoroughbreds in Eric Gordon (21.4 ppg) and D.J. White (17.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg). But there are a lot of bruises left by the surreptitious departure of coach Kelvin Sampson. Dan Dakich, who spent ten years as the head man at Bowling Green, is capable, but this is going to be a very tall task, especially considering half the team wanted someone else to succeed Sampson.

MICHIGAN STATE -- The Spartans deserve respect, if for no other reason than that Tom Izzo always seems to manage a way to get his team playing better as the big tournament approaches. In fact, Izzo has reached the Final Four on four occasions in the last nine seasons. But the December 22 win over Texas notwithstanding, this is an MSU crew that is down from recent editions, and Drew Neitzel, a holdover from Izzo's Final Four team a few years ago, is a shooting liability (41%). Yes, Michigan State will have a rebounding edge over many teams. But the Spartans are going to have a problem with up-tempo teams.

PURDUE -- The Boilermakers have flown under everyone's radar, but here they are, sweeping the season series from Wisconsin and establishing themselves as one of the Big Ten's best. But I don't know that they are going to be able to throw a lot of useful size at opponents. I see a trip to the Sweet 16 as a possibility, but beyond that, I don't think they're ready.

WISCONSIN -- Yes, even though Wisconsin has lost both games to Purdue this season, I give them a better shot to go farther in the NCAA Tournament. Why? Because the Badgers are more experienced, have balance, not just in scoring but in other areas as well, are extremely tough mentally, and have the defensive stopper they can throw at opponents (Michael Flowers). Sure, it's hard to forget the sweep by Purdue, and the rout they suffered at Duke, where they shot just 37%. But this is also a team good enough to have beaten the Texas Longhorns in Austin.

The Big Ten offers a lot of mediocre teams, which means that sometimes the overall records of these teams can be deceiving. All in all, I'm looking at Wisconsin as the only legitimate contender in this conference, and they'll need some help and some luck. So I don't think I would take a flyer on the Big Ten, even at 8/1 in the BetUS NCAA March Madness betting odds.

JAY'S VERDICT: NO VALUE

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!

(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)