Six Teams that are Peaking as Profitable 2019 March Madness Picks

We’re still over a week away from Selection Sunday for the 2019 men’s college basketball tournament, known as March Madness for the terrific story lines that unfold every year. Putting together your bracket each year involves a lot of research — if you want to pick up as many points as possible along the way — and deciding who you think will win the whole thing takes both research and confidence. We’ve put together a list of six teams for 2019 March Madness betting enthusiasts who are interested in putting down futures bets on the 2019 national champion, so take a look as you plot out your own wagering strategy.

Six Teams that are Peaking as Profitable 2019 March Madness Picks

The highs & lows of #MarchMadness are coming. Who else got chills from @theblackkeys? 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xCNtb7RFE5

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) 8 de marzo de 2019

Duke*

Why the asterisk? The status of Zion Williamson is the biggest cloud hanging over Duke’s national title chances — and even their chances of snagging a 1-seed in the bracket. When he’s on the floor, he is the marquee name on a roster that contains an almost unfair amount of talent, and the team has the balance that a national champion needs, ranking third overall on offense and fourth on defense. Coach K already has five national championships, including the 2015 title with a team that was also led by a group of stellar freshmen. The free-throw shooting (68%) is a concern, as is the shooting from behind the arc (31.6%), which (if Duke wins it all) would be the lowest average by a national champion since the NCAA added that arc 32 years ago. Even so, Duke has a way of rumbling on further than people expect them to.

Tennessee

The Volunteers have only made the Elite Eight once, back in 2010 and have never appeared in a Final Four. Coach Rick Barnes made it to the Final Four 16 years ago with Texas, but his teams have not made it to the Sweet 16 in their last seven NCAA tournaments. However, this squad could be the best that Tennessee has ever put on the floor or that Barnes has ever coached, as Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams give him two forwards who are versatile and have All-America skills and size. The red flag for Tennessee comes from their lack of experience and their shaky defense.

Kentucky

Like Duke, Kentucky is another freshman-dominated roster. They do have a pair of starters in P.J. Washington (sophomore) and Reid Travis (Stanford graduate transfer), and the Wildcats have put together one of the better defenses in the nation. The only Wildcat projected to go in the lottery of the NBA draft this year is Keldon Johnson, but this team’s talent has come together well, with four different proven scorers. Their three-point shooting is respectable (35.3%), but they have balanced scoring, as they get less than a quarter of their points from behind the arc.

Gonzaga*

The asterisk here is for Killian Tillie, the forward who is likely to miss the rest of the regular season with a ligament tear in his right foot. That’s his second big injury this season and could put his postseason play in jeopardy, as even if he can take the floor, he might be doing so at less than 100%. However, Gonzaga did beat Duke in Maui without Tillie. Brandon Clarke and Rui Hachimura have come out as solid talents, and this team does have a considerable bit of size and experience. My concern with Gonzaga is that playing for two months in the soft West Coast Conference could temper their preparation for elite competition in the Big Dance.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels are a top-25 team in offensive and defensive efficiency, and the team has plenty of experience with three senior starters on the floor. The other two starters are freshmen who are likely to go in the first round of this summer’s NBA draft. This year’s Tar Heel team shoots lights out and has the ability to control the boards. Duke and Virginia have been grabbing the press in the ACC this season, but North Carolina could have the last laugh.

Michigan State

The Spartans have gone up and down, but they are tenth in the nation in effective field goal percentage and lead the nation in rate of assisted field goals. Xavier Tillman, Kenny Goins and Nick Ward all protect the rim, which is why the Spartans have a top-ten defense. It hurt to lose Joshua Langford, but Cassius Winston is still on the floor, and there are few coaches who can equal Tom Izzo.