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2018 March Madness Betting Preview: Villanova vs. Radford

Updated 2018 NCAA Basketball Championship Odds – February 8th

Written by on February 8, 2018

NCAAB News and Betting Previews| Xbet.ag
We’re just a few weeks away from March Madness, when 68 men’s college basketball teams enter three frenzied weeks of play that build to the national championship. This year, Virginia and Purdue are the only teams that have avoided any stunning losses (after seeing Villanova go down to St. John’s on Wednesday night). Wagering on squads of young athletes in their teens and early twenties is always a risky proposition, but this is one of the most popular online betting events every year, so take a look at this updated list of NCAA Basketball Championship odds for the major contenders.

Updated 2018 NCAA Basketball Championship Odds – February 8th

Villanova (5/1)

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (5/1)
The Wildcats are an offense-first team, with 14 games so far this season in which they have made 10 or more shots from downtown. Yes, they are the second big-time program to fall to St. John’s in the last week after last night’s upset in Philadelphia, but this is a team that is built both inside and out to win.

Virginia (11/2)

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (11/2)
The Cavaliers are all about defense — their defensive efficiency is off the charts at 81.8 points per 100 possessions — and against top-50 teams it’s 77.8. In the last 10 games? It’s 78.5, according to ESPN. So this is a team that can get the stops it needs in crunch time — a big factor in the Big Dance.

Michigan State (13/2)

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (13/2)
If the Spartans beat Purdue, win out in Big Ten play and then win the tournament, they could end up with a 1-seed in March. They sit at 22-3. Can they get the defensive consistency that they need?

Duke (7/1)

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (7/1)
Frankly, these odds are based on name value alone. Duke has too many inconsistencies, particularly on defense, to be considered a contender for the title this year…at least at this point.

Purdue (8/1)

These odds could shift significantly after Purdue’s home loss to Ohio State on Wednesday — but they could go back the other way if they can go to East Lansing and deliver a win over Michigan State. Bettors and oddsmakers are still waiting to see if Purdue is going to be the real deal.
  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (8/1)

Arizona (14/1)

Thanks to Arizona State and Texas A&M falling out of the top 25, the Wildcats don’t have any wins over ranked opponents this year. Yes, they’re 19-5, but that record is looking shakier every week.
  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (14/1)

Florida, Kansas, St. Mary’s (CA), Xavier, Cincinnati

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (20/1)
Kansas could be a good value bet out of this group. They could end up with a top seed, depending on what shakes out in other parts of the country, but they also have some mystifying losses, such as that home debacle against Oklahoma State. Rebounding and defense remain issues in crunch time. Xavier’s overtime win at Butler (who has beaten Villanova this season) was a strong statement on Tuesday, and they have three more tough games in a row, playing at Creighton before hosting Seton Hall and Villanova. Cincinnati leads Wichita State and Houston by three games in the American Athletic Conference — but they still play at SMU, Wichita State and Houston. So far, though, the Bearcats have shown they are the class of the league. Can that translate to wins in March?

Wichita State, Texas Tech

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (25/1)
The Red Raiders dropped three of four — and now have won four in a row, including an overtime victory over Texas and a tough win at TCU. Keenan Evans put up 38 points on just 13 shots against the Longhorns, going 18 for 20 from the charity stripe.

West Virginia, Oklahoma

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (28/1)
Here are two high-octane programs from the Big 12 that like to score in bunches but that can get overwhelmed when they have to defend in the halfcourt.

Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio State 

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (33/1)
How about those Volunteers? They just went to Kentucky and delivered a big 61-59 win. They go to Alabama this weekend, and after that they have three home games and three away games. Can they keep up the defensive consistency?

Gonzaga, Alabama, Auburn 

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (40/1)
Why is Auburn way down here? They’re 21-2 and are sixth in the nation in blocked shots percentage despite having almost no height to speak of. They play an up-tempo offensive style that has carried them through most of the season. They did lost at home last night to Texas A&M by a point, but they should still remain favored through the rest of their SEC slate.

Louisville, Florida State, Seton Hall, Texas, North Carolina State 

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (50/1)

Texas A&M 

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (66/1)
That win at Auburn tells us that the Aggies can compete. But can they make the run through a deep tournament?

Clemson 

  • NCAA Basketball Championship Odds: (100/1)
This is another potential value bet. The Tigers are 19-4. Granted, they have lost second-leading scorer Donte Grantham for the year. They responded by getting annihilated by Virginia but have won three in a row since then
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