If you aren’t celebrating the start of March by betting on the winners of Mid-Major college basketball tournaments, then I don’t want to be your friend! March is the best month of the year and I fully plan to take advantage of it by gambling as much as I possibly can. I should mention after the last two sentences that it is important to gamble responsibly and only wager what you can afford to lose. Hopefully, we don’t do too much losing this March. Now, let’s get into the picks.
WCC: Saint Mary’s (HAMMER +125, BetMGM)
This is my favorite bet in this article! Saint Mary’s is criminally underrated this year and they have been absolutely suffocating teams this year with their defense. Right now, they have the 11th best defense in the country according to KenPom and that feels low to me. Saint Mary’s does a great job of figuring out what their opponents do and then they take it away. Offensively, they have a top 40 offense in the country. Saint Mary’s wants to go slow and look for a great shot in the post, which they seem to get on every possession. The best part about betting the Gaels to win the WCC Tournament is that they only have to win two games. The WCC gives their top two seeds a bye until the semi-finals. While all of the other WCC teams are running through a gauntlet, the Gaels get to rest and prepare for a two game tournament run. Feels like a great future bet to me. Go Gaels!
Patriot: Bucknell (+120)
I was told long ago (last year) that it’s important to bet on one of the teams highly seeded in conference tournaments because they are most likely to win. The top seeds always get the extra bye or byes, and they were one of the best teams in the conference for a reason. This year I’ve learned that it is smart to bet on the team with the best defense. Good offense is more exciting, but in college basketball, good defense is more reliable to bet on. Good defense typically shows up, good offense does not. Enter Bucknell. Bucknell finished tied for first in the Patriot League regular season, the Bison beat the other first place team, and they have the best defensive team in the league. Seems like the perfect team to bet on to win their conference tournament. Go Bison!
Summit: Omaha (+600)
This bet is strictly based on the odds we are getting for Omaha. The Mavericks won the regular season Summit League title by one game and they are going to get the one bye in the tournament. How are they not the favorite to win the whole tournament? How do they have the fourth best odds to win the tournament? These odds make no sense! So naturally, I had to bet on Omaha. If they win I look like a genius, and if they lose, I look a little dumb. Looking dumb is something I’m used to. Go Mavs!
Sun Belt: Arkansas State (+190)
The Sun Belt is going to be an absolute war. Four teams tied for a share of the regular season conference title and a fifth team was one loss away from making it a five-way tie. Multiple teams have a real shot to win this tournament. If this tournament is going to be such a dog fight, why do I think Arkansas State can win it all? Because the Red Wolves have the best defense in the conference. Right now, Arkansas State has the 68th defense in the country. I expect the Red Wolves to shut down their opponents’ offenses on their way to an NCAA Tournament berth. Remember, defense wins championships for a reason!
Coastal Athletic: Towson (+375)
Towson dominated the Coastal Athletic Association’s regular season. The Tigers won the Association’s regular season title by 2.0 whole games and lost only two games in conference play. Towson has one of the stronger defenses in a league that lacks strong defenses. Are the Tigers known for locking their opponents down? No, but they have a better defense than most in the conference and that’s good enough for me. We just need the Tigers to shut down UNC Wilmington’s offense or Charleston’s offense and this bet should cash. Go Tigers!
Southern Conference: Chattanooga (+240)
This is the one time I am going to go against my theory on betting the best team with the strongest defense in the conference. The reason, Chattanooga has an offense ranked in the top 50 in the country! The Mocs are lights out offensively and always seem to get a quality look every offensive possession. They dominated the Southern Conference, winning the regular season title by two games. No team in this conference has the offensive firepower to keep up with Chattanooga. Go Mocs!
Horizon: Robert Morris (+250)
Unfortunately, this will be a boring part of the article because Robert Morris hits all of the boxes on my checklist. Did they win their conference? Yes, the Colonials won the Horizon League regular season title by a game. Do they have a good defense? Yes, the Colonials have the best defense in the league. Do they have a lockdown defense? No, but Robert Morris has the best defensive efficiency rating in the conference and that has to count for something. Now, they don’t have the strongest offense, but I think their defense will more than make up for that. Go Colonials!
Conclusion
I have been looking forward to the next four weeks since all the way back when the Eagles beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Remember, this is just an appetizer for the real main course to come later on. So go slow, and don’t bet every game that you see right away. We have to pace ourselves, and conference championship futures are the perfect way to start. Good Luck, Friends, and I hope your March is very green!
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