Special Edition: March Madness 🏀
With the greatest two days in sports right in front of us, we’re launching our Weekend Insider early this week. March Madness has officially tipped off and BetDEX is your home to find the best odds throughout the tournament.
Here are a few of our favorite match ups of opening weekend:
(11) Oregon Ducks vs (6) South Carolina Gamecocks
Oregon (1.95) played their way into The Big Dance with a miracle run during the Pac-12 tournament, with clutch wins over Arizona in the semifinals and Colorado in the championship. Most doubt the Ducks can make a deep run in the tournament, but they certainly have the firepower, and at this point the momentum, to roll past the Gamecocks.
On the other end of the court, the Gamecocks (2.04) are led by the SEC Coach of the Year, who helped engineer key upsets over Tennessee and UK this year. With South Carolina’s low expectations heading into the year, it feels like they’re playing with house money, which is always tough to bet against. But we will…give us Oregon to survive opening day.
(10) Colorado State Rams vs (7) Texas Longhorns
After earning a No. 2 seed last season, the Longhorns (1.77) made their first deep run into the tourney in more than a decade — but things are different this year. With an underwhelming 20-12 record, including a very average 9-9 conference record, expectations are nonexistent for the Horns in March this year. Coming off a let down loss in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament, no one should have confidence this team is capable of a tournament run.
Luckily for the Horns, their opponent isn’t in much better shape. Colorado State (2.23) was just 10-8 in the Mountain West this year, and are coming off a solid Play-In game performance, albeit against a lackluster UVA.
Neither squad has what it takes to make the Sweet 16, but someone must win this one. Look for a tight, yet uninspiring, Texas win.
(13) Vermont Catamounts vs (4) Duke Blue Devils
Duke (1.12) might have its work cut out of them vs Vermont (7.0) on Friday in the Barclays Center. Vermont rides in on a 10-game win streak, and an American East title to go with it. The Catamounts only lost once in conference play this year, and won by double digits on ten occasions. And they do all this with one of the nation’s most disciplined offenses, which almost never commits turnovers. This is a recipe for upsetting a blue chip program like Duke.
Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain are NBA prospects, and will be looking to lead Duke back to the promise land. But with that, comes the pressure of wearing the Blue Devil jersey in March. If Duke’s outside shooting struggles, and this game stays within a few buckets late, it’s advantage Catamounts. Feeling a long shot? Ride the red-hot Catamounts at 7.0.
Looking for the best odds? BetDEX is your home for all your March Madness action. There’s 48 games lined up over the next 4 days. Get in on all the action here.