Let’s run it back.
The pandemic arrived last year right in the middle of college basketball’s conference tournaments. It was a mortar shell that landed with a thud, disrupting perhaps the best time of the year for sports bettors.
The conference tournaments never reached their rightful conclusions. That cornucopia of mid-day basketball never happened. It was a heavy dose of March sadness – and some of it still lingers.
But early on Thursday, the Horizon League conference tournament tipped off in Indianapolis. On Friday, the America East tournament begins. And bigger conferences will follow soon, bringing back so many of the beloved things we missed last year.
It’s our chance to run it back. And it all starts this week. Let’s take a quick look at the conference tournament schedule and some of the odds available at the best PA sportsbooks.
FanDuel has Villanova favored to win the Big East tournament
Pennsylvania’s college basketball fans will have to wait a little longer for the action that’s closest to home. The Big East conference tournament doesn’t begin for almost two weeks, tipping off on March 10 in New York. FanDuel has Villanova as the favorite to win at -105, with Creighton next at +170.
In the ACC, Pitt, who had a couple of players recently plan to transfer, is a long-shot at +5500. Florida State is the favorite at +250. Virginia (+400), North Carolina (+500), Virginia Tech (+600) and Duke (+700) round out the top five. That tournament is also a later one, starting on March 9 in North Carolina.
Latest Villanova Wildcats futures odds
Tourney action will get pretty heavy by next weekend
By next weekend, a number of the mid-major conferences will have begun. Most sportsbooks have restricted futures betting to the bigger conferences, but individual game betting is always an option. And there will be plenty of it.
ESPN’s roundup of the conference tournaments can help keep you informed. Most of the major conferences will begin their tournaments around March 10.
Here’s a quick rundown of the remaining conference futures, with the odds provided by FanDuel.
American Athletic Conference odds
- Houston: -290
- Memphis: +550
- SMU: +600
- Wichita State: +750
- Cincinnati: +3500
Atlantic 10 Conference odds
- VCU: +240
- Saint Louis: +250
- St. Bonaventure: +350
- Richmond: +400
- Davidson: +1100
Big 12 Conference odds
- Baylor: -185
- West Virginia: +550
- Kansas: +700
- Texas: +700
- Oklahoma: +1000
SEC Conference
- Alabama: +250
- Arkansas: +310
- Tennessee: +400
- Missouri: +450
- Florida: +950
Beyond these, the Big 10 should also have odds posted sometime soon, the delay a result of late games Thursday night.
New DraftKings users can get 100-1 odds with a single three-pointer
It’s fair to also assume Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks will roll out some promotions in conjunction with the abundance of college basketball that will soon take over our televisions.
Currently, DraftKings Sportsbook has a boost that will pay any new user 100-1 odds if the basketball team they bet on makes a three-pointer. And other promotions for current users should be available soon.
Put simply, it’s a splendid time of year for sports fans and something even better for those who enjoy betting on college basketball.
We missed it all last year.
And we had to wait a while for the return. But the redemption tour is upon us.
It’s time to run it back.
Updated NCAAB National Championship odds at PA sportsbooks
Lead image credit: AP Photo/John Peterson
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