Kentucky Given Best NCAA Tournament Odds Among Non-No. 1 Seeds
By Robert Duff in College Basketball
Updated: March 31, 2020 at 12:16 pm EDTPublished:
- Sportsbooks give Kentucky the best odds of winning the NCAA Tournament outside of the No. 1 seeds
- The 27-6 Wildcats fell 82-78 to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament semifinals
- Kentucky won March Madness in 2010-11 as a No. 4 seed in the East Region
Should you be wild about the Kentucky Wildcats? At +1100, one sportsbook gives the Wildcats the fifth-best odds to win the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Cats focused on task at hand as #MarchMadness begins.
Story ➡️ https://t.co/2CaDUvbpR5 pic.twitter.com/meIfY4wjFm— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 18, 2019
The sportsbook has given Kentucky the lowest odds of any team that isn’t entering March Madness as the No. 1 seed in one of the four regions.
Odds To Win 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
| Team | Odds to win 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament |
|---|---|
| Duke | +225 |
| Gonzaga | +550 |
| Virginia | +600 |
| North Carolina | +700 |
| Kentucky | +1100 |
| Michigan State | +1200 |
| Tennessee | +1600 |
| Michigan | +1600 |
| Texas Tech | +2000 |
| Auburn | +3300 |
| Florida State | +3300 |
| Houston | +3300 |
| Purdue | +3300 |
*All odds taken March 18. Follow link for complete list.
The Wildcats are the second-seeded team in the Midwest Region, where UNC sits on the one line.
Kentucky Has Done It Before
The Wildcats most recently won the NCAA Tournament in 2010-11, and did it while starting out as the No. 4 seed in the East Region.
In 1997-98, as with this year, the Wildcats entered March Madness as a No. 2 seed and went all the way to win the title. They were also a two seed while winning the NCAA Tournament in 1977-78.
It’s Been a Wild Wildcats Season
The Wildcats opened the NCAA season ranked No. 2 in the polls but it began in ominous fashion when they were thrashed 118-84 by the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils.
Kentucky then won seven in a row before losing to the unranked Seton Hall Pirates, 84-83. Coincidentally, Seton Hall and Kentucky could clash again in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats rebounded to whip the No. 3 North Carolina Tar Heels 80-72, and it’s North Carolina that just happens to hold the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region ahead of Kentucky.
But then another loss to an unranked opponent was handed to the Wildcats, a 77-75 defeat by the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Encouragingly, the Wildcats are 4-0 this season against three teams that figure to be the stiffest challengers in the Midwest Region: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 4 Kansas (71-63 win), and No. 5 Auburn, the SEC Tournament champions (82-80 road win, 80-53 home win).
It’s pretty easy to make a case that Kentucky could win the Midwest.
Other Longshots to Consider
Since the post-Selection Sunday NCAA Tournament odds were listed Sunday, there’s been significant action among those rated just below the No. 1 seed. Kentucky’s odds lengthened from +1000 to +1100, while the Michigan State Spartans, the Big Ten regular-season co-champs and tournament champions, dropped from +1400 to +1200.
The Spartans toppled rival Michigan in all three meetings this season, including the final game of the regular season to earn a share of that title, and then again in the Big Ten Tournament final. In all three games, they overcame sizable second-half deficits.
But coach Tom Izzo Spartans hasn’t made it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2014-15, and Sparty has to beat Duke to win their region
If you’re looking to play a team outside the No. 1 seeds, Kentucky is your best bet.
SBD’s Regional Previews
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
