2020 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Opening Odds
By David Golokhov in College Basketball
Updated: December 20, 2024 at 5:14 pm ESTPublished:
- The 2020 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament starts on Thursday, March 5th and concludes on March 8th in St. Louis
- Northern Iowa won the regular season title for the first time in 10 years and is favored to win the conference tournament
- Is Northern Iowa the best bet or is there value with one of the other teams on the board – like preseason favorite Missouri State?
Remember Ali Farokmanesh and Northern Iowa’s NCAA tournament upset of No. 1 Kansas back in 2010? Those memories have been rekindled as Northern Iowa has won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title for the first time in 10 years.
UNI finished the season 25-5 overall, in a campaign that also saw them take down South Carolina and Colorado – so should they be favored to cut down the nets at “Arch Madness”?
The oddsmakers believe so, as they are the odds-on choice to earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
2020 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Odds
| Team (seed) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Northern Iowa (1) | -110 |
| Loyola Chicago (2) | +400 |
| Indiana State (3) | +650 |
| Bradley (4) | +700 |
| Missouri State (6) | +900 |
| Valparaiso (7) | +1500 |
| Southern Illinois (5) | +2200 |
| Drake (8) | +4000 |
| Illinois State (9) | +6500 |
| Evansville (10) | +9000 |
Odds taken Mar. 2nd. MVC Championship bettors won’t be able to use Missouri betting apps, but can make legal wagers in the surrounding states of IA, IL,& IN.
Ramblers Struggling to Regain Cinderella F
MVC Tournament Bracket
Northern Iowa the Team to Beat
UNI has had a very strong season as they went 25-5 overall and 14-4 in conference play. There’s no question that they’re the clear-cut favorite to win this tournament. They are equipped with conference Player of the Year candidate A.J. Green, who led the conference in scoring at 19.7 points per game.
In case you missed it, the Panthers beat Drake 70-43 last night!#UNIFight pic.twitter.com/hcW6RYG614
— UNI Basketball (@UNImbb) March 1, 2020
This team does well with threes as Green also led the conference with 2.9 per game while fellow guard Trae Berhow led the conference in three-point shooting percentage (45.2%). They also have an impactful big man inside with Austin Phyfe, who led the conference in rebounding.
This is the most complete team from top to bottom. It would be a surprise if they didn’t end up winning the this conference tournament.
Can Loyola-Chicago or Indiana State Make a Push?
Right behind UNI will be two teams that had relatively good seasons but were a few steps behind. Neither have even been on the board of the 2020 National Championship odds, though, at most shops as neither are serious contenders to do much in March Madness.
Loyola-Chicago is fueled by Cameron Krutwig, who was the preseason Player of the Year in conference. He finished top four in scoring, rebound and assists. He has help with Tate Hall and Keith Clemons behind him, but this team doesn’t have nearly the type of depth that Northern Iowa offers.
What a finish. What a game. @RamblersMBB escape with a @ValleyHoops win. pic.twitter.com/7eZ2WY3UYu
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) February 29, 2020
As for Indiana State, they’ll enter the conference tournament on a five-game winning streak. Guards Tyreke Key and Jordan Barnes combine for 28.8 points per game. They have notched wins over Northern Iowa, Loyola Chicago and Missouri State – the team they’ll face first in the tournament. This team has a shot.
Missouri State was the preseason favorite but they’ve never really put it all together. They’re 15-16 on the year and finished sixth in the conference. However, center Gage Prim is a big problem to deal with and if he gets hot, this team could win it all. What’s more is that they’re entering this tournament on a hot streak, so be wary of them.
Who’s the Best Bet?
If you want to go with the chalk, Northern Iowa is it. By all accounts, they should win this tournament. However, I’m open to taking a flier with Missouri State. I actually think this team has a better shot than most are giving them.
https://twitter.com/DanLindbladTV/status/1225901284655497221
Missouri State won four of their last six games to end the year and one of the losses was in overtime. A big change in the structure of the team was walk-on Ross Owens was moved into the starting lineup and the Bears are 5-3 since that’s happened. They were the preseason favorite and they’re playing well at the right time.
It’s a little bit of a dart throw here but it’s a calculated one. I wouldn’t be surprised if they won the conference tournament.
SBD’s NCAA conference tournament coverage:
- 2020 Big South Tournament Opening Odds: Radford -110 Favorite
- Colgate Team to Beat in Patriot League Tournament Opening Odds
- 2020 NEC Tournament Opening Odds
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Horizon League Tournament Opening Odds Favor Wright State (-115) and Northern Kentucky (+170)
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San Diego State a -175 Favorite in Mountain West Tournament Opening Odds
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Opening SoCon Tournament Odds Favor East Tennessee State Over Furman, UNC-Greensboro
Sports Writer
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
