March Madness 2017 Best Upset Picks

If you’re a college basketball odds enthusiast and you’re in the process of getting your March Madness wagering strategy together, then you need to know all about the ‘under the radar’ teams that could be great upset picks once March Madness gets underway in just about a month.

To that end, I’m going to offer up an expert look at three nationally-ranked

March Madness 2017 Best Upset Picks

No. 19 SMU

While the Mustangs (23-4 SU, 16-5-1 ATS) may not play the best competition on the planet in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) they have recorded some quality wins this season over teams like Cincinnati and the always dangerous Temple Owls. However, what makes me believe that SMU could be a great upset pick once March Madness begins is the fact that the Mustangs rank a stellar third nationally in points allowed and have a true superstar in senior forward Semi Ojeleye (18.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg), not to mention three other double-digit scorers.

No. 18 Cincinnati

The Bearcats (23-3 SU, 11-11-1 ATS) have recorded some quality wins over likely tournament teams like Iowa State, SMU and Xavier, but it is their sixth-ranked defense (60.9 ppg) that makes me believe they will be  dangerous team to deal with once March Madness begins. Cincinnati ranks a phenomenal third in defensive field goal shooting percentage (37.4%) and has four players that average double figures in scoring with two of those players shooting at least 52.0 percent from the field.

No. 16 Purdue

The Purdue Boilermakers (21-5 SU, 15-7-1 ATS) may not get the national media attention as some other legitimate title contenders, but Purdue is solid at both ends of the floor as they rank 28th in scoring (81.3 ppg) and 47th in point allowed (66.2%). More importantly, the Boilermakers have a legitimate Player of the Year candidate in superstar sophomore forward Caleb Swanigan, a player that can dominate whether scoring (18.7 ppg)  or cleaning up the glass (13.0 rpg).