March Madness Betting Analysis: Men's College Basketball Underdog Teams

We are less than a month away from the start of March Madness, with teams now gearing up for the stretch run in the regular season. For some, it is all about securing the best seeding possible when heading into the tournament, while the teams on the bubble hope to do enough to impress their way into the final 68 teams. Those teams are at the opposite end of the spectrum, while in the middle, there are a handful of teams who will be in, but who no one is really looking at as a legitimate threat to win it all. There is always a team or two that emerges from that pack to make a deep run in the tournament, so who might those teams be this season? Let’s take a look at a few that might make some noise in March Madness so you can plan your bets against the March Madness Odds.

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USC Trojans

As it stands at the moment, the USC Trojans are down in the #17 spot in the rankings with a very respectable 21-4 record. This is a team that has been consistently good over the last couple of years and who made it all the way to the Elite Eight last season. They did lose their two best players at the end of last season, with Tajh Eaddy and Evan Mobley heading to the draft, which is perhaps why they were counted out by so many heading into this season. They are currently 2 ½ games back of Arizona in the PAC 12 regular season standings and don’t really have any stats that would make them look like a potential champion. The Trojans just keep on winning, though, so don’t count them out.

Illinois Fighting Illini

The Fighting Illini are currently ranked at #12 after posting an 18-6 record this season. While that may not seem like the record of a potential national champion, you do have to say that they have turned the heat up in the conference play portion of the season. Illinois is 11-3 in the Big ten, which is good enough to give them a half-game lead in the conference. They are not particularly great in the scoring department, but they are defensively sound, allowing just 66 PPG this season. We all know the old cliché about defense winning championships, and while their D might not be championship caliber, it is more than good enough to take them deep in the tournament.

Duke Blue Devils

Given the pedigree of this team and the fact that they are currently in the top 10, it may seem odd to have them in as a dark horse this season. The reality, though, is that most of the chatter surrounding the Duke Blue Devils has been the final season with Coach K in charge as opposed to their chances of going out and winning a National Championship. As it stands now, they are in prime position to win the ACC regular season title, sitting a half-game up on the chasing pack. They also look to be very balanced on both sides of the court without being too flashy. The kids on this team are going to want to make the last season for their coach a memorable one, so do not count them out.