sport news March Madness: Bettors rooting for underdogs ahead of this year's NCAA ... trends now
Betters are leaning toward underdogs more than ever in this year's March Madness, given the numerous upsets that led to last year's unusual Final Four and the many bids stolen in this season's conference tournaments.
As recent history has shown, surprise wins can happen as early as Tuesday and Wednesday, when the First Four - games that typically involve the four lowest-ranked conference champions and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams - will take place.
The NCAA tournament will begin in full on Thursday. One bettor who isn't following this year's trend is Texas native Mattress Mack, who is predicting that the Houston Cougars will win this year's March Madness. He placed a $1million bet on the No. 1-ranked team in the latest AP basketball poll, as the Cougars are at +750 odds to win the men's national basketball championship. If they pull it off, then Mack will emerge from the tournament with $7.5M in his pockets.
'People are loving some (under)dogs,' BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. 'We've taken all this money on some long shots to win these conference tournaments. Lots of people like taking a flier on some of these double-digit seeds.'
Saint Peter's made the Sweet 16 two years ago as a No. 15 seed. Last year's Final Four included a very un-blue-blooded San Diego State, Florida Atlantic and Miami.
March Madness this year comes at a time of great uncertainty among college basketball powerhouse teams
St Peter's made the Sweet 16 two years ago as a No. 15 seed in a thrilling underdog tourney run
The madness this year came to March before the NCAA Tournament, with underdogs sweeping through conference tourneys and taking bids from teams that otherwise would've been in line to make the Big Dance. Only 11 of the 32 conference tournaments ended with the No. 1 seed as champion.
'I think the (NCAA transfer) portal is helping a lot of these mid-major teams,' Magee said. 'There are a lot of players at
