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Elite Eight Betting Elevates to Higher Level of Quality

NCAA Tournament Championship Odds and picks

Namely, Elite Eight has meaning for fans and gamblers of college basketball like few other levels.  Cause by the four March Madness Betting winners of Elite Eight games get their tickets punched to the Final Four.  In most cases, Elite Eight teams are of the name brand variety.  Last year Oregon State was the one exception to that rule.  But quality finally overcame the Beavers in their loss to the Houston Cougars.  By the time Elite Eight games take place, most casual gamblers have departed the scene of the NCAA Tournament.

CBB Betting: Elite Eight Betting Format and Overview

When: Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27
Location: San Antonio, Texas – AT&T Center, San Francisco, California – Chase Center, Chicago, Illinois – United Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Wells Fargo Center
TV Coverage: CBS and Its Affiliates

Elite Eight CashBet Wagering Analysis

Overall, casual Top online Sportsbook players are all-in for the first two rounds.  But they start losing interest after that initial weekend.  Thus, both handicappers and the odds are of higher quality by Elite Eight weekend.

The Elite Eight is comprised of teams that won three games (first, second, and third-round).  Most important of all, the Elite Eight matchups are packed with pressure and high stakes.  For the 2021 March Madness Betting winners comes a trip to the Final Four.  And then the loser goes home with heartbreak.  The Elite Eight means basketball played at a higher level.  And betting lines are not affected by the cheap mentality of squares.

Last year we saw #11 seed UCLA win its game over #1 Michigan and #12 seed Oregon State fall to #2 seed Houston.  On the whole, bet on NCAA basketball gamblers were caught off guard by two double-digit seeds making the Elite Eight.

And on to the Final Four

Of the 140 teams to reach the Final Four in the modern era, roughly 40 percent of them have been No. 1 seeds.  However, No. 2 seeds have more than held their own against No. 1 seeds in head-to-head meetings.  Those no. 2 seeds have a 24-23 record all-time at this stage.  That’s why we have only seen one Final Four where all four #1 seeds reached the Final Four.

Seeing a Final Four without at least one No. 1 seed is rather uncommon.  That’s only happened twice.  Those years were also the years of the mid-majors.  To show, George Mason crashed the party by upsetting Connecticut here in the Elite 8 in 2006 In comparison, Butler and VCU reached the Final Four in 2011 as #8 and #11 seeds.

Blue Blood Runs Thick

By the time the Final Four is set, the quality of teams is vastly better than the opening of the NCAA Tournament.  Last year nobody doubted that the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Baylor Bears were the two best teams in college basketball.  And it was Baylor that went on to win the national championship.

The great irony of the 2021 Final Four was that the Blue Blood UCLA Bruins were the Cinderella story.  Consider that UCLA emerged from the First Four to make an epic run to the Final Four.  This year we see familiar names as favorites to make the Final Four.  The question is, which of those teams will fail?  Of course, the 2021 March Madness Betting winners of the Final Four mill meet two nights later in the National Championship Game.

One of the most appealing characteristics of the Final Four is the historical context.  The Final Four is one of the most tradition-rich events in all sports.  The North Carolina Tar Heels, UCLA Bruins, Kentucky Wildcats, Duke Blue Devils, and Kansas Jayhawks are college basketball’s name brands.

To this day, these programs are the most prominent name brands on the board.  Many gamblers will bet on them based on this Final Four history.  As a result, Oddsmakers often have to add a few points to the price of these public favorites.

 

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