On the whole, it would make sense that the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament could have a dark horse emerge. March Madness is always celebrated for its Cinderella stories. But the pandemic has thrown a new wild card into the mix. Blue Blood teams are not what they once were for March Madness betting.
It will surprise nobody if a surprise team emerges in a year full of surprises. Most important of all, there are plenty of potentially suitable candidates. Many potential surprise teams have excellent histories of past success. Quality and price could merge for glory in 2021.
2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Sleeper Teams
When: March 18 through April 5, 2021
Ohio State Could Make Bucks at +1800
This spring will mark the third straight March Madness appearance under coach Chris Holtmann. Since 2006 the Buckeyes have missed the Big Dance on just three occasions. Ohio State has an Online sportsbook record of 18-8 straight up and 14-11-1 against the spread. Overall the Buckeyes finished fifth in the highly competitive Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes offense ranks 56th out of 350 teams for scoring.
Iowa’s Sharpshooting Hawkeyes have Firepower at +2000
Namely, Iowa could be the biggest dark horse threat on the entire 2021 March Madness Betting board. Iowa finished with a record of 20-7 straight up and 15-12 against the spread. Fashion that the Hawkeyes ranked 4th in the nation for scoring offense. Iowa boasts what could be the best player in the entire tournament. Luka Garza averages 23.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Garza scored 16 or more points in four of his last six games. He is a potential Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Awardee, favored at -2000.
Hamilton May Become Huge Show for Florida State at +2000
The Florida State Seminoles have become one of the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In fact, this will be the fourth consecutive Big Dance appearance for FSU. Head coach Leonard Hamilton, age 72, has aged like a fine wine in his 19 years at Tallahassee. Florida State has a bet on NCAA basketball record of 15-5 straight up and 11-8-1 against the spread. Second place in the ACC behind Virginia went to the Noles. Florida State finished 30th for scoring offense.
Can Texas Hook ’em at +2800?
At the onset of the season, Texas went gangbusters with ten wins in their first 11 games. Texas followed that up with a 4-6 stretch that burned gamblers badly. But coach Shaka Smart got his team to recover with four wins in their last five games. Texas finished 17-7 straight up and 10-13-1 against the spread. The Longhorns finished third in the Big 12 Conference standings and with momentum. Texas has name-brand wins over North Carolina and Kansas this season.
Suffocating Virginia Brings Confidence of Past Champion of +2800
Virginia won the 2021 March Madness betting national championship two years ago. Correlate their status as one of the best defensive programs in the country every season. Coach Tony Bennett’s defense ranked 5th out of 350 teams for points allowed. Most important of all, the Cavaliers won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
Kansas Brings Tradition and Hot Hand at +3000
On February 6, the Kansas Jayhawks were 12-7 and coming off their sixth loss in ten games. At that point, coach Bill Self and crew were written off for dead. But Kansas rallied to win seven of their last eight games, including 71-58 over Baylor, to salvage their season. Now, Kansas is one of the hottest teams on the board with just one-point spread loss in their last eight matchups. KU finished 19-8 straight up and 13-12-1 against the spread.
Can Tennessee Rise Again at +4500?
Tennessee won ten of their first 11 games before stumbling badly down the stretch. Accordingly, the Volunteers finished 10-7 straight up and 12-11-1 against the spread. But UT brings the nation’s 22nd ranked defense to the Big Dance.
