Top Betting Favorites and Sleepers for 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament

There is nothing like March Madness.  In particular, this week and weekend are like four straight Christmas Days.  The presents under the tree keep coming for four consecutive games.  As do the surprises.  Cause of no dominant March Madness betting powerhouse, the possibilities are endless.  Gamblers could find hidden gems on the board by the hour.  Host teams have a legitimate shot at winning the national championship.  By contrast, many favorites could flop and leave gamblers with busted bankrolls.  There are potential pitfalls and values all rolled into the Madness of March!

2022 NCAA Tournament

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Top Favorite – Gonzaga Bulldogs Aim to Close

Here we go again.  Last year Gonzaga lost the national championship game for the second time.  But the Zags are a repeat Top online sportsbook favorite to cut down the nets on April 4.  On the whole, the Gonzaga detractors will point to their membership in the West Coast Conference.  Gonzaga is a classic big fish in a little pond in the WCC. First in the nation for scoring offense is difficult to ignore.  But the Zags have not faced a Big Ten level of schedule.  Will they wear down in the late rounds?  And is the price worth the risk to College Basketball gamblers making the expensive lay?

Top Sleeper – Is the Nation’s Top Player Enough to Propel Illinois?

Fashion that Illinois is becoming a popular 2021 March Madness betting sleeper.  Which begs the question as to if they are actually a surprise team?  In fact, many Illinois detractors would say that the Fighting Illini are a great disappointment.  Gamblers pulled their hair out over Illinois all season.  The Fighting Illini went 22-8 straight up.  But they were an overlay at 13-17 against the spread.  Namely, Kofi Cockburn is why gamblers like Illinois as a sleeper team.  Cockburn averaged 21.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest.

Top Favorite – Kansas Jayhawks Recover from Kentucky Debacle

Specifically, on January 29, 2022, Kansas hosted Kentucky in a high-profile national TV showdown at Allen Fieldhouse.  KU was humiliated in an 80-62 loss as a 5-point bet on NCAA basketball favorite.  For that reason, the Jayhawks were written off for dead as a Final Four contender.  But Kansas recovered to become the top seed of the Midwest region.  KU boasts the 29^th ranked offense in the country.  And Ochai Agbaji is one of the nation’s elite players.  Agbaji averaged 19.7 points per game to pace KU.

Top Sleeper – Can Badgers Buck the Odds  

At the onset of the season, Wisconsin was sold as a rebuilding team that would slog for wins.  Thus, the Badgers are a 2022 March Madness betting surprise as the co-champion of the Big Ten regular season.  Wisconsin went 24-6 straight up and 17-13 against the spread to rank as a solid value.  Most important of all, Wisconsin is a veteran team with a mental toughness that few teams can match.  And the champion of the Big Ten regular season is a force to be reckoned with.

Top Favorite – Arizona Wildcats Emerge from the Ashes

At the beginning of the season, the Arizona Wildcats were coming out of a coaching change based on scandal.  Sean Miller was fired, and longtime Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd was hired to clean up his mess.  What was originally thought to be a lost season has turned into a number one seed in the South regional.  Arizona proved to be one of the nation’s top values with a record of 28-3 straight up and 18-12-1 against the spread.  Further, they were the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament champions.