Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: 5 best value bets for winning 2019-20 national title

By Zach Stearman

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: The Virginia Cavaliers celebrate with the trophy after their 85-77 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: The Virginia Cavaliers celebrate with the trophy after their 85-77 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – FEBRUARY 16: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena on February 16, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – FEBRUARY 16: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena on February 16, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

No. 5 – Kentucky Wildcats (+750)

Vegas makes a ton of money on bettors putting money on long shots to come from nowhere to win a championship, but in reality, many of the best bets are on the favorites. Kentucky is a consensus Top 5 team, but that does not mean there isn’t value there. Kentucky is my #2 team, giving them about a 16% chance to win a championship, but the +750 Vegas odds imply only an 11.7% chance. A $100 bet would be expected to return a profit of $36 on average.

Kentucky has an excellent freshman class, as has been tradition under Coach Cal. Five-Star freshman Tyrese Maxey will team up with Aston Hagans to form on of the nation’s premiere backcourt duos. Maxey has the ability to be an elite scorer for the Wildcats this season, and he compliments Hagans defensive prowess perfectly.

Kahlil Whitney and Keion Brooks are both long, versatile wing players who will fit perfectly into the positionless style that Kentucky has moved to the last few seasons. Johnny Juzang will be an elite outside shooter for the Wildcats to help them stretch the defense. Meanwhile, Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery will provide Kentucky with some rim protection with their size. Coach Cal even took to twitter recently to praise his roster.

"This is truly a positionless team with length. We’re only just beginning this journey and I’m liking what I’m seeing. – Coach Cal via Twitter (@UKCoachCalipari)"

Another thing that attracts me to the Kentucky future play is that you can feel confident this will still be a possible winner deep into March. Kentucky has made five of the last Sweet 16, and seven Elite Eights in the last decade. Nothing feels worse than having a “pending” future bet in your account that has no possibility of paying off. With the Wildcats, you’ll be making as safe of a future bet as any.

Kentucky has a well-rounded roster with plenty of talent that fits Coach Cal’s preferred style. They will be an exciting team, and they have a great chance to make a deep run at a title. The young group might take a bit of time to gel, but the +750 odds are a good value to pay off in April.

Home/NCAA Basketball News