No. 3 – Michigan State Spartans (+650)
Much like Kentucky, a Michigan State future bet is not at all flashy. That does not mean it isn’t a solid investment, however. The Spartans will open the season as the near-consensus top-ranked team in the nation. The number one ranked preseason team is given a 19% chance to win a title, but the +650 odds only imply a 13.3% probability. A $100 bet is expected to return an average profit of $42.5 using these odds. Sure, the pay day at the end of the season won’t be the same as it would be for a 50-1 long shot, but in gambling, the safest play can often be the smartest.
Michigan State has everything you look for in a title contender. They are experienced with plenty of production returning from last year’s Final Four team. They have potentially the best player in the country in Cassius Winston leading their team at the point guard position. They have a big man with the potential to turn into an elite post threat in Xavier Tillman. Josh Langford will return from injury that kept him out of last year’s tournament run, and he was averaging 15.0 PPG before being hurt. Finally, they are led by Tom Izzo who is widely regarded as one of the nation’s best coaches.
If the talent returning from last season wasn’t enough, Michigan State adds Top-40 combo guard Rocket Watts to provide a scoring punch off the bench. Freshman forward Malik Hall has impressed over the summer as well, and his versatility could be a big asset for the Spartans as they look for him to fill in minutes in different positions. The Spartans are head and shoulders better than any other Big 10 team right now, and I don’t see them having too much trouble entering the tournament as one of the top seeds.
There are no sure things in college sports, but there is nothing not to love about this Michigan State team. I would be very surprised if they are not one of the final eight teams standing barring an injury to a key player. In the end, though, you will have to decide if the short odds are incentive enough to tie up part of your bankroll for the entire season. Regardless, I expect this team to be one of the favorites all season long.