NCAA Conference Tournaments Odds Update

It’s conference tournament week in college basketball as teams get one last chance to improve their position or maybe even sneak into March Madness.

Let’s start things with the ACC tournament where you may be surprised that the Duke Blue Devils are not the favorite. At Bovada Sportsbook, the oddsmakers have anointed the Virginia Cavaliers as a +125 favorite followed by Duke at +175. The only other team in the tournament field getting triple-digit odds is the North Carolina Tar Heels at +325.

Virginia lost only two games all season, but both of those losses came against Duke. The Blue Devils’ fate in the tournament will likely depend on the availability and health of star forward Zion Williamson. The Tar Heels may be a strong underdog pick in the tournament, as they topped Duke twice this season.

No. 1 seed has won Big Ten only once in last 6 years

In the Big Ten tournament, the oddsmakers at TopBet expect the No. 1-seeded Michigan State Spartans to be the last team standing after listing them as a +150 favorite. Don’t throw all your money down on the Spartans, though, as the top seed has won the Big Ten tournament only once in the last six years.

Also getting good odds in the Big Ten are the Michigan Wolverines at +200, the Purdue Boilermakers at +300 and the Wisconsin Badgers at +550. Either the Wolverines or the Spartans have won the Big Ten tournament in five of the last seven years, and this season Michigan State won the rivalry with a pair of wins over the Wolverines.

Red Raiders favored to win Big 12 tourney for first time

Moving on to the Big 12, at TopBet the Texas Tech Red Raiders are the favorites at +150. Next in line are the Kansas State Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks, both at +350, and the Iowa State Cyclones at +450.

Texas Tech is red-hot, entering the tournament on a nine-game win streak that includes victories over Kansas and Iowa State. If the Red Raiders can live up to the oddsmakers’ hype, it would be their first-ever Big 12 tournament title.

If history means anything, you may want to bet on Kansas or Iowa State to take the tournament. Either the Jayhawks or Cyclones have won the last six tournaments and Kansas has won eight of the last 13 alone.

Wildcats, Volunteers co-favorites in SEC tournament

Finally, let’s look at the SEC tournament. At TopBet you’ll find the Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers as +200 co-favorites. The No. 1 seed LSU Tigers are listed at +400 and the Auburn Tigers at +500.

Kentucky has won the SEC tournament the last four years but has suffered losses against both LSU and Tennessee this season. Tennessee surprisingly hasn’t won the SEC tournament since 1979 and posted single losses against LSU and Kentucky this season. LSU only lost two games in conference play this season, defeating Tennessee and Kentucky along the way.