The 2021-22 season hasn’t been quite as clear-cut as the year before. Last year, it was clear the final of the NCAAB Tournament was on a collision course to see Gonzaga and Baylor battle for the crown. While this season has some familiar faces at the top, the top contenders going into this NCAA Tournament have some fresh blood.
Before the conference tournaments were played, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Baylor were the top three programs in the nation. While two of them met for the national championship last season, Arizona has emerged from a major scandal quickly and is back in the mix as one of the best basketball programs in America. But which of these teams have the best chance of cutting down the nets in early April?
Let’s go over our March Madness betting analysis to see which teams are worth betting on. Looking at the March Madness betting odds, we can see that the likes of Gonzaga, Arizona, and Baylor are the betting odds favorites to win it all.
March Madness Contenders Betting Analysis
Gonzaga already in the clubhouse
Because of the West Coast Conference Tournament schedule, the Bulldogs have already qualified for March Madness thanks to beating Saint Mary’s 82-69 to win the WCC Tournament for the ninth straight year. Gonzaga is 26-3 overall and 13-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs have risen to the top of the NCAA again with its sparkling offense.
Gonzaga ranks first nationally by scoring 88.3 points per game, while the Bulldogs knock down 52.4 percent of their field goals, which ranks second nationally. In the non-conference schedule, the Bulldogs beat UCLA by 20 points, Texas by 12, and Texas Tech by 14. Gonzaga also lost a close game to Duke.
When it comes to personnel, Gonzaga has a mix of youth and experience. Bulldogs forward Drew Timme leads the team by scoring 17.5 points per game.
Freshman Chet Holmgren, who is projected as a NBA lottery pick, averages 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Overall, Gonzaga has five players who average in double-figure scoring.
The Bulldogs are 15-12-2 against the spread this season. Seventeen of Gonzaga’s games have gone under the total. Gonzaga has been to the Final Four twice in the past seven years and has never won a national title.
Arizona finds some Gonzaga magic
Tommy Lloyd was an assistant under Mark Few at Gonzaga from 2001 to 2021. His leap from assistant to head coach couldn’t have gone over any better. Taking over a program trying to emerge from under the recruiting scandal caused by former coach Sean Miller, Lloyd led Arizona to a 28-3 record and 18-2 mark in Pac 12 play.
The Wildcats won the regular-season conference title for the first time since 2018. Arizona, much like Lloyd’s former program Gonzaga, has ascended to the top of the rankings by using an efficient offense.
Arizona ranks third nationally in scoring offense, averaging 84.7 points per game. The Wildcats also make 49.5 percent of their shots, which ranks fifth.
Benedict Mathurin leads Arizona in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game. The Wildcats have a lot of scoring depth with seven players who average 7.0 points per game.
Arizona has racked up several strong non-conference wins, including against Michigan and Illinois. The Wildcats won 12 of their past 13 games to close out the season.
Arizona has had 17 of its 31 games go over the total. The Wildcats have a 17-12-2 record against the spread. Arizona has been to the Final Four four times in its history and won its only national championship in 1997.
Baylor finds its way
The Bears opened the season as a team that appeared to be headed for another deep run in the postseason. Baylor won its first 15 games before adversity surfaced for the defending national champions. The Bears, who are 26-5 overall and shared the Big 12 title with Kansas with a 14-4 conference record, then lost two straight games at home.
Baylor, which also lost a non-conference game to Alabama, were able to put its head back on following a 83-73 loss to Texas Tech on Feb. 16 in Lubbock. The Bears then closed the season by winning five straight games, including victories over ranked Kansas and Texas teams. Baylor is once again built around its strong defense.
The Bears rank 34th nationally in scoring defense, limiting their opponents to 63.4 points per game. Baylor also limits its opponents to 29.2 percent shooting from the perimeter, which ranks 12th nationally. Offensively, the Bears also have plenty of punch.
Baylor average 76.8 points per game and shot 46.6 percent from the field, both of which are in the top 50 nationally. The Bears have a strong guard-oriented attack.
Adam Flagler (13.8 points per game), LJ Cryer (13.5), and James Akinjo (13.3) all pack plenty of punch for Baylor. Kendall Brown also scores 10.1 points per game for the Bears.
Looking at the sport betting information, we can see that Baylor is 16-14-1 against the spread. The Bears have also seen over on the total go 16-14-1 this season. Baylor has been to the Final Four three times in its history and won its first national title in 2021.
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