March Madness: Consensus Picks for College Basketball
Contents
- What is March Madness?
- What are the consensus picks for March Madness?
- Why are these the consensus picks?
- What are the odds of each team winning?
- What are the sleeper Teams to Watch out for?
- What are the upset picks?
- What are the Cinderella teams?
- What are the dark horse teams?
- What are the long shots?
- What are the brackets?
It’s that time of year again! Here are the Top Picks for who will win the NCAA tournament according to experts.
What is March Madness?
March Madness is the colloquial term for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States featuring 68 college basketball teams from across the country.
The tournament is widely considered to be one of the most exciting sporting events in the world, with millions of Americans filling out brackets in hopes of correctly predicting the outcome of all 67 games.
While there is no surefire way to correctly pick every game, there are a few schools that are perennial contenders for the title and tend to be strong picks year after year.
Some of the consensus picks for this year’s tournament include Duke, Kentucky, Gonzaga, and North Carolina
What are the consensus picks for March Madness?
The “March Madness” college Basketball Tournament is one of the most followed sporting events in the United States Every year, millions of Americans fill out brackets trying to predict which team will win it all. While there are always a few upsets, there is usually a consensus among experts as to which teams are the strongest heading into the tournament.
This year, the consensus picks are Duke, Gonzaga, and Virginia as the top three seeds in the tournament. Many experts are picking Duke to win it all, as they have one of the most talented rosters in recent memory. However, Gonzaga and Virginia are both very strong teams that could make a run at the title.
So, if you’re filling out a bracket this year, be sure to keep an eye on these three teams!
Why are these the consensus picks?
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is one of the most popular sporting events in the United States Every year, millions of people fill out brackets in hopes of correctly predicting the winner of the tournament.
While there is no surefire way to correctly pick the winner of the tournament, there are some teams that are favored by most experts. These are the consensus picks for the 2020 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
Duke: Duke is one of the most successful programs in college basketball history. They have won five National Championships and have produced numerous NBA Stars This year’s team is led by freshman sensation Zion Williamson who is widely considered to be one of the best players in the country.
Gonzaga: Gonzaga has been one of the best teams in College Basketball over the past few years. They have won 30 or more games in each of the past five seasons and have made it to the Elite Eight twice during that span. This year’s team is led by star center Rui Hachimura, who is averaging 20 points and 6 rebounds per game
Kentucky: Kentucky is one of the Blue Bloods of College Basketball They have won eight national championships and have produced numerous NBA Stars This year’s team is led by freshman point guard Immanuel Quickley, who is averaging 16 points and 5 assists per game
North Carolina: North Carolina is another Blue Blood program with six national championships to their name. This year’s team is led by junior guard Coby White who is averaging 16 points per game
What are the odds of each team winning?
As the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament approaches, there is great speculation about which team will win it all. Some say it’s a toss-up, while others have a few teams in mind that they think have a better shot at winning. So, what are the odds of each team winning?
The answer may surprise you. According to VegasInsider.com, as of March 17th, the Kentucky Wildcats have the best odds of winning at 2/1, followed closely by the Duke Blue Devils at 5/2. The Wisconsin Badgers and Villanova Wildcats are tied for third place at 8/1.
Interestingly, the current consensus picks among basketball experts compiled by sites such as ESPN and CBS Sports are somewhat different. ESPN has Duke as their overall #1 seed, followed by Villanova, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. CBS Sports has Kentucky as their top pick followed by Duke, Wisconsin, and Villanova.
So who will win it all? Only time will tell!
What are the sleeper Teams to Watch out for?
As the college Basketball season comes to a close, many fans and enthusiasts are beginning to fill out their brackets for the annual NCAA Tournament more commonly known as “March Madness ”
Despite there being 68 teams total in the tournament, there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding which team will come out on top. Every year, there are always a few “sleeper” teams that manage to make a deep run in the tournament despite being relatively unknown or unheralded going into it.
With that being said, here are a few sleeper teams to keep an eye out for in this year’s NCAA tournament
1. The University of North Carolina at Asheville Bulldogs – The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a strong 20-11 record and are led by junior guard Macio Teague who averaging over 18 points per game
2. The Virginia Commonwealth University Rams – The Rams had a bit of a down year during the regular season but have shown glimpses of greatness throughout, including an upset win over then-ranked #25 LSU early on. They also have one of the best players in the country in junior guard Marcus Evans, who is averaging nearly 18 points per game
3. The Belmont University Bruins – The Bruins went 22-9 during the Regular Season and have one of the most explosive offenses in all of college basketball averaging over 83 points per game They are also led by one of the best players in the country that you may not have heard of in senior guard Dylan Windler, who is averaging a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds per game
What are the upset picks?
In college basketball an “upset” is when a team beats a team that is higher ranked than them.
So, for consensus upset picks for this year’s March Madness we would expect to see a lot of #12 and #13 seeds beating #5 and #6 seeds.
What are the Cinderella teams?
Cinderella teams are the Cinderella stories of the NCAA tournament They are the teams that were not expected to make it far in the tournament, but end up doing so. These teams often come from smaller conferences and are not household names. But they always seem to find a way to win when it matters most.
Some recent Cinderella stories include George Mason in 2006, Wichita State in 2013, and Loyola-Chicago in 2018. All of these teams were double-digit seeds that made a run to the Final Four.
This year, there are a few teams that have the potential to be Cinderella stories. The first is UC Irvine, who is a 12 seed in the West region. They finished the season with a 26-5 record and won the Big West conference tournament They are a strong defensive team and will be a tough out for any team they play.
The second team is Temple, who is an 11 seed in the East region. They finished the season 23-8 and won the AAC conference tournament They have a balanced team that can shoot and defend well. They will be a tough matchup for any team in the East region.
Finally, there is St. John’s, who is also an 11 seed in the East region. They finished 21-11 on the season and lost in the Big East Conference tournament semifinals. They have a lot of talent on their roster and could make some noise in the NCAA tournament
What are the dark horse teams?
With the college basketball season coming to a close, everyone is looking to make their final predictions for the NCAA tournament While there are always a few consensus picks for the top teams in the country, there are also always a few dark horse teams that manage to make a deep run in the tournament.
So, what are the dark horse teams that could make some noise in this year’s tournament? Here are a few to keep an eye on:
-Xavier: Xavier has been one of the most consistent teams in the country all season long and they have the talent to make a deep run in the tournament.
-Butler: Butler has been up and down at times this season, but they have still managed to racked up some big wins. They will be a tough out for anyone in the tournament.
-Clemson: Clemson has flown under the radar for much of the season, but they have quietly put together an excellent campaign. They could be a dangerous team in March.
What are the long shots?
This year’s NCAA men’s Basketball Tournament is wide open, with no clear favorite. So which teams are the long shots? Our experts make their picks.
What are the brackets?
The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament also known informally as “March Madness”, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to determine the National Championship The tournament was created in 1939 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and was the idea of Ohio State University coach Harold Olsen. Played mostly during March, it has become one of the most famous annual sporting events in the United States