Teams like Wichita State, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville State and Winthrop have already punched their tickets to the 2017 NCAA Tournament by winning their respective conference tournaments. The big boy tournaments begin this week which offers up a number of teams on the bubble a shot at punching theirs as well. Let’s take a look at a handful of teams that could either qualify for the Big Dance by winning it all or by making a deep run.
Don't miss any of the 2017 NCAA Tournament with the Final 4 taking place at University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, AZ on April 1, 2017. Catch every moment of the games live on CBS.
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders: 300-1
Most will remember MTSU from last season as the team that blew up 80 percent of people’s brackets by handing Michigan State a shocking defeat in the Round of 64. Should they qualify for the dance this season as well, most will likely eliminate them immediately thinking they’ll have no shot of pulling another upset. However, this year’s team returns a bulk of last year’s cast and is much better now than when it crushed Sparty’s dreams. Now the No. 1 seed and a near even money favorite to win the C-USA Tournament, the Blue Raiders are certainly a team you should have on your radar should they get into the field of 68.
Providence Friars: 500-1
Ed Cooley’s Friars closed their Big East regular season schedule incredibly strong with six straight wins and covered the closing pointspread in all but one of those games. Off a handling of the Johnnies on the road, Providence invades Madison Square Garden a +2531 underdog to win the conference tournament and a 500-1 dog to hoist the hardware at the end of the Big Dance. Rodney Bullock and company have played a great brand of defense all season, but the offense caught up at the tail end as well. St. John’s was the first team to register 70+ points against them since falling by a bucket at Seton Hall in overtime. Should it find its way in, Providence is a giant killer that mustn’t be overlooked!
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: 500-1
The Demon Deacons late charge to their regular season currently has Danny Manning’s kids in the play-in game versus Vanderbilt on Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi’s mock bracket. Big man John Collins has helped lead his club to three straight wins with the defining wins coming against Louisville at home and Virginia Tech on the road. Their bracket has them lined up to likely battle the Hokies in the second round, and if they get by them, they’ll have a shot at avenging an ugly loss to the Seminoles in the quarters. Linemakers aren’t giving the Deacs much of a shot to win the ACC at +3232, but should they make a deep run, it would likely get them off the No. 11 line and into the field where they’ll likely be a tough out for any that runs up against them.
BYU Cougars: 2000-1
The Cougars were the third best team in the West Coast Conference by a long shot with both Gonzaga and St. Mary’s separating themselves at the top of the heap. However, Dave Rose’s squad has been scoring points at a frenetic pace since falling at home to St. Mary’s a couple week’s back. In that stretch, BYU also went into Spokane and just so happened to hand the No. 1 ranked Bulldogs a loss on their home floor as 21 point underdogs. Eric Mika and his mates have absolutely no shot of qualifying for the dance unless they win the WCC tourney, and if that were to occur, it would have to beat the Gaels and likely the Bulldogs in successive nights. If it gets by St. Mary’s Monday night, anything is possible.
Tennessee Volunteers: 5000-1
The Vols currently find themselves on the wrong side of the bubble in a big way after winning just 16 of their 31 overall played games and going 8-10 in SEC play. However, Rick Barnes’s squad has some nice wins and close defeats on its resume that could go a long way towards allowing them to get a bid should they at the very least make it to the finals of the SEC Tournament. They own a win at home over Kentucky and competitive single digit losses to both Oregon and North Carolina. It’s a 600-1 dog to win the conference tourney, but should it get by Georgia in the second round, it will get another crack at Kentucky. If it beats the Wildcats once again, Robert Hubbs III and his mates would take a major step towards dancing.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
