March Madness is officially here which means it’s time to start cooking those filthy parlays and backing huge underdogs. Whether you’re looking for a lotto ticket on a team to win it all, or simply trying to find a few underdogs with huge spreads to back in individual games, here are 5 teams you should circle in your brackets before the tournament starts.
Best March Madness Betting offers
Texas A&M (+16000)
We’re diving straight into the bargain bucket here. There’s a lot to like about the Aggies, who come into the tournament as a 9-seed and open their March Madness bid against Nebraska in a very winnable game.
A&M have proven they can hang with some of the best teams in the nation this season, with big wins over the second-seeded Tennessee and Iowa State. While there have been some bumps along the way, they come into the tournament having won each of their last 4 games.
If they can ride the ever-impressive Wade Taylor IV, there’s at least a chance for an upset or two along the way. A miracle run seems unlikely, but this feels like a very friendly price for a team with wins over some of the big names in the SEC.
Alabama (+4000)
Alabama entered last year’s bracket with a lot of question marks due to their youth and inexperience of tournament play at the time. One year further into development, they’ll be looking to build on last season’s sweet 16 loss to San Diego State. They ended with a 21-11 record and have really found their identity as a high-paced offense who love to wreak havoc from beyond the arc.
Betting on Bama was highly profitable last year due to their underdog status and there’s still some meat left on that bone. They cooled off as the season came to a close, but we’ve seen what this team can do in the Tournament and they’re only getting better. This is a great price.
South Carolina +14000
If you’re looking for underdogs, they don’t come much bigger than the 26-7 Gamecocks. Expectations were low coming into the 2023-24 season, but they were able to topple the likes of Tennessee and ended up right at the top of the SEC.
Auburn got the better of them in the SEC Tournament Final, just as they did back in February, but March Madness is a different beast altogether.
While Lamont Paris is relatively inexperienced when it comes to Tournament play, he was also met with a wave of criticism and doubt when first appointed as the Head Coach of South Carolina, and look how that turned out. I’m happy to buy a lotto ticket here.
Gonzaga +6000
While they’re not underdogs in the traditional sense, there’s some real value here on a team who are often regarded as juggernauts. While this has hardly been their most successful season ever, Gonzaga ended the regular season riding a 9-game win streak. The upset loss to St. Mary’s looked to really light a fire under the Bulldogs, who boast wins over a few big names this season.
Although they have struggled against big names, this recent wave of momentum might just be enough to take them one step closer to discovering another dominant era of Basketball, and I’d rather be early than late.
UAB +80000
Ending the season as the only team in the AAC to be positive in their last few games is one thing, but winning 5 in a row is another. After a one-year absence, the Blazers are back in the NCAA Tournament and bring with them the kind of play that’s needed to succeed – physical and smart. They rely on getting to the free-throw line, which as we know, is key to closing out games with the stakes at their highest, and boast a relentless defense.
You can make the argument that they haven’t played any real tournament teams this season, but this is Andy Kennedy’s second March Madness berth in four seasons as Head Coach. The trajectory is only pointing upward for the AAC Champions and they could spring a few surprises this year.
AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt
