March Madness Futures: 5 Best Bets to Win the East Region

While the First Four will get underway later today, the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament officially gets started tomorrow. You have probably filled out dozens of brackets by now, but you can also get some skin in the game by taking advantage of the countless March Madness offerings at basketball betting sites.

The East Region is expected to be one of the most compelling of all. Michigan is the No. 1 seed here after starting the season in fine form, but the Wolverines also look like the most vulnerable of the top seeds. The SEC and Big 12 tournament champions are also in this part of the 2021 March Madness bracket, with teams like Florida State, Colorado, and LSU lurking as potential Cinderellas.

This should be a fun one. Which are the five best bets to get to the Final Four out of the East Region?

Michigan (+190)

This is hardly the “Fab Five,” but Michigan is a justifiable top seed. Juwan Howard’s crew finished the season at 20-4, but three of those losses came fairly recently. The Wolverines got off to an 18-1 start to the season before falling at the hands of Illinois, Michigan State, and Ohio State since the calendar flipped to March. Michigan was upended by the Buckeyes in the semis of the Big Ten tourney, as well.

While the team may be in shaky form, Michigan still finished with the best regular-season record in the most talented conference in America. The Wolverines used a balanced offense, and this is the second-best team in America according to the KenPom efficiency metric. The three recent losses have also come against quality teams. Losing games is never fun, but those defeats were hardly embarrassing.

Juwan Howard was ejected during the last timeout.

Here’s a look at what transpired: pic.twitter.com/rd5T99zAtC

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 12, 2021

Michigan could be shorthanded, with Isaiah Livers’ status for the tournament in doubt. Michigan still has enough firepower here between Hunter Dickinson and Franz Wagner offensively, but Livers’ senior leadership will be missed if he’s unable to suit up. Wagner is just a sophomore, but he may be asked to play a bigger role if Livers is out. The youngster has shown flashes at times this season, but his consistency is questionable.

It’s easy to imagine this Michigan team being the first No. 1 seed to lose. They seem to have the most areas of weakness, and the East does have its fair share of contenders. The Wolverines at +190 are still a solid bet, but I think we can find better value elsewhere.

Alabama (+375)

Now we’re talkin’.

It’s unfair for Alabama to be a legitimate Final Four contender given the unprecedented success of their football program, but that’s where we are. The SEC isn’t known for its basketball prowess, but it’s still one of the better leagues in the country. Alabama stormed its way to a regular-season SEC title with a 24-6 record, and the Tide went on to sweep their way to an SEC tourney championship, too.

Alabama may play a plodding, run-first style on the football field, but the basketball team plays a much more modern offense. The Tide want to get out and run and beat you with their athleticism. Alabama plays a smart brand of basketball that prioritizes pace, easy buckets in the paint, and three-pointers. The Tide ranked just 87th in the nation in offensive efficiency, but they’re 11th nationally in pace.

Alabama also connected on 37.8 percent of their threes during the season, which was the most efficient clip in the conference. They should have very little trouble with Rick Pitino and Iona in the first round, and this fast-paced style could prove problematic for defenses that may be more used to teams playing a more methodical offensive brand of basketball.

‘Bama is a popular pick to advance to the Final Four out of the East, and rightfully so. The vulnerability of Michigan makes the Crimson Tide really stand out here at +375. You can argue pretty easily that the odds should be more favorable, so take advantage of this number while you still can.

Texas (+500)

While Baylor looks like the cream of the crop out of the Big 12, don’t overlook Texas. It was the Longhorns, not the Bears, that won the conference tourney. Sure, they were helped out by Baylor’s loss to Okie State and Kansas forcing to withdraw early, but a conference title is a conference title. Shaka Smart’s team should enter the Big Dance with no shortage of confidence.

As is the case with Alabama, Texas likes to get out and run while jacking up as many triples as they possibly can. The Horns ranked 67th in America in three-pointers attempted per game (24.3), and 80th in three-point percentage (35.7%). Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but this team can make a run if they can get hot from beyond-the-arc.

The game-sealing play for the Longhorns.

Shaka Smart was LOVING IT 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rgHk5Y7AfU

— ESPN (@espn) March 14, 2021

Smart’s team has quite a few impressive wins under its belt. The Longhorns got past Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game, while they also have victories over ranked foes like Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Kansas, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Navigating the Big 12 regular-season schedule is no easy task, yet Texas finished third with a respectable 11-6 mark in conference play.

The lack of star power could hurt the Longhorns’ ability to make a deep run, but the lack of a clear-cut favorite in this region gives the Horns a puncher’s chance. Alabama at +375 admittedly looks like a far more appealing wager than Texas at +500, but the value is fair for both here.

Colorado (+1000)

Colorado doesn’t get a ton of attention playing out west, but this was quietly one of the most impressive teams in the Pac-12 this season. The Buffs didn’t win the conference regular-season or tourney titles, but they do have a few impressive wins on their ledger. Colorado beat Evan Mobley and USC three times this season, with wins over Oregon State and Oregon, as well.

McKinley Wright is one of the better all-around point guards in the tournament. The senior averaged 15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game this season, and his leadership should come in handy. He’s played at least 32 minutes per game as a four-year contributor to this team, which makes him one of the most experienced players in the country.

Colorado lost the Pac-12 title game to Oregon State by just two points despite not playing well at all in that one. Evan Battey, who stands 6’8″ and 262 pounds, is a tough cover for opposing bigs. Battey put up 16 points with eight boards against OSU in the title game, and there aren’t many teams in the country capable of keeping him out of the paint.

The Buffaloes don’t really stand out in any one particular area offensively, but they have shot the three pretty well (36.7 percent). If opposing defenses have to account for D’Shawn Schwartz and Eli Parquet from deep, Battey will be free to do whatever he wants down low.

Colorado is the best sleeper in the East here at +1000. In a region that lacks an obvious title contender, we could easily see the Buffs make it all the way to the final weekend of the tourney. You can do a lot worse than taking a cheap flier on Colorado at +1000 at March Madness betting sites.

Michigan State (+2800)

Michigan State didn’t have a particularly impressive season, but here they are. Tom Izzo’s crew has the unfortunate task of facing UCLA in the First Four, but most expect the Spartans to advance. Winning on Thursday would set up a first-round matchup with BYU, which is certainly a winnable game. BYU was the second-best team in the West Coast Conference behind Gonzaga, but we know State can never be counted out come tourney time.

How many times has an Izzo-led team advanced further than expected in the tournament? It’s happened more times than we can count. Despite an underwhelming 15-12 season, Michigan State did end the season on a high. The Spartans have beaten Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan since late-February. That’s two No. 1 seeds and a No. 2 seed, if you’re counting.

Tom Izzo is all of us when it comes to dealing with Bo Boroski pic.twitter.com/hhv6l7x25B

— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) March 11, 2021

Sparty has advanced to the Final Four six times under Izzo since 1999. They got there back in 2014 despite finishing in just third place in the conference back then. This certainly isn’t the most talented team Izzo has worked with over the years, but would you really be that shocked if this team made a run? Look at the teams they’ve beaten over just the last month.

Is this bet likely to pay off? Of course not. But you know the risk at the +2800 odds, anyway. We know Michigan State won’t be intimidated by any team they face, which makes them a very compelling sleeper at the current odds. Don’t overlook the Spartans.