College basketball futures
As I was writing about NBA Championship futures for a client this morning I found myself thinking that NCAA Futures were way more interesting. Maybe that’s because the tournament is much closer than the NBA playoffs, or maybe that’s because college basketball is about a million times more interesting than the NBA. Either way, there are some interesting values and some terrible prices on the board for the road to the Final Four.
Bargains
I’m not saying that these teams are a lock to win or anything, but I think that their chances are better than their price:
Stanford (35/1) – The Cardinal are easiily the second best team in the Pac-10, and that’s a tough conference. This price doesn’t give them enough respect.
Purdue (100/1) – They swept Wisconsin and they beat Michigan State. This might not be the best year for the Big Ten, but leading that conference should always mean something, and this team is way tougher than this price would suggest.
Texas (35/1) – They couldn’t score worth a darn, yet they beat Kansas by playing defense. That’s a sign of a pretty good team.
Xavier (80/1) – At this price these boys are a very live longshot. They have done what is asked of them, and they have the experience of blowing a game against Ohio State last year to build on.
No Value
North Carolina (6/1) – There is a lot wrong with the way this team is playing, and it goes way beyond Ty Lawson’s injury. they are not as sharp as they should be, and they are underpriced as a result.
Georgetown (12/1) – Louisville had their way with the Hoyas in the second half, and other good teams could, too. This is a huge underlay.
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