The bracket for the NCAA Tournament has been set. After not having March Madness last year, it feels good to get prepared to bet on The Big Dance in 2021.
Things will be different this time around, as the entire tournament will be played in Indianapolis, Indiana. Obviously, it’s best to limit travel in the era of COVID-19. Instead of games being played Thursday through Sunday in the opening round, the tournament will start on Friday this week, with the final games of the first two rounds being played next Monday. In the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds, the games will start on Saturday, March 27, with the regional finals concluding on Tuesday, March 30.
One thing that likely will not change is the madness that college hoops brings to the month of March. Much of it will come from the teams that no one expects to be there, a.k.a. the Cinderella candidates. Below, I go over the possible teams from each region. Check it out.
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West
UC Santa Barbara (22-4 SU) (14-10 ATS) - The West Region’s 12th seeded California-Santa Barbara Gauchos enter the tournament as a very popular underdog in their first-round tilt against the Creighton Bluejays. Creighton doesn’t look right entering the tournament, so I can see the Gauchos moving on with ease.
A round of 32 matchup against either Virginia or Ohio would also be a perfect spot for Cal-Santa Barbara, making the Sweet Sixteen a strong possibility for them. If the Big West Champs do make it that far, they will likely take on the nation’s best team in the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Gauchos are winners of 18 of their last 19 games; their best player is Senior Guard JaQuori McLaughlin. McLaughlin can get hot from beyond the arc, and he will need to for UCSB to really be a Cinderella team.
The team can get after it on both sides of the ball and averaged 76 points per game while holding their opponents to 62 PPG. PointsBet has UC Santa Barbara at +4000 odds to make the Elite Eight. Sharing a bracket with Gonzaga makes the Cinderella story very difficult for the Gauchos, but a Sweet Sixteen trip is possible.
East
UConn Huskies (15-7 SU) (16-6 ATS) - The Connecticut Huskies come into tournament play as a team that many smart people like to make a potential run. UConn only has 15 wins on the season, but outside of a Big East tournament loss, the Huskies seem to be coming together at the right time. Their defense is solid, and they have a few players who can put the ball in the basket.
Outside of Alabama, the Huskies can play with any team on their side of the bracket. A potential second-round matchup with Alabama will be tough for them, but if they can somehow knock off the Crimson Tide they will be in the Sweet Sixteen. The top half of the East region is where we could see chaos ensue; if that does happen coupled with the Huskies knocking off Alabama, a Final Four run is possible.
A lot of moving and shaking will need to take place, but it’s March and crazier things have happened. UConn is +650 to make it to the Elie Eight on PointsBet.
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South
Winthrop Eagles (23-1SU) (13-11 ATS) - The Winthrop Eagles are the type of team you don’t want to face in a single-elimination tournament. The Big South champions are a deep veteran team who can light it up from beyond the arc. The Eagles shot 35% from three-point range and averaged just under 80 PPG.
When the brackets were announced, all of the talking heads pointed to Winthrop as a 12 seed that should get a first-round upset over a banged-up Villanova squad. If Winthrop can get to the Sweet Sixteen, they will likely face the nation’s second-best team in the Baylor Bears. Obviously, that will be a tough task, but a team that can fill up the rims like Winthrop should never be slept on.
PointsBet currently has Winthrop +1600 to make the Elite Eight.
Midwest
Liberty Flames (23-5 SU) (15-8 ATS) - The Atlantic Sun Conference Champion Liberty Flames are very much like the Winthrop Eagles; if they get hot from three, there could be an upset. Liberty has not lost a game since January 15th. The Flames shoot 39% from three and that’s good for seventh in the nation. They averaged 74 PPG and have scored 90 or more points five times this season.
For the Flames to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, they will have to knock off Oklahoma State and soon-to-be NBA lottery pick Cade Cunningham. Liberty is a popular pick to make it that far; and if they can knock off Oklahoma State, they could face another trendy Cinderella candidate in Oregon State. If Oregon State can handle Tennessee, that would set up a possible Liberty vs. Oregon State matchup with a Sweet Sixteen trip on the line.
To make the Elite Eight or Final Four, the Flames would likely have to knock off top-seeded Illinois. That’s likely where the slipper would come off. PointsBet has Liberty at +3000 to make the Elite Eight.
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