After no March Madness in 2020 – who isn’t excited for next year’s tournament?
There normally aren’t a lot of NCAA basketball futures to bet on this time of the year, but BetOnline have priced up a market on making the Final Four of the 2021 March Madness tournament.
Last month, I wrote about my March Madness sleeper picks when I talked about 2021 NCAAB Sleepers.
I picked Stanford and Houston (+4000). The Cougars are paying +625 to make the Final Four and I’ll have some action on them. I’m also looking at two more teams, which we’ll discuss below.
Is Luka Garza Returning to Iowa?
Best Bet: Iowa Hawkeyes to Make Final Four (+175) at BetOnline
My first pick hinges on whether or not Luka Garza returns to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
This betting line isn’t going to get any lower if Garza returns, so I recommend waiting to place your bet until we find out his status. Garza plans to announce his decision on August 2nd.
I predict he’ll return to Iowa, as he’ll have a better chance at being a high NBA draft pick in 2021.
This past season looking at NCAAB scores, Garza averaged 23.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.8 SPG and 1.8 BPG. Garza is also a big threat from beyond the arc. He nailed 39 of 109 (35.8%) 3-pointers last season.
The Hawkeyes return a lot of talent as well. Joe Wieskamp (14.0 PPG and 6.1 RPG), CJ Fredrick (10.2 PPG), Jordan Bohannon (8.8 PPG and 3.3 APG) and Connor McCaffery (6.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 4.0 APG) are all back. Patrick McCaffery is also ready for a full season after redshirting last season.
Iowa only went 20-11 (11-9 in Big Ten) last season, but if Garza returns, this would be the team to beat in the Big Ten conference. However, if Garza decides to take his chance in the NBA draft, fade Iowa.
NCAA’s Dan Gavitt discusses options for 2021 March Madness
Shaka Smart Bounces Back Big in 2020-21
Best Bet: Texas Longhorns to Make the Final Four (+750) at BetOnline
Shaka Smart was on the hot seat at one-point last season, but the Longhorns started playing better and I expect them to carry that into this season. Texas finished last season with a 19-12 (9-9 in Big 12) record and they bring back everyone. They’re also bringing in five-star recruit Greg Brown III.
The top five scorers from last season were Matt Coleman III (12.7 PPG), Andrew Jones (11.5 PPG), Courtney Ramey (10.9 PPG), Jericho Sims (9.7 PPG) and Jase Febres (9.3 PPG).
Texas was one of the lowest scoring teams in the country last season (64.2 PPG – 318th).
Brown is going to be a huge get for the Longhorns, and will affect your college basketball picks. They needed a power forward like him to come in and dominate down low. Coleman III, Jones and Ramey will lead the backcourt.
The Longhorns were one of the top defensive teams in 2019-20 (63.3 PPG – 25th). If they can keep up that same intensity on defense and improve on offense, Texas could be a sleeper.
Smart has March Madness experience and with him being on a short leash still, he needs to get out of the gates early with this team. An extra year of experience for the returning players will help.
Visit BetOnline to bet on the team’s you think will make the 2021 NCAA Championship Final Four.
