With less than a week left until the conference tournament, teams are preparing for their final games of the season.
There’s only one thing on every team’s mind. The goal is to win the tournament and earn an automatic qualifier to the Big Dance.
With that in mind, there’s still one week left in the Power 5 as mid-major conferences get underway this week, but let’s take a look at some bets to crown the outright winner.
East US: Vermont (+100)
Three games to glory.
That’s all Vermont needs to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Other sportsbooks list the Catamounts as heavy favorites, but you can still find them at +100 at Bet365.
Vermont should easily cruise through the first two games of the conference tournament.
John Becker’s team is 13-1 in conference play and ranks No. 1 in nearly every defensive metric, with the Catamounts ranking just behind Massachusetts Lowell in terms of offense.
Aaron Deloney has finally started to see his three-balls go through the hoop recently (38 percent over the past seven), with TJ Long and Shamir Bogues providing big boosts on both ends of the floor.
This is a Vermont roster that ranks within the top 50 in minutes played on the bench.
This team has the ability to exploit the depth advantage and take advantage of it, taking away what Massachusetts Lowell does best: drawing fouls and creating second chances.
Vermont should be a 3-4 point favorite in the championship game against Massachusetts Lowell — if the River Hawks get there. If not, it should be smooth sailing for the Catamounts.
American Athletic: Memphis (+600)
All eyes are on Florida Atlantic, which defends its title in the United States, but there are teams riding on the momentum and playing for their lives entering the conference tournament.
After losing by nearly 30 points to SMU a few weeks ago, Penny Hardaway sparked Memphis, and the Tigers have since snapped a three-game winning streak.
That includes a win over Florida Atlantic.
Remember, this is the same Tigers team that beat Texas A&M and Clemson earlier this season.
This is a Memphis roster with enough talent and depth to sustain four games in four days.
Perhaps the most notable thing about this Tigers roster is its veteran experience. David Jones became a superstar after transferring from St. John’s, leading the team in points (21.6), rebounds (7.6) and steals (2.2) per game.
Jahvon Kunary leads the offense, while Kansas State transfer N’Quan Tomlin has settled into the role as the dominant big man.
In AAC play, Tomlin ranks first in the conference in true shooting percentage.
He’s a tremendous rim protector and one of the most difficult bigs to guard. He will be relied on heavily as Malcolm Dandridge could miss the remainder of the season (academic scandal).
With the push coming, I expect Memphis to fight for a chance to win the AAC. This is the No. 1 offense in conference play in both eFG% and 2-point percentage.
Haslamemetrics ranks the Tigers inside the top 65, second in the conference behind Rice, but frankly they don’t have a chance long-term.
I’m going to take on the Tigers at +600 because of the superstar firepower Memphis has. I’m going to wait until the end of the season just to sow.
Depending on whether the Tigers line up with FAU in the second game of the tournament (as opposed to taking a team like Charlotte), running a money line rollover with the Tigers over four games could make sense. not.
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Big East Tournament: St. John’s (+2500)
The last thing here, I’ll keep it short and simple. I wrote about Creighton upsetting St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, and they executed it masterfully.
This team has been on a roll after Rick Pitino’s comments following Creighton’s 23-point win over bubble foe Butler.
If you look at how the Johnnys have played over the past few months, it’s not like they haven’t missed a game. He appeared in the game against Connecticut before the Huskies pulled away late.
They blew a massive lead against Seton Hall and held a double-digit lead on the road against Marquette.
I’m getting a +2500 ticket here at St. John’s as the late collapse happens. Oh, and it goes without saying that the Big East Tournament will be held at Madison Square Garden, where the Johnnys will play some of their games home.
If St. John’s finishes the season with a good result, it could advance to the quarterfinals with a bye as the fifth seed.
But I’m willing to bet that Pitino’s team will demonstrate their excellence here and continue to make a push in the NCAA Tournament, entering the bubble with plenty of must-win chances going forward. .
This team is more than capable of defeating any opponent in the Big East and would happily take +2500 on the Johnnys’ home floor.
Charlie Disturko analyzes college basketball for the Action Network.
