NCAA March Madness betting: Colorado in rare space as one of favorites for Pac-12 tourney

Conference tournament betting previews: ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC

Colorado doesn’t hold a sizable basketball historical previous. The Buffaloes’ simplest championship in the Pac-12 tournament came in 2012, after they worried the field as a No. 6 seed. They never won a Big 8 or Big 12 conference tournament. They have not been to the sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament since 1969.

That’s why it be elegant to survey at the Pac-12 bracket and betting odds. Colorado is the third seed in the tournament. They’re tied for 2nd-greatest odds in the tournament, at +250. They’re ranked No. 16 in KenPom’s rankings, the 2nd-absolute top Pac-12 team accurate in the wait on of No. 15 USC. Right here’s one of Colorado’s greatest teams in a long time. Its .700 a success percentage is this system’s greatest since 1969.

Colorado Buffaloes guard McKinley Wright IV leads his team into this week's Pac-12 tournament. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) — Colorado Buffaloes guard McKinley Wright IV leads his team into this week’s Pac-12 tournament. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire through the use of Getty Pictures)

Led by fantastic senior guard McKinley Wright IV, the Buffaloes are solid on offense and defense. Coach Tad Boyle has carried out a sizable job making a moribund basketball program a fixed part in the Pac-12. Winning a Pac-12 championship, and doing so as one of the pre-tournament favorites, may maybe perchance be a huge step for this system.

Right here’s a betting preview of the broad-open Pac-12 tournament, utilizing BetMGM’s odds:

Simplest bet: USC +250

Having the greatest player in the conference is a huge attend in the tournament, and USC has that in Evan Mobley. Mobley, a 7-foot freshman phenom, is seemingly to breeze in the head 5 picks of the NBA draft. He may maybe perchance breeze as excessive as No. 2 general. The Trojans hold a just correct team round him too, with a ton of size that ends in a range of blocked pictures and offensive rebounds. Excluding shedding two games in the continuously-tricky Colorado/Utah road outing, USC has been perchance the Pac-12’s most fixed team. Their thrilling buzzer-beating grab over UCLA final weekend used to be a noteworthy plan to enter the conference tournament.

Team to handbook dawdle of: UCLA +650

It’ll be intelligent to take UCLA at a tight quantity, however that is now not a sizable Bruins team. UCLA went 1-4 in opposition to Oregon, USC and Colorado, the head three seeds in this tournament. They performed the regular-season on a 3-sport shedding trot, shedding to … Oregon, USC and Colorado. Excluding a 3-point dwelling grab over Colorado wait on on Jan. 2, the Bruins hold failed every take a look at in opposition to the head-pause teams on their schedule. That makes it laborious to bank on them making a escape this week.

Sleeper: Oregon Direct +2500

Or now not it is laborious to search out a team open air of the head four to salvage brooding about, however Oregon Direct has some intrigue. The Beavers had been a aggressive team all season, as shown by their 15-9-1 document in opposition to the spread. They did beat USC and Oregon wait on in January. They’re one of 5 teams that received a first-round bye, and the opposite four hold odds at +650 or decrease. Or now not it is laborious to deem Oregon Direct is going to grab the Pac-12 this week, however their odds are a label.