College Basketball Futures- Three Valuable Futures Buys

The football season is over, and it is time to focus all of our attention on the hardcourt. March Madness is only a month away. I wanted to take a look at three teams I see some value on as futures wagers right now. Building a futures portfolio in mid-late February can be a good move. In general I like to buy low on teams after a bad loss. Everyone has a bad loss at some point in the season. 

1. Baylor Bears (+2,200 to win the NCAA Tournament and +500 to Reach the Final 4) I like the Baylor Bears backcourt a lot. A team with veteran guards who take care of the basketball and pass it well is a tough out in March. Cryer and Flagler both shoot better than 40% from three and are veteran leaders for this team. Baylor is first in the nation in offensive efficiency. I really like the +500 price to reach the Final Four. The Big 12 is absolutely loaded, and to say this Baylor team will be battle tested going into the NCAA Tournament is an understatement. 

2. Miami Hurricanes (+8,000 to win the NCAA Tournament) I don’t think the Miami Hurricanes will win the NCAA Tournament, but this is a good price. Miami ranks in the top 20 teams in the country in away from home performance. That is something really important to look for when handicapping teams who have a chance. You don’t want to be backing a team that only plays well at home. Wong is a great leader for this Miami team. We also know Jim Larranaga has a history of making runs in the tournament. That’s a good thing to have on your side as well. If they win a couple games in the tournament at this price you can start hedging and make a good profit even if they don’t win it all.

3. Creighton Blue Jays (+750 to Reach the Final 4) The Creighton Blue Jays were hyped very heavily in the preseason. There wasn’t really value on them for a good while. Then Ryan Kalkbrenner their star big man was out for an extended period. Creighton played poorly without their star, and that made people overlook them. He’s back in the fold and the Blue Jays are playing well now. Creighton’s defense is impressing me this season. The Blue Jays are second best in the nation at defending without fouling. They are 17th best in defensive rebounding percentage. Those are the types of things that can win you close games. The Big East is underrated in general in my opinion, and I think Creighton can make a run in March.