With March Madness getting close and “Selection Sunday” a couple weeks away we now have a large enough sample size to come to some conclusions about certain teams. As with the stock market saying “buy low sell high”, the same is true with sports betting if you are able to find a down and out team that has the ability to turn it around you will be able to receive a lot of value betting on those teams as the public perception of the team has diminished and the sports book will be giving these type of teams a generous amount of points. Let’s take a look at the favorites and underdogs and see if there is any value with these not so hot teams.

Not Hot:

University of Connecticut (Uconn) - As the saying goes “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t Work hard” and that is definitely the case with this talented Uconn team. The team features two sure shot lottery picks in the upcoming draft with Freshman Andre Drummond and Sophomore Jeremy Lamb. A lack of leadership and the absence of Coach Calhoun has certainly not helped there cause for playing up to their potential. After their most recent loss at home to a Marquette team missing their 6″11 center Chris Otule and 6″8 forward Davante Gardner, Marquette was still able to out rebound Uconn 33-30. Point guard Shabazz Napier attempted to light a fire under his team for their lackluster performance saying “I’ve got to question a lot of these guys’ hearts, it just looked out there like we gave up at the end.” Hopefully Napier reiterated his feelings in the locker room with the players, because right now they are in need of some leadership badly. The road to getting back is not going to be easy but it is definitely possible as they have to visit Villanova before they have a rematch with no.2 Syracuse at home, a game in which could be a huge statement game for the Huskies. With Calhoun expected to miss one more game before his return, there is no reason why this talented Uconn team can’t bounce back and make a run in the Big East tournament. There is definitely value with these Huskies, so keep an eye out on the Syracuse match up.

Baylor University- After coming out to a 17-0, one of the best starts in school history before losing to Kansas, the Baylor Bears have not looked like a tough contender since then. Unable to defeat any formidable opponents, losing twice to Missouri and Kansas, there is no evidence to show that this team can compete with any of the elite teams in the NCAA Basketball. They have the talent to make a run but their problem lies on the mental toughness and coaching, two problems that if you don’t fix asap they are destined to fail.

With a team full of athletes and two future pros in 6″11 Perry Jones and 6″9 Quincy Miller, the Baylor Bears don’t have the ability to stop anybody on defense largely due to the fact that they play a lackadaisical zone defense. This is one of their main problems and the blame lies solely on their head coach. With their deep bench and the athletes they have, the team should be getting after it on the defensive end, causing havoc for opponents, unfortunately, this is not the case.

Another problem they are faced with is the mental toughness of Perry Jones. Coming into college the knock on Jones was that he was prone to get lost in games and become a non factor, and even in his sophomore year he still hasn’t learn to turn it around and live up to his potential. Proof is in him posting only 5 points at home in a loss against Kansas, 4 points on the road in a loss vs. Missouri and most recently 4 points at home in a loss vs. Kansas State. With all the talent in the world standing at 6″11 there is no reason why the offense shouldn’t run through him every time down because most nights he will be a mismatch for the opposition. A word of advice: stay away from this inconsistent and poorly coached Baylor team.

Mississippi State- with the talent on the Mississippi state team, there is really no excuse for losing three straight to inferior teams (Georgia at home, LSU, Auburn) except for a lack of concentration and poor execution. Despite these recent losses this team is built to make a run in the NCAA tournament. Featuring two sure shot pros in center Arnett Moultrie and power forward Renardo Sydney, also with two more potential pros in Dee Bost and Rodney Hood, this Mississippi State teams has one of the best front courts in the nation. This team has the makeup of a team that can compete for a championship in the fact that they have two legit big men who compliment each other’s game and a veteran point guard who could put points up in bunches in Dee Bost running the show. Expect the recent loss on the road to Auburn to be a wakeup call for these players and expect them to bounce back with vengeance, and what better way to turn all of this around then to have the no.1 team in Kentucky coming to you home court this week. Expect this team to get back on track with a strong performance against Kentucky at home as they try to make a run towards the end of the season. There will definitely be value with this team, so keep an eye on the Kentucky match up.

Hot Teams:

Kansas- Kansas is a team that many didn’t have as a contender in the beginning of the season but they have proved that they can compete with anyone in the nation. With a team featuring the “player of the year” frontrunner in Thomas Robinson, this Kansas squad began playing like a new team with the emergence of the 7 foot center Jeff Withey who is able to take some of the load off of Robinson. Also they have been receiving great play from there senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor, though inconsistent at times and known to make a bonehead play he has the ability to take over a game. With Missouri set to visit Allen Field House on the 25th of February, Kansas will have a chance to get revenge and prove they are for real.

Michigan State- Great coaches have the ability to take a not so talented team and have them exceed all expectations, and that is what Coach Izzo has done with Michigan State’s team. Led by Draymond Greene, Michigan state has totally bought into Izzo’s system and has been getting after it on the defensive end, and on offense players have been playing there defined role to the best of their ability. With solid wins against Ohio State, Wisconsin (twice), and Michigan, this may not be a championship contending team but with Coach Izzo behind the reigns and a group of solid players, college basketball fans can expect Michigan State to upset more talented teams this coming March.

Notre Dame- The Irish have been exceeding everyone’s exceptions riding a 8 game winning streak with great wins over West Virginia, Marquette, Villanova (came back from a 17 point deficit at half), Connecticut, and a Syracuse team that was undefeated and ranked no.1 prior to playing Notre Dame. But the most impressive part is that they have done all of this without arguably their best player, Tim Abromatis. Coach Mike Brey definitely deserves to be in “coach of the year” talks with what he has been able to do with this Irish team having them break into the top 25. When you give a decent team confidence they have the ability to play at a extraordinary level, and that is what those great wins in the Big East has done for this team. Now that they know that they can play with the best expect them to keep the momentum going. There will definitely be a tough outing for any opponent that takes them lightly.

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