March Madness is the most incredible time of the year. You are looking for upset picks because of the value of picking a sleeper team. Every year underdogs become Cinderella in this greatest of all sports tournaments. The key to betting on the teams is knowing the so-called lesser teams in the tournament. Check out our best betting sites for March Madness.
We are giving you this guide to help you make the best-informed decision to have fun betting on the games and end up with some extra money in your pocket.
What is a March Madness sleeper pick
A lot of names exist for sleeper picks, like upset, Cinderella team etc… A sleeper pick is an underdog with a high-value chance of winning. Find under-valued teams. A good example would be a team that won a mid-major conference and played a tough early schedule and competed well, and even beat some power conference teams.
Another example would be a power conference team that got hot down the stretch and played well; those teams are always good for an upset or two in the tournament’s early rounds.
You can also look for a team with a star player that can go off at any time as Ja Morant did at Murray State three years ago; one hot player can win you a basketball game.
A sleeper team or underdog is a team that not many people think has a chance to win; this is usually based more on popular opinion than it is fact-based which is why so many sleeper teams pull upsets in March Madness.
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A handful of teams come to mind when thinking of longshot sleeper teams; we will review some of them in this article. You have power conference teams that got hot at the end of the year, like Indiana. Mid-Major teams that are much better than people think, like Drake. You have teams that started the year out hot and fizzled and then played much better at the end of the season, like the UCONN Huskies. We will break these sleeper teams down and give you an early look at which teams you need to keep an eye on in your bracket.
Indiana Hoosiers +4000
While the Hoosiers are a long shot at winning it all, they are a hard-nosed team that always seems to stay in games and find a way to win. The Hoosiers have one of the leading candidates for player of the year in Trayce Jackson-Davis, and a freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino who can go off at any time. This team is battle-tested and owns wins over Purdue twice, Xavier, North Carolina, Illinois and Michigan State. They can be streaky, but that is what makes them an underdog.
Michigan at Indiana | Extended Highlights | Big Ten Men’s Basketball | March 5, 2023
Drake Bulldogs +20000
Every college coach will tell you they want to “get old but stay young.” But Drake is perhaps the most eloquent example of this. With five of their six highest minute-earners in their fifth season, the Bulldogs made it to the NCAA Tournament with a dominant win over the Bradley Braves, the number-one seed in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. This is a veteran laden-team that makes very few mistakes and does not rattle. They are a veteran hot team, and the Bulldogs are dangerous.
Drake vs Bradley Basketball Game Highlights, 2023 Missouri Valley Championship
UCONN Huskies +1800
UCONN looked like the best team in the country at the start of the year until a loss at Xavier sent them into somewhat of a spiral. Over the last month, they have gotten the ship straightened out and now pose a threat to any team they play.
Connecticut beat Iowa State and Alabama on a neutral court and defeated Providence and Creighton. They handed Marquette its only loss since January. It also lost to Big East rivals St. John’s on a neutral court and has seven conference losses, making it one of two (Tennessee) teams in the top 16 with as many setbacks in league play. The Huskies have shown they are good enough to beat anybody but capable of losing to anybody. Coach Dan Hurleys Huskies may be the most interesting team in this tourney.
Creighton Blue Jays +3500
The Bluejays started this season with high expectations. However, they were humbled by six consecutive losses in November and December. They have since recovered and look more like the team we had expected in the preseason.
One of the most influential players in the country is Center Ryan Kalkbrenner. Three of Creighton’s six losses were due to an illness that led to him missing games. His return coincides with the Jays winning 11 of their last 14, respectively. His ability to protect the rim defensively is exceptional. Still, Creighton’s offensive impact is notable due to his pressure on the rim in pick-and-roll situations as a lob threat. The Blue Jays are a scary team.
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Summary
I would not bet the teams above to win it all, but they are all teams that could make a run to the Final Four and make some major noise. Be selective in your underdog picks, and on these wait to bet when you see the Brackets on Sunday night. A bet on any of these teams to advance to the Sweet sixteen could ultimately pay off big time.
Make sure you also have more than just one betting account, as you can get better odds many times if you have multiple accounts.
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