Villanova has been left long in the futures market despite having a very high ranking.
One way of finding value in the futures market in NCAA men's college basketball is to compare the official rankings of teams versus their 'ranking' in the sports betting market.
Take a look at rankings according to the Associated Press for NCAA basketball (November 30th):
1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Villanova
4. Purdue
5. Kentucky
6. Duke
7. West Virginia
8. Syracuse
Now look at the rankings by odds to win the NCAA national championship according to Players Only:
1. Kansas, +250 (5/2)
2. Texas, +700 (7/1)
3. Kentucky, +1000 (10/1)
4. Michigan State, +1200 (12/1)
5. Duke, +1200 (12/1)
6. North Carolina, +1500 (15/1)
7. Syracuse, +1500 (15/1)
8. Villanova, +1800 (18/1)
So long as you believe that the Associated Press is a reliable source for who is who in college basketball then you can use their poll to find value.
The Kansas Jayhawks are ranked 1st in both of the above lists and the Texas Longhorns are ranked 2nd in both lists. What that means is that their odds to win the national championship (according to Players Only) are closely related to their calibre (according to the Associated Press).
However when you look at the Villanova Wildcats you see that they are ranked 3rd in the nation, but their odds to win the title reflect an 8th ranked team.
At +1800 (18/1) with Players Only, our recommendation is to sprinkle Villanova in the futures market. They play in the Big East and will have a strong strength of schedule, they are undefeated so far, and there are several players on the team that were apart of last year's Final Four run.
Early season rankings are often unstable so don't pound Villanova yet. Just put a bit on them with the hopes of topping them up later if they keep winning.
Go to Players Only to bet on NCAA basketball.
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