2018 March Madness Betting Predictions

2018 March Madness Betting Predictions

On Thursday this week (March 15^th) the first round of 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament got underway to mark the start of March Madness, one of the most highly anticipated college basketball betting events on the annual US sports calendar with a viewership in the millions.

Both betting fans and spectators alike are eagerly awaiting to see which of these top college teams which ‘made it to the big dance’ will walk away with the spoils and the glory in the final on Monday, April 2^nd. Until then, however, they can look forward to some real nail-biting action.

Wildcats Big 2018 March Madness Betting Favourites

As for our 2018 March Madness betting predictions, we believe the bookmakers have nailed it by awarding best odds to the Wildcats, Blue Devils, Mountaineers and Spartans. Each of these teams has played brilliantly this season, earning the right to be feared by their rivals.

While it is not easy to make it to March Madness, the reality is that some squads are far superior to others which is reflected in their respective betting odds. That said, most teams, regardless of their ranking, will be shooting for the stars or at the very least to reach the Final Four.

Interestingly, there have been precious few times historically where lower seeded teams have made it all the way to the end of the tournament. In fact, no squad seeded 8 or under has ever played in a national title game, while only two teams seeded 3 or above have ever won it.

Most Betting Favourites Seeded Above 4

These historical stats haven’t been lost on bookmakers who have posted their March Madness odds accordingly. For instance, the Kentucky Wildcats (23/1) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (35/1) are the only two teams worse than a number 4 seed in the top 15 favourites.

The 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball betting favourites are led by top-seeded Villanova Wildcats (4/1) who let just 4 games slip through their fingers this season, a paltry few compared to their 31 wins. If they reach the final and chalk up a victory it will be their second in 3 seasons.

The second March Madness betting favourites are the Duke Blue Devils (6/1) who only dropped 7 of their 34 games this season, securing them the number 2 seed spot. In the number 3 seed spot are the West Virginia Mountaineers, who lost just 10 of their 34 games this season.

Spartans Have Only Lost Four Games this Season

Rounding out the top four college squads touted to win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament are the Michigan State Spartans, who became the number 4 seeds after their exemplary season which saw them win all but four of their 33 games, and who are heavily favoured to win.

So, as March Madness continues to wind its way to San Antonio, millions of American betting fans are placing their bets. Ironically, however, relatively few are doing so legally. Of the over $10 billion in bets on March Madness alone this year, most is and will be placed illegally.

The reason for this is that America’s federal and most state gambling laws are very much out of tune with what the majority of US gamblers want. Consider, for instance, that legal sports betting is right now only available in two out of America’s 52 states – Nevada and Delaware.

Only Nevada and Delaware Allow Sports Betting

Where Nevada offers most forms of sports betting as America’s leading gambling hub, Delaware currently only permits multi-game betting on professional football (NFL). Sports betting fans in all the other US states have no choice but to bet online or with unlicensed bookies.

Unfortunately for them, neither of those options is endorsed by the government, which means that to place a bet they must do so at one of many offshore-owned and licensed online sportsbooks or ‘under the table’ with unlicensed and thus unregulated US-based bookmakers.

Add to that, by forcing otherwise law-abiding betting fans to ‘bet off the books,’ the US federal and state governments are collectively losing billions of dollars in untaxed gambling revenues each year, revenues that could be used for the betterment of the states and nation as a whole.

AGA Supports Legalised Sports Betting in the US

For this and many other reasons, the American Gaming Association (AGA) is in full support of the legalisation and regulation of sports betting in the US. There is also hope amongst US online gaming fans that the legalisation of sports betting nationwide may be extended to the internet.

Said Mason Jones, editor of leading portal NoDepositRewards.com, a leading gambling portal with a focus on no deposit bonuses, “If the people want to wager and gamble online in the United States, why not put laws and regulations in place to let them do so safely, easily and lawfully, and to the benefit of their respective states?”

Of the $10 billion in wagers that are expected to change hands surrounding this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, only a relatively small 3 per cent or $300 million is expected to be bet legally i.e. through lawful bookmakers operating from the Nevada towns of Las Vegas and Reno.

US Lawmakers Reticent to Legalise Sports Betting

The question is why US lawmakers are so reticent to legalise and regulate betting in the land and online space? While many say this is to prevent a rise in problem and underage gambling, as in any regulated industry this could be managed with the right objectives, oversight and resources in place.