Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
We are just 19 days away from college basketball’s Selection Sunday, but who’s counting? You should be if you are an Arizona Wildcats fan. Arizona has had an incredible season and is champing at the bit for the tourney to start with their hopes as high as ever. So let’s dive into the Wildcats’ futures market and see just how likely it is that their dreams become a reality.
Arizona Wildcats National Championship Odds
The Arizona Wildcats are currently tied for the second-best odds to win the National Championship, and that should come as no surprise, as they are also ranked as the second-best team in the nation.
It has been quite the year for first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd. He and his team have certainly exceeded all expectations after long-time Arizona head coach Sean Miller left the program. The Wildcats currently have a 24-2 record and were already pegged as a one seed for the NCAA Tournament by the committee in the pretournament seedings.
If a program is going to win a national title, it will likely have to take down at least one top seed on the way there. Fans and bettors should be confident in this Wildcats team as their combination of elite size, athleticism and skill can beat any team in the county. So as of right now, Arizona at +800 to win it all is a strong bet.
Arizona Wildcats Final Four Odds
We already dove into their odds to finish the job once they reach the Final Four, but they need to get their first for that to hit. Being a one seed certainly increases your odds of being a part of the Final Four, as the Wildcats have the second-best odds at +200. However, according to the committee’s early seeding, their road will be anything but a cakewalk.
As the top seed in the South Region, Arizona will likely be grouped with Baylor, Tennessee and Providence, in that order. And you have to like their chances against each of those teams.
Baylor was once the best team in the country as they began the year 15-0, but the injury bug has hit them hard and will now never be the same team that started the year undefeated. Their most significant loss was one of their big men, and being outsized is a recipe for disaster against Arizona as they have a pair of athletic twin towers that can take over a game.
Tennessee is the one team that may raise questions, as the Volunteers are currently one of the two teams to defeat the Wildcats this season. However, that game had plenty of anomalies compared to how Arizona typically performs. The Wildcats were extremely cold when shooting early on and were down 15 points from the jump before getting it together in the second half, erasing that lead to tie the game with three minutes to go. The Volunteers got the best of those last few minutes fueled by their fans and came away victorious. If these two teams meet again, Arizona should handle them, as they are too good to have another poor shooting night, and they could very well pull away as Tennessee’s offense struggles like it has all year.
As for Providence, you have to give it to Ed Cooley as his Friars are ranked 11th, but they are only that high because of some incredible luck. Providence is 9-1 in games decided by five points or fewer this season. When you put the luck and magic aside, this Arizona team is a nightmare for Providence as they will outmatch them in just about every aspect. Much like their odds to win it all, the Wildcats seem like a lock to get deep into the tourney barring an upset.
