College Basketball Betting Longshots

With Monday’s card lacking, it’s a fantastic time as we approach February to find some value in the Final Four market. Having a portfolio of potential teams gives you opportunities to hedge and/or root for certain squads when the bracket is released in March. 

For this article, we are going to start at the 20/1 longshots and work our way down. These are not full unit wagers and should be considered as sprinkle bets to hit big if you win.

Final Four Longshot Bets

TCU 

(20/1, FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Horned Frogs already have victories over Houston, Oklahoma and Baylor and will be really tested when it comes to March. The team is pretty solid across the board and is top 30 in both offensive rebound percentage and defensive turnover percentage. TCU is a senior-laden team that has balanced scoring and is coached by Jamie Dixon, who has plenty of NCAA Tournament experience.

San Diego State 

(24/1, FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Aztecs are priced nicely for a squad that has similar numbers in some ways to last year’s Final Four entrant. Jaedon LeDee is putting up some tremendous statistics, and the addition of Reese Waters from USC has been solid as well. Their defense is pretty strong as usual and has already helped them get wins over St. Mary’s and Gonzaga. The Mountain West will test them, so they’ll definitely be ready for March.

Wake Forest 

(40/1, DraftKings Sportsbook)

The Demon Deacons are extremely potent on offense, and if hot enough could beat almost any team in college basketball. They are shooting over 38% from long range and almost 80% from the free-throw line. This squad has wins over Florida and Virginia, and with the addition of Efton Reid can match up with teams that rely on their big guys in the middle. Of course, they could also shoot themselves to a first-round loss if they are cold, but at this price I like them to potentially go far.

Virginia

(49/1, FanDuel Sportsbook)

When Virginia is really good, they tend to disappoint the country with first-round losses in the NCAA Tournament to Ohio, UMBC or Furman. They are hiding under the radar now, and with Tony Bennett and his tough defense, the Hoos can make a run with the right draw. In past years, I’ve mentioned how tough it is to prepare for the pack-line defense over a 48-hour turnaround. The problem is, they haven’t gotten to that round a lot, but this could be the year especially if their offense improves. 

Indiana State

(85/1, FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Sycamores are one of the best offenses in America, shooting 60.8% from two-point range and 41.1% from three-point land. ISU has five players who average double-digit points, and almost all of them can shoot the three proficiently. Much like Wake Forest, this group could go nuclear with the right bracket and find its way to the Final Four. I took them at 95/1, so I got a better price, but 85/1 is certainly still worth it.