So as we approach the second weekend of March Madness, we try and figure out who has the best chances of making it to the next round--and more importantly for you, what the best bet is for you to make. After covering the East Bracket and Ohio State's potential Final Four bid, we turn our attention to the West. All the odds found here are courtesy of BoDog.
#1 Duke Blue Devils: 2 to 3 odds (bet $3 to win $2). Unless you really believe Duke is going to run over the rest of these teams in a West Coast bracket where it's possible both of their games will be played against western opponents (meaning the Blue Devils could have to essentially play two road games to get to Houston), I would not take anything better than even odds on the Dukies, even if they were the best team in the nation.
#2 San Diego St. Aztecs, #3 Connecticut Huskies: 13 to 4 odds (bet $4 to win $13). It's baffling that UConn is getting the same odds as San Diego State, considering the Aztecs are playing in Anaheim, only a highway drive away from their campus. Both of these games will be semi-home events, and Connecticut is definitely not a better team than San Diego State. Degenerates must still be really sipping that Big East Kool-Aid and the Kemba Walker factor.
#5 Arizona Wildcats: 9 to 1 odds (bet $1 to win $9). The overachievers of this group, Arizona will only have their outstanding traveling fanbase to perk them up, as they figure to be big underdogs in each of their games. If you're big on Derrick Williams and U of A, I'd just pick them straight on their lines.
If you want to make a Final Four futures pick that shows real value, go with San Diego State.