Arizona Wildcats are among the top favorites in NCAA Tournament sports betting as March Madness approaches.
After a four-year absence, the Arizona Wildcats are making their return to March Madness this week as the No. 1 seed in the South Region.
The Wildcats’ entry into the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is the first since sports betting was legalized in Arizona, giving local bettors a hometown team to support.
The Wildcats head into the NCAA Tournament with a 31-3 record after dominating the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas, securing their first conference title in four years.
They secured a spot in the championship game with a commanding 84-78 victory over UCLA on Saturday night. The team outscored the Bruins by 13 points in the second half to seal the win.
Here is a detailed examination of the obstacles facing the Wildcats as they enter the South Region as the top seed and the second overall seed behind Gonzaga.
Wildcats are considered one of the favorites to win the NCAA title.
Many Arizona sports betting apps acknowledge that Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats are strong contenders for the title.
Arizona has the second-highest chances of winning the NCAA title on four different websites, with BetMGM Arizona and Caesars Sportsbook Arizona having the best odds at +600.
The Wildcats hold the second spot in the rankings on both DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona, with odds of +650 to win the title.
The Wildcats are scheduled to play their first round game on Friday at 4:27 p.m. on truTV, but odds for the game have not been posted yet. Arizona is currently waiting for the outcome of the Wright State-Bryant First Four game to determine their opponent in San Diego.
The performance of the Wildcats as a top seed
Arizona has been a top seed in the NCAA Tournament a total of seven times. Their most recent appearance in that position was in the 2022 tournament, marking their first time as a top seed in eight years.
The Wildcats have been a top seed in the Big Dance six times before, but only reached the Final Four once, where they were defeated by the Oklahoma Sooners 86-78 in 1988.
In five appearances as a No. 1 seed, the Wildcats have been eliminated in the Sweet 16 in 1989 and the Elite Eight in 2014, 2003, and 1998 four times.
In 2014, the Wildcats were ranked as the top seed but ultimately faced a devastating overtime loss to Wisconsin, concluding the season with a 33-5 record.
Analyzing the South Regional
Many consider the Wildcats to be the top team in the South Region, however, there are plenty of other college basketball betting favorites on their side of the bracket.
If Arizona is victorious in the initial round, they will advance to play against the winner of Friday’s Seton Hall-TCU matchup.
According to KenPom.com, the Pirates are ranked 35th, TCU is ranked 38th, and the Wildcats are ranked 2nd.
Houston, the No. 5 seed in the Wildcats’ bracket, will take on UAB on Friday. Meanwhile, Illinois, the No. 4 seed, will go head-to-head with Chattanooga, the No. 13 seed.
The South Region is led by No. 2 seed Villanova and No. 3 seed Tennessee. Watch out for sixth-seed Colorado State and No. 7 seed Ohio State as possible dark horse contenders for a successful tournament run.
The Wildcats are eagerly looking forward to Friday, the beginning of their journey in March Madness as they aim to win their first national championship since 1997.
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Author
Peterson Christopher has been reporting on sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, gaining valuable experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News. Currently, he serves as the primary writer at yengols.com.
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