With March Madness right around the corner, two Colorado schools seem primed to make some waves in the marquee men’s college basketball tournament. The odds, however, are not in their favor.
The Colorado Buffaloes (19-9) and Colorado State Rams (20-9) both face tough conference games leading up to March Madness. Selection Sunday is March 17.
Mike Randle, chief content officer at FTN Network, says the teams’ performances in their respective conference championships will determine how successful their March Madness runs will be.
Colorado does not allow prop bets on individual college players
Colorado online sports betting regulations allow wagering on college basketball teams, including March Madness games. Fans can bet on their favorite Colorado teams to win the tournament or to win a given game. Moneylines, point spreads, totals and more are open to Colorado bettors … with one catch.
Colorado does not allow prop bets on college sports. Bettors can’t bet on a particular player to score a certain number of points, how many free throws they’ll have or whether they will foul out in a game.
Colorado fans should keep this in mind as they prepare their March Madness betting strategy.
Colorado Buffaloes talented and could provide betting value
Randle thinks the Colorado Buffaloes have the talent to be successful despite their recent losses.
“Colorado’s talent cannot be ignored, even with four losses in a five-game stretch in February. The Buffaloes have an elite offense that ranks first in free-throw shooting (78.9%) during conference play. Colorado is also great on the defensive boards but are still undervalued due to three straight road losses at Arizona, Arizona State and California in early January.”
The Buffaloes’ fate will be determined by their performance in the PAC-12 Tournament, Randle believes.
“The Buffaloes are actually the second-best PAC-12 Conference Tournament bet per our FTN simulations, having now situated themselves for a potential double-bye in a current tie with UCLA. The Buffaloes are one of the biggest conference tournament values. With a good run in the Pac-12 Tournament, Colorado will be back in March Madness and a very dangerous team.”
Currently, Colorado is in fourth place with a 19-9 overall record. The team is coming off a 10-point victory over California. Ahead of Colorado in the PAC-12 standings are Arizona (22-6), Washington State (21-7) and Oregon (19-9).
As for betting value, Colorado has a plethora of it. DraftKings sets the school’s odds of making the Final Four at +4000, with their odds of winning the NCAA College Basketball Tournament at +15,000. FanDuel’s odds of Colorado winning the tournament are +12000.
CSU might need to make Mountain West Finals to punch its ticket
Colorado State is facing stiff competition to make it into this year’s March Madness tournament, Randle says.
“Colorado State is a victim of an incredibly strong Mountain West Conference. Despite four Quad I wins, the Rams were just 8-7 in the Mountain West entering Tuesday’s game against Nevada. The loss to the Wolf Pack gave Colorado State four losses in their last five games. Colorado State actually beat Colorado 88-83 earlier this season, but the Rams Quad III loss at Wyoming looms large here.
“Despite a 20-win season already assured, the Rams will likely need to reach the Mountain West Finals to securely punch their ticket to March Madness.”
Following Tuesday’s loss to Nevada, Colorado State brought its overall record to 20-9. The school sits in seventh place within the Mountain West Conference. Utah State (23-5), San Diego State (22-7) and Boise State (20-8) lead the pack.
Despite a tough road ahead for Colorado State, sportsbooks give the Rams a long-shot chance to take it all at March Madness. At FanDuel, Colorado State’s odds are +13000. At DraftKings, they’re +12000.
Interestingly, both the CSU Rams (18-9) and CU Buffs (20-7) women’s basketball teams are in better positions to punch their tickets to the Big Dance.
