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Florida State Has Best March Madness Futures Odds Among 4 Seeds

Ryan Bolta

by Ryan Bolta in College Basketball

Updated Apr 6, 2020 · 12:43 PM PDT

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton
Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton led his seminoles to the ACC title game in 2019, including a win over top-ranked Virginia. Photo by Twitter user @SunSentinel.
  • Florida State lost in the ACC Tournament final to the Duke Blue Devils
  • FSU enters the NCAA Tournament ranked #10 in the AP poll
  • The balanced Seminoles have eight different players averaging 6.0 points or more

The March Madness field is set and the odds to win the NCAA Men’s Tournament have been released.

2019 March Madness Odds

Team Madness Seed Odds
Duke #1 +225
Virginia #1 +600
Gonzaga #1 +600
North Carolina #1 +750
Kentucky #2 +1200
Michigan State #2 +1200
Tennessee #2 +1600
Michigan #2 +1600
Texas Tech #3 +2000
Purdue #3 +3300
Houston #3 +3300
LSU #3 +5000
Florida State #4 +3300
Virginia Tech #4 +4000
Kansas #4 +5000
Kansas State #4 +6000

*odds taken 3/18

There’s a lot to digest when you look at the 16 teams who own the top 4 seeds in the the tournament but one thing in particular stands out: the massive value you can get betting on the Florida State Seminoles.

FSU fell to the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC tournament final but proved to the committee they are a team to take seriously come tournament time. Here’s the case for why a bet on FSU at +3300 is a great value play.

The Price Doesn’t Match the Production

Florida State enters the tournament ranked #10 in the AP poll and deservedly so with their impressive finish to the season.

In the last 16 games, they lost only twice, once each to #1 seeds Duke and North Carolina.  Nine teams are favored ahead of FSU on the odds board and the team with the longest odds of those top-nine teams is Texas Tech at +2000.

The fact that the Seminoles are paying +3300 despite being rated only one spot behind the Red Raiders is a good indication of the value here.

In a 68-team tournament, there are no locks, only teams that provide value. It would be almost impossible to ignore how much the #10 team in the nation is getting here.

Depth Plays in the NCAA Tournament

Florida State’s roster is uniquely qualified to win tournament games.

While other programs rely heavily on individual players, at FSU, it’s a total team approach.  The Seminoles have eight players averaging 6.0 or more points per game, led by Forward Mfiondu Kabengele who scores 12.9 per game.  They share the rock and that creates problems for opposing defenses.

If the committee approach fails and they end up trailing in a tournament game, they have two players with 3-point percentages above 40%: guards Devin Vassell and Terance Mann.

Odds to Win March Madness 2025: NCAA Men’s Tournament Futures Tracker
Read More

Having a variety of ways to win definitely gives FSU an upper hand over opponents, especially the Vermont Catamounts, whom they should steam roll in the opening round.

Trust Leonard Hamilton to Lead the Way

There’s one other reason to love the value FSU presents and it’s head coach Leonard Hamilton.  He has been the boss for the Seminoles since 2002 and had stints with the Washington Wizards, Miami Hurricanes and Oklahoma State Cowboys before that.

Finding a scenario that will catch the basketball lifer off guard is almost impossible, in the same way other top coaches like Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams won’t be bothered by the pressure.

There may be teams more likely to win the NCAA Championship, but you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone offering more value.

Bet FSU at +3300 and enjoy an extended tournament run that could ultimately end in a title for the Seminoles.

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