Best Bet for the Midwest Region: Fade Houston and Miami?

• March Madness betting sites favor the Houston Cougars to come out of the Midwest region, but it is the Texas Longhorns with +450 odds that are a better bet.
• Players may also want to consider fading Miami in the Midwest and taking Mississippi State to win their game in the First Four in round.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Betting odds on the Midwest Region of March Madness brackets are available in many forms, with many of the best bets on the National Championship front-runner Houston Cougars.

Houston’s National Championship front runner status (+500) is represented by it’s short odds to win the Midwest Region.

Odds to win the Midwest Region

• Houston (#1) +120
• Texas (#2) +450
• Xavier (#3) +900
• Texas A&M (#7) +1000
• Indiana (#4) +1200
• Miami Florida (#5) +1600
• Iowa State (#6) +2000
• Iowa (#8) +2500
• Penn State (#10) +2500
• Auburn (#9) +3500
• Mississippi State (#11) +6500
• Drake (#12) +7000
• Pittsburgh (#11) +9000
• Colgate (#15) +10000
• Kennesaw State (#14) +10000
• Kent State (#13) +10000
• Northern Kentucky (#16) +10000

Fade Houston in March Madness

Houston is the front runner to win the Midwest region and the tournament in general at March Madness betting sites, but two reasons suggest that Houston may not be a good bet for either:

• Houston vs Good Teams: Using the KenPom rankings, Houston has only played five games against teams that rank inside the top 30 teams in the country. Over those five games, Houston went 3-2. Against teams ranked 31 or worse, Houston went 28-1. Seven teams in the Midwest rank in the top 30 according to KenPom, with the bracket lined up in a way that Houston may have to beat a top 30 team every round starting in the Round of 32. Houston has been merely good versus good teams, with players wise to fade the Cougars in a single elimination style tournament like March Madness.
• Short Odds: Houston may have the best chance to win the Midwest and eventually the National Championship, but legal sports betting sites are offering short odds that should have bettors look elsewhere. Houston would have to win four straight games to cash their +120 bet to win the Midwest or win six straight to win the National Championship (+500). With short odds on futures, players would be wise to either entirely fade Houston or bet on Houston on a game-to-game basis.

Best Bets of the Midwest Region

Outside of fading Houston, there are many other excellent bets to be made on the Midwest teams.

Briefly explained, some of the best bets for the Midwest Region are:

• Texas to win the Midwest (+450): Texas is the only team outside of Houston that is top 15 in the KenPom rankings in the Midwest. For players that are already considering fading Houston, sixth-ranked Texas with +450 odds is a strong opportunity.
• Fade Miami: Coming off a loss in the ACC Championship Game, players would be wise to fade Miami in the tournament. Miami is the tenth-ranked team in the Midwest according to the KenPom rankings despite its status as a five side. Whether it is taking Drake to cover the spread or outright upsetting the Hurricanes in round one or taking whomever their opponent is in round two, fading Miami may pay off.
• Take Mississippi St. in the First Four (-125): Mississippi State (49) is ranked nearly 30 spots higher than Pittsburgh (77) in the KenPom rankings. Betting on the Bulldogs to win (-125) or cover the -1.5-point spread (-110) may be a great way to tip off March Madness.