March Madness betting: Mountain West teams that could be bracket busters
It was just a little over a year ago that San Diego State broke its fair share of expectations and became the team to go toe-to-toe with UConn in the NCAA Tournament final. Some of that is just the way the bracket busts, but are oddsmakers underestimating what Mountain West teams can do?
Despite facing off against the Huskies in 2023, the projected No. 4 seed Aztecs are 70-1 long shots at DraftKings to be March Madness champions, and their conference cohorts are priced even higher. There is plenty of pre-tourney speculation, however, that there are Mountain West teams primed to punch their ticket to the big dance.
So let's take a step back from the UConns and the Purdues and the other favorites to win the NCAA championship for a second. (Besides, the Boilermakers were upset in the first round by Fairleigh Dickinson last year.) Here are some long shots out of the Mountain West to keep an eye on.
Despite being long shots, both San Diego State and conference-leaders Utah State — currently priced at 100-1 at DK — are both expected to be automatic bids for this year's tournament by DraftKings Network. The Aggies solidified their hold on the Mountain West's top spot with a win against the Aztecs on Feb. 20, putting them 10-4 in conference play and 22-5 overall with just a few games left. San Diego State is on their heels with a 20-7 record and a perfect 13-0 line at home, and they are looking to be a bracket buster once again this March.
Each team has a conference game left against a bubble team that could test them, with San Diego State hosting Boise State and Utah State hosting New Mexico.
There are eyes on Boise State even though they are 140-1 long shots, 4-3 away from home and have a schedule full of must-wins to end the season. New Mexico is a sneaky Mountain West team to look out for even though the Lobos are 100-1 long shots, and they have wins against San Diego State and Utah State while also defeating Nevada twice. These are both teams to watch as the regular season wraps up.
Speaking of Nevada, the Wolf Pack are on the bubble after ending January 1-4 but have won five of six in February. Bleacher Report sees their stock rising, noting that "If they can split their two remaining road games against Colorado State and Boise State and win the other three home contests against non-contenders they should be in good shape." The Wolf Pack were also booted from the First Four last year by Arizona State, so they will be looking to make a statement in the coming weeks.
As will all of these teams, so keep an eye on them. They may have long odds with oddsmakers, but they also have the potential to be bracket-busters.
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