Florida Atlantic Owls guard Alijah Martin (15). Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

NCAAB futures: Biggest threat out of the AAC?

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 1/29/24

When it comes to betting on college basketball, one thing is for certain: Make sure you take a look at the teams from every conference before placing your bets.

Yardbarker has already touched on the too-early favorites to win this year's NCAA Tournament, and they generally come from the same well-known conferences: Purdue out of the Big Ten, Houston out of the Big 12 and defending champions UConn out of the Big East.

Fans shouldn't stop there, however. There is a competitor out of the lesser-highlighted American Athletic Conference (AAC) who busted their fair share of brackets in last year's tournament, and you should probably give them a look since oddsmakers are already tapping them to be back in March Madness.

SC TOP 10! The game-winning from @KOBNelly against North Texas coming in at No. 10 on @SportsCenter #WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/g0WrThLD2Y
— No. 20 Florida Atlantic Men's Basketball (@FAUMBB) January 29, 2024

Remember Florida Atlantic? You know, the team that maneuvered its way into the Final Four before being defeated by San Diego State by a single point? Well, the Owls are back in business. And while DraftKings lists them as 60-1 long shots to win this year's NCAA Tournament, DK is high on them to top the AAC and be back in your bracket in March.

Florida Atlantic had only participated in March Madness once before their run at a championship in 2023, but they are already making a case to get back there. They enter the month of February on a six-game winning streak and atop the ACC with a 17-4 overall record while going 7-1 in conference play. It's no wonder DK lists them as -125 favorites to win the conference.

The Owls' solo conference loss this season came to the Charlotte 49ers, who could be the Owls' biggest competition for a tournament bid. Charlotte joined the AAC last June and brings with them a stacked resume consisting of 11 tournament appearances, which includes one Final Four. The 49ers are also 7-1 in conference play this season which includes a 70-68 win against the Owls on Jan. 6. However, DK still lists them at +350 odds to top the AAC and doesn't include them in the NCAA Tournament champion odds.

With 10 games left in the season, Florida Atlantic looks like the biggest threat out of the AAC. It's certainly worth it to keep an eye on their tournament odds as well, because if their winning ways continue, we could be in for another round of watching the Owls bust up some brackets.

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