March Madness always provides plenty of opportunities for finding Cinderellas. While the first two rounds will offer plenty of upsets, the key to lasting success in handicapping the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament is finding the right sleeper to win the title.
And this year, with Duke battling injuries and no other team separating itself from the field, should give multiple opportunities at finding the best sleepers. If you’re looking for the best under-the-radar teams to win the title this year, here’s my favorite three sleepers entering the 2019 tournament.
For more March Madness Sleeper picks, check out https://www.mytopsportsbooks.com/free-picks/ncaa-college/2019-march-madness-value-picks/.
Texas Tech +2500
The Red Raiders have great experience and talent. I can’t believe the kind of odds we’re getting with Texas Tech.
If you’re looking for the best defensive team in college basketball in terms of efficiency, then Texas Tech is it. And while the offense isn’t as glamorous as some other teams, the Red Raiders have shown better offensive stability in recent weeks during its run to a tie for the Big 12 regular season title.
Jarrett Culver is a dynamic guard, who can do pretty much everything on the both ends of the floor. He offers some trepidation, since if Culver has an off game, the Red Raiders will struggle to score. However, he’s good enough that he can carry a team to a championship.
I’m backing the Red Raiders as my favorite sleeper heading into this year’s tournament.
Iowa State +4000
These next two teams will be a little out of left-field, but if you’re looking for dark sleepers, then these teams are it.
The Cyclones have fallen on some hard times, but at one point not that long ago, Iowa State was in vogue as a title contender. When the Cyclones are on, they have enough talent to compete against the best teams in the country.
The Cyclones can score at will at times and their defense is much improved from years past.
The Big 12 beat up on each other. I’m high on that conference’s ability to compete at a high level in the NCAA tournament. College basketball is difficult to gauge. Teams can go hot and cold at any moment, so I’m banking on the Cyclones to get hot at the right time.
LSU +4000
The Tigers aren’t a good defensive team. So that scares me.
However, the offense is about as good as any in the nation. Tremont Waters makes the Tigers go, but they’re also very balanced, which should help them overcome some obstacles in the tournament.
Four players average in double figures, and the guard combo of Waters and Skylar Mays will be a difficult duo to stop.
The defensive efficiency is ranked worse than 100, so that should give us some pause. But the Tigers have been overcoming all the doubters this season, so give LSU a chance as a sleeper in 2019.
