The 2020-21 college basketball season is now in its final full month, and it’s time to look at March Madness 2021. Before long, teams will be preparing for their conference tournaments which can only mean one thing.
March Madness isn’t all that far away.
Last year because of the coronavirus, the NCAA tournament was cancelled. This year, it’s going to happen though it might look a little different than in year’s past.
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Tournament Schedule
The biggest thing that will look different in this year’s March Madness is the location. Instead of games in different venues around the country, the NCAA decided to hold the entire event in a single location – Indianapolis.
Indianapolis was set to host the Final Four, so the NCAA made the decision to hold the entire tournament there. Six different venues in and around Indianapolis will host all of the March Madness games.
Selection Sunday will be held on March 14 with the tournament to begin that week. The NCAA moved the First Four to Thursday, March 18, with the first round to begin on Friday, March 19.
Instead of the traditional Thursday-Saturday, Friday-Sunday games on the tourney’s first weekend; teams will play on Friday-Sunday and Saturday-Monday.
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COVID Protocols
Local health officials will be responsible for all coronavirus protocols. That will include testing of all players, coaches, and staff members. All teams and their personnel will be housed by Marriott, which has a sponsorship agreement with the NCAA.
Teams will have special transportation to take them to and from games. Some of the venues are connected to Marriott hotels via an enclosed skywalk.
There has been no decision as of yet on whether or not fans will be permitted to attend. It appears the NCAA will allow immediate family members, but there has yet to be a definitive decision.
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The Favorites
There has been little change in the favorites to win March Madness 2021. Preseason No. 1 Gonzaga has been the odds-on favorite to win it all this year since the start of the regular season. The Bulldogs, who are now 17-0, are the +250 favorite.
For those thinking Gonzaga’s soft schedule will hurt them come tournament time, think again. The Bulldogs played a brutal non-conference schedule that included a season-opening win over Kansas and then victories over Auburn, West Virginia, Iowa, and defending national champion Virginia.
No. 2 Baylor is listed at +450 and is the only other major conference team that is unbeaten. The Bears are 16-0 heading into the final weeks of their regular season schedule. Neither Baylor nor Gonzaga has ever won an NCAA tournament title.
March Madness 2021 – Other Contenders
Villanova (11-1), which has two national championships in the last five years, is ranked No. 3 and will likely win the Big East again. Michigan (13-1) has been a pleasant surprise and will probably be a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
Villanova is listed at +800 and the Wolverines check in at +1200 on the betting board. Texas, which is 11-3, is given the same odds as Michigan and No. 19 Wisconsin is listed at +1300 despite having five losses this season.
The names you don’t see among the contenders are blueblood programs like Duke and Kentucky. Both are struggling and neither team is ranked in the latest AP Top 25. Bettors looking for longshots might consider the Blue Devils and Wildcats, both of which are listed at +5000 to win this year’s NCAA tournament.
