Okay, so by now we’ve all gotten the general theme of this here-and-now 2019-2020 College Basketball Season:
For months now the hoop “experts” out there have been telling anyone that will listen that there are no “super-powers” and that any number of clubs can capture this year’s national championship crown but here’s a little alert … right now there are actually only four hoop teams with win-it-all odds of 8-to-1 or less (see our chart below) and there are 11 teams with 20-to-1 or shorter odds on the board. Just sayin’.
Here’s the last 10 NCAA Tournament champions and who they beat, just to refresh your memory …
2019 – Virginia def. Texas Tech
2018 – Villanova def. Michigan
2017 – North Carolina def. Gonzaga
2016 – Villanova def. North Carolina
2015 – Duke def. Wisconsin
2014 – Connecticut def. Kentucky
2013 – Louisville def. Michigan
2012 – Kentucky def. Kansas
2011 – Connecticut def. Butler
2010 – Duke def. Butler
The Jim Hurley Network has been pounding out a bunch of College Basketball winners (both Sides and Totals) all throughout this 2019-2020 season and take note that we’ve got NBA and NCAA Basketball coverage all this week / weekend, so make sure you’re rollin’ up all the hoop winners at our exclusive toll-free # of 1-800-323-4453 or right here online at www.jimhurley.com
As we draw closer and closer to the aforementioned NCAA Tournament – just can’t wait for “March Madness” as you can tell! – we get you our updated “win-it-all” odds for this year’s tourney. See what you think (all prices below all based on $100 per play):
TEAM ODDS TO WIN 2020 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Kansas + 600
Duke + 700
Gonzaga + 700
Baylor + 800
Dayton + 1200
Maryland + 1600
Seton Hall + 1600
Kentucky + 1800
Louisville + 2000
Michigan State + 2000
San Diego State + 2000
Arizona + 3000
Auburn + 3000
Creighton + 3000
Florida State + 3000
Oregon + 3000
Villanova + 3000
West Virginia + 3000
COLLEGE BASKETBALL REPORT
Let’s go ahead and expand our NCAA Tournament look even more now that we’re digging deeper and deeper into the month of February — now, we’re getting you our top 12 seeds in each of the NCAA Tournament’s four geographical regions (and they are all subject to change, of course). Note we have the “First Four” games in a couple of cases with #11 seeds included in the East and Midwest:
EAST – Kansas, Maryland, San Diego State, Villanova, Penn State, Marquette, Michigan, Xavier, Florida, Northern Iowa, Rhode Island/N.C. State and East Tennessee State
MIDWEST – Baylor, Dayton, Louisville, Michigan State, Iowa, Arizona, Houston, LSU, Saint Mary’s, UCLA, Rutgers/Richmond and Hofstra
SOUTH – Duke, Seton Hall, Creighton, Auburn, Colorado, Butler, Indiana, BYU, Virginia, Utah State, Wichita State and Liberty
WEST – Gonzaga, Kentucky, Florida State, Oregon, West Virginia, Arizona State, Illinois, USC, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Stanford and Stephen F. Austin
Right this very moment, our #1-thru-#12 seeded teams do not include the following:
Tulsa (19-9, 11-4 AAC), Notre Dame (18-10, 9-8 ACC), Saint Louis (20-8, 9-6 Atkantic-10), Loyola-Chicago (20-10, 12-5 MVC), Nevada (19-10, 12-5 Mountain West) or Miss State (18-10, 9-6 SEC) but any /all of these teams could make a last-minute run at an at-large tourney berth with a big finish / mini-tourney run but that would mean likely sprints to the championship game of their respective conferences … got it?
Finally, if you’re wondering whether or not we’re gonna see more than a single team from the so-called mid-major or smaller leagues out there, don’t count on it but there is some momentum towards Belmont (22-7, 13-3) and South Dakota State (22-8,13-2) into the 68-team field even if they happen not to win the Ohio Valley and Summit mini-tournies, respectively.
THE BASEBALL REPORT
Baseball’s back everyone (we watched some Spring Training action this past week in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues!) and so let’s continue with our division-by-division looks at the projected wins totals of all the MLB teams with a key comment tossed into the mix. Today, our focus is squarely on the American League Central:
AL CENTRAL
TEAM PROJECTED WINS TOTAL QUICK COMMENT
Minnesota 92.5 Forget the Twins’ rotten recent post-season history, this team added some pitching and could threaten 100 “W” again
Cleveland 85.5 So much depends on whether or not SS Francisco Lindor is on the roster after the July 31st trade deadline
Chi White Sox 84.5 All signs pointing up for the Pale Hose but starting rotation could be leaking oil by early August
Kansas City 64.5 No-name pitching staff could get cuffed around plenty this year and so we recommend the “under” or nothing at all
Detroit 56.5 The rebuilding process is gonna be a long one in Motown and remember the Tigers won just 47 games in ‘19
AL WEST
TEAM PROJECTED WINS TOTAL QUICK COMMENT
Houston 94.5 This villainous band of sign-stealers still has plenty of pop but will #3, #4, #5 starting pitchers come through?
Oakland 89.5 The A’s always start slowly and finish fast and now skipper Bob Melvin and Co. has designs on winning this division
LA Angels 85.5 Addition of 3B Anthony Rendon was a great “get” but rotation’s wobbly and depth an issue too – an “under” play?
Texas 79.5 Hats off to the Rangers who easily cashed “over” 71.5 wins last year (78-84) but arms are an issue in 2020
Seattle 67.5 This M’s roster seemingly turns over every single season and lack of stability killing this once-proud franchise
NOTE: Catch up on all our NCAA Hoops coverage in the next edition of Jim Sez and remember there’s wall-to-wall winners – in both college and pro – when you check in with us at the toll-free # of 1-800-323-4453.