With the men's regular basketball season having concluded on Sunday, conference championship week now kicks off for the Power Six conferences, and FanBuzz has betting predictions for each tournament winner.
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Teams on the bubble have one last shot to move on to March Madness, while others look to improve their seeding. It's the best time of the year — and here are some betting predictions for how each conference tournament will shake out.
ACC
Wake Forest +1000
One team that is very intriguing and in desperation mode is the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Once firmly in the bracket, they are now on the wrong side of the bubble after an embarrassing losing skid. Don't let their recent performance fool you — they still rank 26th in adjusted efficiency according to Kenpom and have been very unlucky in late-game situations. Wake Forest also gets to avoid the University of North Carolina and Duke in the quarterfinals. They need to make a statement this week with a run through the bracket, making their current odds worth an investment.
Big East
Creighton +425
The name of the game is to avoid UConn as long as possible, and that is exactly what Creighton gets to do by nabbing the No. 2 seed in the Big East Conference Tournament. Better yet, they also get to take advantage of a hobbled Marquette squad in an expected matchup in the semis while they deal with injuries. Take Creighton to win the Big East at their current odds, with hedge intentions against UConn in an exciting finals showdown.
Big Ten
Purdue +110
It's never fun to take the favorite — especially in a single-elimination format — but that is how dominant Purdue has been compared with the rest of the Big Ten competition. Michigan State is a potential slip-up spot, yet it struggles to generate any production out of its bigs to match up with the Boilermakers' Zach Edey. Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin all have regressed on defense and will struggle to match the scoring pace of Purdue as generated by their high-quality looks at the rim.
Big 12
Baylor +900
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Not only does Baylor get to avoid Houston in the top half of the bracket, but it also gets to take advantage of a hobbled Kansas squad with its first game, as well as a regressing Iowa State Cyclones squad. Better yet, they may not even have to face the Jayhawks, as coach Bill Self may lean toward an early exit in order to get more time to heal up his star players. That paves the way for an easy path to the finals for the Bears, making their current odds very enticing with hedging opportunities against the Houston Cougars in the finals.
SEC
Kentucky +430
Kentucky has struggled with injuries all season and now looks to be putting it all together at just the right time. They come off a massive win against Tennessee, showing that they have the firepower to cement themselves into contender territory. They boast elite depth for continued production for all 40 minutes in a tournament format, as well as get the benefit of avoiding Tennessee and Auburn in the bracket.
Pac-12
Colorado +525
Much like Wake Forest, the Buffs have found themselves firmly on the bubble as we near Selection Sunday. They have underwhelmed in a weak Pac 12 conference, yet their Kenpom rankings have them much better than their listed record of 22-9. They avoid Arizona in the top half of the bracket, having an easy path to the finals — which may be enough to cement their spot in the March Madness bracket. While Arizona is a tier ahead of them, the Buffs' current odds will allow you to hedge against them in the finals in an effort to guarantee a profit.
