March Madness is over for another year with #1 seed Baylor Bears upsetting fellow #1 seed, and previously undefeated, Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship match but it was a disappointing showing for Virginia’s five teams – all of which failed to make it past the First Round.
The Old Dominion’s best hopes for tournament glory this year rested with the 18-7, #4 seed Virginia Cavaliers. UVA were given the fourth spot in the West section of the 2021 March Madness bracket but fell to the #13 Ohio Bobcats (17-8) 58 to 62 in the First Round.
The tight contest ended the Cavalier’s short tournament streak but rival Virginia schools didn’t fare much better.
#10 seed Virginia Tech (15-7) failed to upset the #7 Florida Gators (15-10) in another close, 70 to 75 match up while #10 VCU (19-7) was sent home from the tournament after a series of failed coronavirus tests, giving #7 Oregon (21-7) a free ticket to the Second Round.
#13 Liberty (23-6) also failed to beat #4 Oklahoma State (21-9) in their First Round match, eventually losing 60 to 69. #15 Norfolk State (17-8), who triumphed over #16 Appalachian State (17-12) 54 to 53 in their First Four contest also couldn’t upset tournament favourite and eventual runners-up Gonzaga (31-1) going down 55 to 98.
As the college basketball season ends for another year, many Virginians will be turning their attention to the next, hoping to see more success in March Madness 2022.
Now that online betting is legal in Virginia, bettors may also be interested to see which college basketball teams online sportsbooks are picking to reach the Final Four.
Interest in college basketball doesn’t stop at the borders of Virginia, or even the US, with some of the new bookmakers Australia has already offering odds for next year’s tournament.
The University of Virginia recently signed Jayden Gardner from East Carolina University who is set to bring some much needed toughness to a cavaliers squad. Bookies are already pricing their chance of winning an NCAA Championship next year at +2000 (21.00) and their odds of making the Final Four at +400 (5.00).
The Virginia Tech Hokies are given the same odds of making the Final Four, and of winning, as the Hoos and they will be looking to a number of players to make 2022 a better year. Sophomore Nahiem Alleyne, who scored the second most-points by a Virginia Tech player in NCAA tournament history last month with 28 as well as newly signed 7-foot transfer Michael Durr and Forward Keve Aluma (should he not get picked up in the draft) will all be key players.
The VCU Rams, who made the Final Four back in 2011, and the Liberty Flames, who have never made it past the Round of 32 are both given a +2000 (21.00) chance of making the Final Four and a +10000 (101.00) of winning an NCAA title.
For Virginia fans looking to really back the underdog, the Norfolk State Spartans are currently priced at +25000 (251.00) to make the Final Four and +100000 (1001.00) to win the whole thing.
At these odds, a $10 bet on the Spartans would return $10,010 for a profit of $10,000.
Story by Mason Kelliher
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Chris Graham
