Vaughn Dalzell breaks down his pick for the Big East Tournament winner with a Final Four ticket.
Big East Tournament Winner: UConn (-135)
The UConn Huskies are looking to go back-to-back as the winners of the Big East Tournament and I think it happens.
Creighton (+425) and Marquette (+500) are the only two options in fading UConn unless you are buying into St. John’s (+800) at MSG and the comeback of Rick Pitino (not me).
Tyler Kolek’s status is up in the air for Marquette, so they are not 100 percent and lost both meetings to UConn this season. Creighton split with UConn, beating the Huskies in a very advantageous spot for the Blue Jays after UConn beat Marquette by 28 points a few days prior. If Creighton and UConn meet a third time, I have a lot of faith that the Huskies can win that game by multiple possessions.
The Huskies are one of five teams ranked top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per Barttorvik (UConn, Houston, Purdue, Arizona, Auburn). UConn is a top 100 rebounding team both ways, top 10 in two-point offense and defense, plus effective field goal percentage.
I played UConn to win the Big East Tournament at -135 odds on DraftKings and would go out to -150. I also played UConn to make the Final Four at +110 odds before this moves to -110 or worse.
The Huskies look as dangerous, if not more than my beloved Houston Cougars this season and I’d go as far as saying UConn is the least vulnerable No. 1 seed.
As one of the top two No. 1 seeds, UConn should run the table until the Elite 8, maybe Sweet 16. The Huskies have a favorable short travel schedule to MSG and Boston over the next few weeks.
Pick: UConn to win the Big East Tournament (Risk 2u), UConn to Make Final Four (1u)
CBB Futures In My Pocket:
Risk 2u: UConn to win the Big East Tournament (-135)
1u: Houston win the National Championship (+700)
1u: UConn to make the Final Four (+110)
1u: Iowa State to make the Final Four (+550)
1u: South Florida to win the AAC Tournament (+500)
1u: Illinois to win the Big Ten Tournament (+500)
1u: Morehead State to win the OVC Tournament (+105)
1u: Samford to win the SoCon Tournament (+155)
1u: Stetson and Vermont Conference Parlay (+103)
1u: Toledo to win the MAC Tournament (+340)
0.1u: Ohio State to win the Big Ten Tournament (+5000)
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Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
