MAC Tournament Odds and Picks

The Toledo Rockets proved to be the team to beat in the Mid-American Conference after compiling a 17-3 SU record in conference play. As such, it comes with little surprise to see linemakers at BetRivers Sportsbook installing Ted Kowalczyk’s team as the one to beat per the most up to date MAC tourney betting odds; for the second straight season! That however hasn’t stopped college basketball bettors from looking elsewhere with teams like the Akron Zips and Buffalo Bulls seeing their odds of winning the tourney plummet since first hitting the board. This one bid tourney has been dominated by the latter dating back to 2015 with Buffalo cutting down the nets four times with current Alabama coach Nate Oats overlooking three of those championship teams; Bobby Hurley coached the fourth. With only eight of the 12 overall conference members set to hit the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse hardwood in Cleveland, OH through Saturday night, this could be one of the more competitive conference tournaments at CBB bettors’ disposal. Are we ready for some MACtion?! Here are my favorite, underdog and longshot selections to win the whole enchilada.

MAC Tournament Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

Toledo +135

Ohio +250

Kent State +450

Buffalo +650

Akron +800

Miami (OH) +2500

Ball State +3300

Central Michigan +10000

Favorite to Bet: Toledo Rockets +135

The Rockets road to the finals actually looks tougher than No. 2 seed Kent State with it to take on the winner of the 4/5 matchup between Akron and Buffalo. Yes, I’ve already “Sharpied” Toledo past Central Michigan whom it swept in the regular season and pounded by 28 points in the matchup that didn’t come immediately following the home loss to the Golden Flashes. That 68-66 win as 20-point favorites was clearly a hangover spot. Regardless, this Toledo team goes four-deep with double-digit scorers with Ryan Rollins the standout performer in averaging better than 19 points, six rebounds, and nearly four assists per game. The unit averaged a robust 81.5 points per game (No. 6) and owns the No. 31 ranked efficiency per the current Pomeroy Ratings. Two reasons why it succeeds offensively are because of its ability to hit the offensive glass (93) and value its possessions of the basketball (No. 16). The league’s most efficient offense is backed by a defense that concedes just over 68 points per game (No. 157) and ranks amongst the top-55 at defending the paint as well as from beyond the arc. The team enters the postseason red hot having won five straight, and will be looking to earn the program its first MAC tourney title since 1980; the year the tourney first came into existence.

Underdog to Bet: Kent State Golden Flashes +450

The Golden Flashes played runner-up to the Rockets in the final MAC standings by way of compiling a 16-4 SU record in league play. Non-conference and the beginning of MAC play didn’t treat Kent State very kindly, but things started changing in a hurry come the end of January. Since dropping back-to-back contests to @Ohio and Northern Illinois, the Golden Flashes have only been forced to accept the bitter taste of defeat one time. Yes, you read that right; Kent State went 14-1 SU and 11-3-1 against the college basketball odds in its last 15 games. It invades Cleveland winners of 12 straight games and is without a doubt the hottest thing going in the MAC right now. As such, it comes as quite a nice surprise to be getting a near 5-1 rate of return on Rob Senderoff leading the program to its seventh all-time MAC tournament title. Led by stud point guard Sincere Carry – 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists – the Rockets march one of the weaker offenses in the league onto the floor with it averaging just over 71 points per game (No. 165). But what it lacks at that end of the court, it makes up at the other with the defense ranked amongst the top-50 in points allowed (No. 41), field goal percentage (No. 37) and 3-point percentage allowed (No. 42). If Kent State wins this thing, it’ll be because of the defense. They swept Toledo in the regular season, and have what I deem to be the easier of the two paths of the top seeds to reach the finals.

Longshot to Bet: Akron Zips +800

The Zips have taken a bunch of action from CBB bettors evidenced by their odds of cutting down the nets dropping all the way to 8-1 after initially hitting the board at 16-1. That’s something you must take notice of this time of year; especially for a team that needed to go on a five-game win streak to close the year just to lock down the No. 4 seed. Akron loves to slow things down and rain threes from downtown. It’s been the secret to the recent success. No team in this tourney plays slower than the Zips who are the owners of a No. 349 tempo rating per KenPom.com. That paired with its ability to shoot at a high clip from the field (No. 73) – which includes converting at a near 35 percent clip from deep (No. 114) – has allowed it to excel in the latter half of its schedule. It doesn’t hurt that it boasts the best scoring defense in the league either in allowing fewer than 63 points per game (No. 31). Though the folks over at TeamRankings only give the Zips a 5.66 percent chance of winning this tournament – more in line to their opening odds of winning this tourney – I still give Ali Ali and his mates more than a puncher’s chance of being the last team standing.