The Kentucky Wildcats are good and everyone knows it. But the Wildcats are starting to get into some rather rarified territory, as they continue to win and leave teams near them in the standings in the dust. Kentucky has now won 27 straight games, and are just four games from getting through the regular season with a perfect record.
Still, it’s shocking to see NCAA betting odds that look like this season’s. The Wildcats are, according to their price of -120, considered more likely to win the NCAA Championship than every other team in the field combined.
Let’s not forget how wide open the championship tournament in college hoops is. It’s called March Madness for a reason. Last year, no No. 1 seed even made the National Championship game, including last year’s undefeated team, Wichita State, who were beaten by none other than the Wildcats.
With that in mind, there is a lot to like about this particular Kentucky team, starting with their raw versatility. The team has six players expected to be drafted in the upcoming NBA Draft, including four in the first round, plus another three who will more than likely be picked next year.
The result is a lineup that can beat you all sorts of different ways, and matched with an all-world coach, Kentucky can adjust to one (or two, or three, or four…) players having off-nights and roll out replacements who would be starters on almost any other team. That level of depth is a recipe for success in the tournament.
Still, with ever-improving teams like Duke and Wisconsin waiting in the wings, not to mention what will be a field of 67 other teams that know how to get hot, it’s hard to imagine the Wildcats (or any team in history) deserve the sort of treatment their getting in Vegas.
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