March Madness NCAA Future Odds Betting Preview

The madness has begun. The top 68 teams bracket off for the national title and Louisville sits as the top overall seed. And although the Cardinals may be favorites to win this tournament (5/1), and (11/10) to win the tough Midwest region, they won't have an easy path. Odds that Duke (15/4), Michigan State (11/2), and St. Louis (15/2) take the Midwest aren't terribly far off.

Out East, Indiana sits atop, while Miami is making tons of noise. They set the new program record for wins in a season, and have covered in all three ACC tournament games. Marquette and Syracuse are also in the mix, along with 2010-2011 Cinderella story, Butler.

Down South, Kansas is considered the best defensive team in the nation. They rank first in field goal percentage defense both inside the arc, and overall. Joining Kansas at the top of the South is Georgetown, Florida and Michigan.

Gonzaga is the top seed in the West region, but haven't got passed the second round in three straight years. Ohio State, New Mexico and Kansas State sit below Gonzaga, but don't count out Wisconsin or Pittsburgh either.

Looking for a Cinderella story this year? A few factors come into play when trying to predict which underdog will surprisingly come out on top: competition against non-conference opponents, defense, and silent superstars.

If teams have had success against opponents that aren't in the same conference, chances are they'll perform better in this tournament. Scoring has steadily been declining over the years, and teams that show stingy defense, such as Bucknell, La Salle and New Mexico may have a chance to upset a good offensive team. Silent superstars such as Gordon Hayward from Butler, Stephen Curry from Davidson and Courtney Lee from West Kentucky were all huge for their teams is past tournaments, so look out for breakout players to will their team deep into the tournament.