NCAA Basketball Bets: Summit League Tournament

Summit League Tournament: SUNRISE, FL – DECEMBER 21: NCAA basketballs in a rack on the court during the shoot-around proipr to the game between the Florida Gators and the Fresno State Bulldogs during the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic on December 21, 2013 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Florida defeated Fresno State 66-49. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /

Congratulations! You have officially survived the bleak, numb months of January and February and have entered the euphoric month of March where College Basketball takes ‘center court’, a gamblers paradise. With conference championships underway, we officially have wall-to-wall action every day as we barrel roll to the big dance, the NCAA March Madness tournament.

Summit League Tournament

March 9-12, 2019

The Summit League Tournament will take place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from March 9th to March 12th. Mike Daum (Player of the Year) and South Dakota State (-225) are the heavy favorites with their standout senior star.

As Daum looks to zoom past the competition and get a chance to finally get past the first round of March Madness, can second level competitors such as Omaha (+650) or South Dakota (+950) give them a run in the title game?

We will identify the best value and Dark Horse options for the CAA to add a future bet to your wagers. Follow along at @AlexMcKinnonDFS for other conference breakdowns and daily picks.

Summit League Tournament: LAWRENCE, KANSAS – DECEMBER 18: Stanley Umude #0 of the South Dakota Coyotes looks to shoot against Dedric Lawson #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse on December 18, 2018 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

Summit League Tournament Champion Odds

South Dakota State (-225)

Omaha (+650)

South Dakota (+950)

Fort Wayne (+1000)

North Dakota Sate (+1000)

North Dakota (+3500)

Oral Roberts (+6000)

Western Illinois (+10000)

Best Value: South Dakota State -225

I would love to go with Omaha (+650) in this position, but if you are betting in decent intervals, South Dakota State is still a good value bet, despite being -225. Winners of 3 straight and 5 of the last 7 Summit League Tournaments, South Dakota State and superstar senior, Mike Daum, should cruise through the Summit League competition and look for their first NCAA Men’s Tournament win.

Daum, the player of the year in the Summit League, posted a ridiculous 25.6 ppg and 11.7 rpg. Paired with the Jackrabbits high scoring guards, David Jenkins (19.4 ppg) and Skyler Flatten (15.8 ppg), Daum and the Rabbits (14-2 in Summit League play) have won 13 of 14.

They have a very easy road to the Summit League finals, going 6-0 during the season against potential opponents on their side of the bracket. For a ‘cherry on top’, South Dakota State will essentially play in this tournament at home.

Dark Horse: South Dakota +950

Another team with a proverbial ‘home-court advantage’, the Coyotes won 4 of their last 5 with their one loss coming against the Jackrabbits in a close 94-89 defeat. Their biggest hurdle will be their first round match up against the #3 seeded Fort Wayne who defeated the Coyotes 102-71 in their last match up on 1/30 despite South Dakota winning the first round, 87-73.

South Dakota is one of the most balanced teams in the conference but suffer from having no stand out star who often shines brightly in conference tournaments. They have five players who average between 9.5 ppg and 14.2 ppg and will need huge contributions from their bench. If you are looking to toss a few dollars on this tournament, South Dakota is the long-shot play.

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Follow along during the American East tournament and other NCAA conference tournaments as we head towards March Madness for daily picks at @AlexMcKinnonDFS!