March Madness Futures: Florida, Arkansas, Virginia

0:00On March 16th, March Manus kicks off Thursday with brackets locked in and teams eyeing the national title. Before the action heats up, betters are eyeing futures markets for value plays. Three standout picks include Florida at plus 750 to win it all, Arkansas at plus 1,100 to take the West region, and Virginia at plus 1,100 for the Midwest. Florida, the defending champions in a number one seed, wrapped the regular season hot with a 16-in-2 mark in a tub SEC that sent 10 teams, dancing. They pound the pain for over 43 points a game inside, rank high and rebounding on both ends, and run deep rotations perfect for tournament. Grinning, meanwhile, Arkansas thrives on the elite guard play from Darius Ackov Jr., the SEC player and freshman of the year who averaged nearly 23 points with sharp shooting. Coach John Calipari leads a high scoring crew with battle-tested vets, fresh off a strong SEC tournament showing against top foes.

1:02Virginia has reinvented itself this year, ditching the old slow pace for an explosive attack that spreads scoring across seven double figure threats, and bonds from deep on nearly half their shots. A title game run in the ACC tournament has them clicking with defensive grit intact. These vets offer solid upside as the big dance unfolds, blending experience, fresh talent and timely tweaks for deep runs.