College Hoops Odds: Tom Izzo Stays Home
Players might be eager to leave the collegiate hardwood for lucrative NBA offers, but coaches are not. Michigan State's Tom Izzo turned down a reported $30 million offer to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers recently to stay in East Lansing. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski also said thanks, but no thanks. Meanwhile down in Kentucky, John Calipari is getting to know his new lineup with five Wildcats expected to go in the NBA Draft.
Tom Izzo’s recent announcement that he’s turning down the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers – and a chance to potentially coach LeBron James – made us realize how important he is to the college basketball landscape.
When we think of the nation’s top head coaches, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and John Calipari headline the list.
Even Bill Self, Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino and Jim Calhoun are usually mentioned before Izzo.
Thing is, Izzo’s decision to return to Michigan State underscores what college hoops handicappers have been saying for a decade: Izzo is one of the best in the game, and he’s virtually irreplaceable in East Lansing.
The proof is in the pudding. Izzo has taken the Spartans to the Final Four six times in 12 years, winning one national championship, and he does it without the slew of McDonald’s All-Americans that routinely find themselves at Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas, among other schools.
With Izzo saddling up on the sidelines, Michigan State’s betting odds (+1000) sure looks like a sharp play to win the national title outright this season.
Senior point guard Kalin Lucas is back after injuring his Achilles’ tendon in the Spartans’ win over Maryland in the ncaa tournament, and he’ll be joined by returnees Durrell Summers, Korie Lucious, and Draymond Green.
Throw top 25 recruit Keith Appling in the mix – and a coach that routinely gets more than anyone from his roster – and it’s easy to back MSU to get to a third straight Final Four.
The Blue Devils (+500) are currently priced as the chalk to win their second consecutive national title, and while it should suffer as a spread wager this season, Duke has an embarrassment of riches in Durham.
Coach K lost key contributors Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek, and Lance Thomas from his fourth national championship team, but he’s brought in a top five recruiting class to go along with returnees Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Plumlee brothers Miles and Mason, and transfer Seth Curry.
Kyrie Irving is the top rated incoming point guard, and power forward Joshua Hairston should help out as a freshman. The Devils also return sharpshooter Andre Dawkins.
One season after pounding teams on the glass, Duke could have the deepest backcourt in the nation to go along with an NBA-sized front line led by Singler.
The Devils were one of the best bets in the country at 23-14-2 ATS (35-5 SU) last season despite their public status, but the well should dry up this time around. Duke sees inflated odds at the best of times, but after cutting down the nets in Indianapolis, it’s going to be giving a lot of points this season.
While the Devils were winning the national title, the rival Tar Heels were busy with a final of their own – in the NIT.
North Carolina lost to Dayton in the NIT finale, finishing off what was the most disappointing season in Chapel Hill since the Matt Doherty days.
The Heels are listed at +2000 to win their second national title in three years, but they have a long way to go before getting back to prominence.
Enter Harrison Barnes, the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country. There’ll be some growing pains, but the 6-foot-8 Barnes has the talent to be a top-flight performer right away in a frontcourt that’ll include 6-foot-10 John Henson and 7-foot Tyler Zeller.
Still, you have to think the Heels will miss Ed Davis (who missed much of conference play with a wrist injury), Deon Thompson, and defensive leader Marcus Ginyard. Turning around its 13-22 ATS (20-17 SU) mark is enough to ask of North Carolina this season.
The Heels’ recruiting class ranks in the top five, but it’s a few steps behind Kentucky (surprise, surprise), which brought in five top 50 studs, including three McDonald’s All-Americans, to replace John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton.
Public bettors are keen on Calipari’s new Wildcats, but don’t expect another season at the top of the national polls in Lexington. Kentucky is set at +1000 to go all the way, but this crop of recruits isn’t as talented as last year’s group, and there’s no veteran like Patterson on which to lean.
A smarter wager is Purdue (+900), which went to the Sweet 16 last season with best player Robbie Hummel (torn ACL) on the sidelines. Hummel is healthy again, putting the Boilermakers in the national title picture along with the Devils and Spartans.
Players might be eager to leave the collegiate hardwood for lucrative NBA offers, but coaches are not. Michigan State's Tom Izzo turned down a reported $30 million offer to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers recently to stay in East Lansing. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski also said thanks, but no thanks. Meanwhile down in Kentucky, John Calipari is getting to know his new lineup with five Wildcats expected to go in the NBA Draft.
Tom Izzo’s recent announcement that he’s turning down the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers – and a chance to potentially coach LeBron James – made us realize how important he is to the college basketball landscape.
When we think of the nation’s top head coaches, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and John Calipari headline the list.
Even Bill Self, Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino and Jim Calhoun are usually mentioned before Izzo.
Thing is, Izzo’s decision to return to Michigan State underscores what college hoops handicappers have been saying for a decade: Izzo is one of the best in the game, and he’s virtually irreplaceable in East Lansing.
The proof is in the pudding. Izzo has taken the Spartans to the Final Four six times in 12 years, winning one national championship, and he does it without the slew of McDonald’s All-Americans that routinely find themselves at Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas, among other schools.
With Izzo saddling up on the sidelines, Michigan State’s betting odds (+1000) sure looks like a sharp play to win the national title outright this season.
Senior point guard Kalin Lucas is back after injuring his Achilles’ tendon in the Spartans’ win over Maryland in the ncaa tournament, and he’ll be joined by returnees Durrell Summers, Korie Lucious, and Draymond Green.
Throw top 25 recruit Keith Appling in the mix – and a coach that routinely gets more than anyone from his roster – and it’s easy to back MSU to get to a third straight Final Four.
The Blue Devils (+500) are currently priced as the chalk to win their second consecutive national title, and while it should suffer as a spread wager this season, Duke has an embarrassment of riches in Durham.
Coach K lost key contributors Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek, and Lance Thomas from his fourth national championship team, but he’s brought in a top five recruiting class to go along with returnees Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Plumlee brothers Miles and Mason, and transfer Seth Curry.
Kyrie Irving is the top rated incoming point guard, and power forward Joshua Hairston should help out as a freshman. The Devils also return sharpshooter Andre Dawkins.
One season after pounding teams on the glass, Duke could have the deepest backcourt in the nation to go along with an NBA-sized front line led by Singler.
The Devils were one of the best bets in the country at 23-14-2 ATS (35-5 SU) last season despite their public status, but the well should dry up this time around. Duke sees inflated odds at the best of times, but after cutting down the nets in Indianapolis, it’s going to be giving a lot of points this season.
While the Devils were winning the national title, the rival Tar Heels were busy with a final of their own – in the NIT.
North Carolina lost to Dayton in the NIT finale, finishing off what was the most disappointing season in Chapel Hill since the Matt Doherty days.
The Heels are listed at +2000 to win their second national title in three years, but they have a long way to go before getting back to prominence.
Enter Harrison Barnes, the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country. There’ll be some growing pains, but the 6-foot-8 Barnes has the talent to be a top-flight performer right away in a frontcourt that’ll include 6-foot-10 John Henson and 7-foot Tyler Zeller.
Still, you have to think the Heels will miss Ed Davis (who missed much of conference play with a wrist injury), Deon Thompson, and defensive leader Marcus Ginyard. Turning around its 13-22 ATS (20-17 SU) mark is enough to ask of North Carolina this season.
The Heels’ recruiting class ranks in the top five, but it’s a few steps behind Kentucky (surprise, surprise), which brought in five top 50 studs, including three McDonald’s All-Americans, to replace John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton.
Public bettors are keen on Calipari’s new Wildcats, but don’t expect another season at the top of the national polls in Lexington. Kentucky is set at +1000 to go all the way, but this crop of recruits isn’t as talented as last year’s group, and there’s no veteran like Patterson on which to lean.
A smarter wager is Purdue (+900), which went to the Sweet 16 last season with best player Robbie Hummel (torn ACL) on the sidelines. Hummel is healthy again, putting the Boilermakers in the national title picture along with the Devils and Spartans.
