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3 best bets to win the NCAA Tournament

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The bracket is set. Let the madness commence.

Duke is the current favorite at +200 to win the national championship, but we're thinking elsewhere when it comes to value. Here are the three teams we're dialing in on to win the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina (6-1)

North Carolina has a little bit of everything that makes a legit contender. The Tar Heels can outscore any team in the country, they defend surprisingly well considering they play at such a breakneck pace the other way, and they have enough star power to make a run.

Luke Maye and Cam Johnson are experienced playmakers who showed out in big games this season. Coby White is one of the most underrated, explosive point guards in the country and can get hot at any moment. The Tar Heels might not have the full national spotlight thanks to sharing a conference with Virginia and Duke, but they're a well-coached team with a high ceiling. Playing in the ACC during the regular season also shouldn't hurt when it comes time to match up against similar competition.

Villanova (50-1)

This is not your father's Villanova team. The title squad from last season lost a boatload of production, setting the Wildcats up for somewhat of a rebuilding year.

It's still tough to pass up this price on a Jay Wright-coached team that doesn't necessarily face a gauntlet of a region. We've been anti-Tennessee all season, and the Vols are the top-seeded team in the bottom half of the South bracket.

Bettors like to choose a new flavor of the month and this Villanova squad isn't as complete as last year's team. However, it feels like a good time to jump back on the bandwagon with Nova in somewhat of an underdog role.

Louisville (100-1)

The Cardinals were our pick to win the ACC Tournament. Now they're one of our candidates to wreak havoc in the bracket.

Is this the best 13-loss team of all time? Quite possibly. KenPom lists Louisville as a top 25 team despite a 20-13 record, primarily due to the Cardinals coughing up wins late in games. Still, they defeated North Carolina, should have won against Duke, and played Virginia tough twice. If Louisville can get a bounce or two to go its way in the East region, the Cardinals could make a splash.

Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.

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