Brandon Miller, Alabama among best March Madness 2023 bets

Brandon Miller and the Alabama Crimson Tide are going to be the story of March Madness.

Not only is this team uber-talented, but it’s also uber-controversial.

Former Alabama player Darius Miles – who played on the team as recently as December 2022 – was charged with capital murder last week in the shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris.

Perhaps more notably for the team, SEC Player of the Year and first-team All American Brandon Miller was alleged to have provided the gun to Miles in the shooting.

But aside from that, everything is fine, right?

Miller is not expected to face discipline, and Alabama did not miss a beat despite the scandal, cruising through the SEC Tournament and to the No. 1 overall seed in March Madness.

Miller is hitting 3.03 3-pointers per game, good for 20th in all of men’s division I college hoops, and shooting an impressive 40.08 percent (41st).

Below we break down the case for Alabama to go the distance as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Alabama +750 to win March Madness 2023

Odds courtesy of FanDuel

Outside of a few pockets in the south and some bettors (myself), no one will really be rooting for the Crimson Tide.

Fans of the team haven’t exactly endeared themselves to the public, wearing Miller shirts mocking the serious case with t-shirts saying, “Killin our way through the SEC.”

No one needs to root for this team, and it’s fair not to bet on them at all.

But this team is arguably the most talented team in the NCAA Tournament bracket, and this price may be a tad discounted based on all the optics involved.

They have everything you could want, including a relatively easy route to the Final Four.

Despite all the distractions, Miller is possibly the best player in college hoops, garnering lofty and unfair comparisons to Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George.

This team is not just about Miller, though.

The Crimson Tide scored the seventh most points per game in NCAA Division I hoops (82.2 ppg) while allowing teams to shoot the third-worst percentage on field goals (37.19 percent).

Betting on March Madness 2023?

KenPom also ranked Alabama as the third-best team in adjusted defensive rating, ahead of the Houston Cougars and just behind the UCLA Bruins, who are decimated by injuries.

At +750, you are getting the best player in college basketball as well as a solid supporting cast that plays fast while also averaging the most rebounds per game in the country (44).

They are the pick to win it all.