America East Conference Tournament Preview & Betting Guide: Vermont Eyes 4th NCAA Tournament in 5 Seasons

The America East has run through Burlington for years, and it’s more of the same in 2023. The Vermont Catamounts are one of the biggest conference tournament favorites in the nation, but an unlikely contender has hopes of its first NCAA Tournament in program history. To prepare you for the America East Conference Tournament, we will discuss the favorite, another contender, and the best bet that we think could go dancing on the league’s behalf.

Odds Courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook

• Dates: March 4, 7, 11
• Location: Campus Sites
• Championship Game: Saturday, March 11th, 11:00 a.m. – ESPN2

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The Vermont Catamounts are a minus-money favorite to win the America East Tournament. It’s the annual Vermont vs. the field debate as we try to poke holes in the Catamounts, who are the favorites to make the field of 68. The best coaches in the country adapt to the sport they are in, and that’s precisely what head coach John Becker has done in Burlington. The Catamounts are almost entirely made up of transfers, with Robin Duncan being the only starter that Becker recruited, the final of three Duncan brothers to play under Becker.

The America East will have its tournament games held on campus sites, a monumental boost for Vermont. They have won 26 of 27 home games dating back to the start of last season. Their lone defeat this year was to a Toledo team currently holding the nation’s longest win streak. The Mounts simply don’t lose at home, and as the league’s top seed, they’ll have home-court advantage for the entirety of the America East Tournament.

If someone could knock off Vermont, it would likely be the River Hawks. After nine seasons of failing to get over .500, UMass Lowell enters the tournament at 24-7 with their best chance to make the NCAA Tournament since becoming a Division I program in 2013. Head coach Pat Duquette has a fairly balanced team with four players averaging double-digits. He also has every coach’s dream: a deep, old roster. The River Hawks are 25th in the nation in Division I experience and 19th in the percentage of minutes coming from their bench. Their win over the Catamounts back in January holds some weight, and they feel like the only team with a legitimate chance against them.

Fading John Becker when the chips are down is ill-advised. In his previous six consecutive seasons entering the America East Tournament as the top seed, Becker has coached Vermont to four conference tournament titles. Despite this not being quite as dominant of a Catamount team as in years past, they still feel a step above the rest in a league that lacks a challenger outside of UMass Lowell. You should feel safe laying a steep price on Vermont here.

For more conference previews on SportsGrid: A-Sun | Ohio Valley