College basketball is highly unpredictable these days, with the current climate of the sport leading to the potential for massive NCAA Tournament upsets on a regular basis. While the list of teams with a realistic chance to make the national championship game is a short one, there is still the potential to find value in the college basketball futures markets this season, even as March Madness has arrived. Here, we look at the current March Madness odds and look at the teams that could win it all.
NCAA March Madness Odds To Win The Championship
Team | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UCONN
|
+400 | +400 | +400 | +360 | +370 |
HOU
|
+600 | +600 | +550 | +550 | +600 |
PUR
|
+750 | +650 | +750 | +700 | +700 |
ARZ
|
+1000 | +1100 | +1000 | +1200 | +1300 |
NCAR
|
+1300 | +1300 | +1400 | +1300 | +1700 |
TENN
|
+1500 | +1500 | +1400 | +1600 | +1700 |
AUBRN
|
+1600 | +1700 | +1600 | +1700 | +2200 |
IOWAST
|
+1800 | +1800 | +1600 | +2000 | +2000 |
MARQ
|
+2500 | +2500 | +3000 | +3000 | +2500 |
UK
|
+2500 | +2500 | +2000 | +2200 | +3000 |
CREIGH
|
+3000 | +2500 | +3000 | +3000 | +2500 |
DUKE
|
+3000 | +3000 | +2500 | +3500 | +3000 |
ILL
|
+3000 | +3000 | +2500 | +3500 | +3500 |
BAYL
|
+3500 | +3500 | +4000 | +3000 | +3500 |
ALA
|
+4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +3500 |
KAN
|
+4000 | +4000 | +5000 | +5000 | +4500 |
FL
|
+5000 | +5000 | +6000 | +6000 | +6500 |
GNZG
|
+6000 | +6000 | +5000 | +6000 | +5000 |
BYU
|
+6600 | +6600 | +6000 | +7000 | +5000 |
STMRY
|
+7000 | +7000 | +7000 | +6000 |
College Basketball National Championship Handicapping
The Favorites To Win the Championship
Across most sportsbooks, there is a pretty clearly defined short list of favorites to win the national championship this year. Purdue, Houston, and UConn make up the group of championship front runners according to this year’s March Madness odds. All three of these teams earned number one seeds in their respective regions when the NCAA Tournament field was announced, which will give them the easiest path a team can get to the Final Four. However, there are no guarantees in this tournament at any point.
All of the teams at the top of the list of March Madness favorites have unique strengths that could propel them to a national championship when all is said and done. Purdue and UConn have tremendous size, while UConn has championship experience, and Houston is elite on defense. Which of those traits will win out in March remains to be seen, but all of these teams figure to be in the championship mix.
Best of the Rest
Beyond the title favorites, there are several teams with a chance to win the national title that rank right behind the teams mentioned above. Squads like Iowa State, North Carolina, and Arizona are all just below the title favorites in terms of their March Madness odds. And there are plenty of other power conference teams that are right there with them with a chance to make a run to the title.
For these teams, a national championship is certainly a possibility, but it will take their best basketball for them to get the job done. When considering teams in this middle group in the March Madness futures markets, should evaluate what their NCAA Tournament path might look like and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses against each team they could potentially face in the bracket. But we have seen plenty of teams that aren’t favorites win this tournament in the past and these teams could certainly be worth backing in the big dance.
Possible Longshots
For those looking for a longshot bet to win the national title, a team like San Diego State or Wisconsin could be worth taking a look at. The Aztecs made it to the national championship game last season, and they have the returning guard play and defense to give teams headaches again in this year’s tournament. Wisconsin, meanwhile, made the Big Ten championship game just before the NCAA Tournament and have proven that they will once again be a tough out in March. Bettors shouldn’t go into any longshot bet expecting it to win easily, but rather to give themselves a chance to win and uncover value and hedging opportunities down the road.
When looking for longshot bets to win the NCAA Tournament, the goal is to simply find teams that you perceive to have a better chance to win the title than the odds would suggest. There are many ways to come to such conclusions, with each bettor having their own unique style of handicapping teams in the futures markets. But the overall goal is to identify teams who can outperform expectations in the neutral site tournament.
Our March Madness Championship Pick
Right now, our pick to win the NCAA Tournament is the Iowa State Cyclones. The Cyclones are elite on defense, ranked right up their with Houston in defensive efficiency going into the tournament. But the Cyclones are a little better offensively and they can certainly use that combination to take down anyone in college basketball in a single-elimination scenario.
Best Sportsbook Promos For March Madness Betting
When wagering on the NCAA basketball season and futures betting markets, there are plenty of sportsbook bonuses worth utilizing. Here, we have compiled said bonuses, which bettors can use to place on the most exciting few weeks in sports.