Did the 2022 national championship game end about seven minutes ago? Yes.
Am I already writing about NCAA basketball odds for the 2023 championship? Yes. Yes I am.
Kansas summoned the largest championship comeback in the history of the NCAA Tournament, defeating North Carolina, 72-69, and the Jayhawks notched their first title since 2008.
But that’s old news. So strap on your futurist hat and put away those old NCAA basketball lines, because we’ve got fresh numbers for the online sports betting early birds.
College Basketball Futures: NCAAB Odds for the 2022-23 National Championship
Let’s talk about the top of the market first, because we all know you’re not rushing out this week to bet UC Santa Barbara to win the next championship.
School | 2022-23 College Basketball National Championship Odds |
---|---|
Duke | +800 |
Kentucky | +1000 |
Arkansas | +1000 |
Gonzaga | +1200 |
Kansas | +1200 |
Baylor | +1400 |
UNC | +1400 |
UCLA | +1400 |
Villanova | +1600 |
Somewhat surprisingly, Duke is the early market favorite in the very early stages of next year’s NCAA Basketball championship odds.
The Blue Devils will field their first team not coached by Mike Krzyzewski since 1980. Duke alum Jon Scheyer, who played in Durham from 2006-10, will replace Coach K. The 34-year-old first joined the Duke coaching staff in Durham in 2013.
Most bettors are evidently expecting Duke to be back in position to replace a massive outflux of talent. Paolo Banchero has NBA Draft odds that place him in the conversation to go No. 1 overall; AJ Griffin and Mark Williams are both potential lottery picks behind him.
I think what I’m saying is that I’d be verrrrrrry careful betting on Duke to win next year. There are a lot of variables.
Not far behind below the Blue Devils is a mostly predictable list of elite programs. Gonzaga, Kansas, Baylor, North Carolina, UCLA, and Villanova have all made Final Four runs in the last two seasons, meaning most of their odds are a combination of program stature and very recent success.
Kentucky is handicapped at +1100, which is likely a market-based price. The Wildcats went to four Final Fours from 2011-2015 but haven’t been back since. This past NCAA Tournament, they famously lost to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in the first round.
Arkansas, with back-to-back Elite Eight trips under its belt, was a trendy pick for next year even before next year’s NCAA basketball futures were posted.
NCAAB Odds: National Championship Sleepers for the 2022-23 Season
If you’re looking to get a little more adventurous, there are plenty of mid-range options in the futures market for next year’s NCAAB odds.
School | 2022-23 College Basketball National Championship Odds |
---|---|
Arizona | +2000 |
Houston | +2000 |
Michigan | +2000 |
Oregon | +2500 |
Tennessee | +2500 |
Texas Tech | +2500 |
Alabama | +2500 |
Purdue | +3000 |
USC | +3000 |
Auburn | +4000 |
Michigan State | +4000 |
Texas | +4000 |
Illinois | +5000 |
Miami (FL) | +5000 |
Ohio State | +5000 |
Oklahoma State | +5000 |
Texas A&M | +5000 |
Virginia | +5000 |
Let’s call this the Top 25 crew. Some teams toward the top of this section – Houston, Arizona, Michigan, Tennessee – are playing in the wake of deep tournament runs or high 2022 tournament seeds.
Other teams – Purdue, Illinois and USC, to name a few – have good programs without much recent major success in the postseason.
If you can hit on a future in this zone, you can make big money. And it’s not totally unprecedented, either: North Carolina was 30-to-1 coming into the 2021-22 season, and the Tarheels came within just a few seconds of winning it all. If nothing else, a North Carolina ticket would have set up a killer hedge position.
Baylor, which was the 2021 title, carried even more dramatic opening odds. The Bears cashed preseason tickets at 100-to-1.
These odds will likely shift, as unexpected players throw their name into the NBA Draft odds pool or stick around for another surprise season in college.
In the meantime, you can find any and all NCAA Basketball championship odds available at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
College Basketball Betting at BetMGM
BetMGM is the premier destination for year-round college basketball betting all season. With live sports betting, parlays, and tournament odds, there’s something for everyone at the best online sportsbook.