Houston is favored in March Madness odds, followed by SEC and Big Ten powerhouses
The path to March Madness is quickly approaching, yet Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Michigan State are hardly the favorites. Find out which teams are the greatest underdogs in Division I with the most recent odds to win the 2023 National Championship.
The NCAA basketball regular season is officially in full swing, with less than a month to go until March Madness.
The UConn Huskies were once the basketball world’s darlings, but they’ve lost six of their previous 12 games and have plunged, while Duke and North Carolina are not listed on the NCAA basketball odds board.
Instead, the current March Madness favorites come from the AAC, the SEC, and the Big Ten, but it’s not your typical teams.
Check out the current odds to win the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship, as well as our March Madness picks closer to the tournament, to see who the top contenders are.
Favored to triumph March Madness
The Houston Cougars are favored by 650 points
Although missing their two greatest players, Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark, the Houston Cougars made a national statement in last year’s tournament as a No. 5 seed, demolishing opponents before falling to Villanova in the Final Eight.
This followed an appearance in the Final Four the previous season, and now that the Cougars are healthy, they are the clear favorite to win the championship.
The No. 1 Cougars are currently 25-2 on the season, with Jarace Walker, a five-star recruit, adding a powerful frontcourt presence to compliment Sasser and Mark, two star guards.
Alabama Crimson Tide (+800)
No. 2 Alabama, the best team in the SEC, has a record of 23-4 and is powered by an offense that averages 83.4 points per game and attempts nearly 30 three-pointers per game (fourth-most in the nation), but they really make their money on the glass, grabbing 44.6 rebounds per game — the most in the nation.
Alabama’s strength comes in the frontcourt, with rookie Brandon Miller averaging 18.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and fellow freshman Noah Clowney contributing 9.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Junior guard Mark Sears and senior Jahvon Quinerly dominate the backcourt.
Purdue Boilermakers (+1,000)
Purdue, the fifth-ranked team in the nation, is 24-4 in Big Ten play, led by Naismith Award candidate Zach Edey.
The 7-foot-4 center is fifth in the nation in scoring (22.1 ppg), second in rebounding (12.7 rpg), shoots 61.9% from the floor, and blocks 2.4 shots per game.
The Boilermakers are currently ranked fourth in Adjusted efficiency margin (according to KenPom) and eighth in Adjusted offense; they will be a formidable opponent in the next tournament.
Where can I wager on the NCAA Tournament?
March Madness is one of the busiest and most popular seasons of the year for online sportsbooks and bettors. Any betting site will offer March Madness odds, but the top sites are safe and secure, offer a variety of banking options, and provide a multitude of betting markets for each game. See the top March Madness betting sites in your area.
Understanding March Madness futures chances
The odds for the NCAA men’s basketball championship will be posted by sportsbooks as early as the summer before the season begins. Throughout the offseason, these odds are regularly updated as players are injured, suspended, or traded. After the season begins in November, the odds of winning the championship will fluctuate everyday as teams win and lose games and players are injured and suspended. The odds for March Madness futures will also be adjusted by sportsbooks based on handle and liability to specific teams.
March Madness futures odds typically appear as follows:
Gonzaga Bulldogs +375
This implies you stand to gain $375 on a $100 wager if the Bulldogs win the NCAA men’s basketball championship. If a college basketball team is extremely dominant near the end of the regular season or even during the tournament, you may see a minus sign (-) in front of its odds.
Gonzaga Bulldogs -120
This indicates that you must wager $120 to win $100 on a Gonzaga championship.
How to wager on futures in college basketball
Understanding how to bet properly on March Madness is one of the most difficult aspects of sports betting. The lose-and-go-home structure and the requirement to win six consecutive games against quality opponents imply that the favorites do not always win the championship.
The fact that the tournament bracket is not established until Selection Sunday is another influence. As the NCAA basketball season draws to a close, it is almost certain that the top seeds in the bracket will be the heavy favorites. Yet for middle-of-the-pack teams, nothing is certain.
Always take injuries and bans into account when placing futures wagers. A club that anticipates the return of a significant player prior to the start of the March Madness tournament may have some value.
How to place wagers on March Madness
If you live in a state that allows mobile or online betting, you should be aware of the top March Madness betting sites. Excellent betting sites, including those that offer NBA online betting, provide competitive odds, prompt payments, and a secure environment for depositing and withdrawing funds.
