Big East Futures Odds Betting – UConn Reps the Cream of the Crop

With five teams ranked amongst the top-50 in the current installment of the Pomeroy Ratings and all but one of those teams offering up +800 odds or less to win the conference, the Big East is destined to be a dog fight all the way through. I can’t wait to watch and wager on the end results all year long! This conference has long been one of my all-time favs to break down and that remains the case with the thick of the 2022-23 conference schedule set to tip-off.

Providence won the regular season title a season ago before seeing its title hopes get dashed by the Kansas Jayhawks in the Sweet 16. Ed Cooley’s kids have gotten out to another fast start but have done so by running up against a number of patsies while dropping its three toughest games against TCU, Miami, and St. Louis. I don’t think the Friars have it in them to compete with the big boys when push comes to shove, and boy are there some big boys in this conference!

In my opinion, UConn, Xavier, and Creighton all have legit shots to cut down the nets come March Madness! As such, I have no interest burning any money on underdog or longshot selections to win this conference. It’s a chalk bracket and I’ll play it as such. The following are the three teams I’ve already invested in at BetRivers Sportsbook to win the Big East this season.

Bet Big East Futures Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

UConn -175

It’s rare that I’d ever recommend the chalk to cash in on the futures odds to win a division or conference be it in football or basketball, but I simply can’t doubt a Huskies team that looks like a legit player to not only win the Big East but also the whole enchilada. Though Dan Hurley’s kids just absorbed their first loss of the season at Xavier to fall to 0-3 ATS in their last three games, UConn is still far and away the team to beat in this conference. Only Tennessee and Houston rate out higher at KenPom, and it’s played to a relatively acceptable schedule strength having already taken down the likes of Oregon, Alabama, and Iowa State on a neutral court while also getting the best of Oklahoma State and Florida. This team is battle tested and looking to make amends for getting bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons.

UConn hasn’t earned Big East regular season bragging rights since the 2005-06 season when it shared the honor with Villanova. What’s so exciting about this team is the convergence of youth and veteran leadership instilled throughout the roster. Sophomore Jordan Hawkins (14.6 PPG) and Junior Adama Sanogo (17.8 PPG/6.7 RPG) represent the team’s PTPers, but the roster goes eight deep with five other players averaging at least 7.0 points per game. The Huskies hit the glass at both ends of the floor and defend like the dickens all the while tickling the twine for better than 82 points per game. This team is the full package and it’s a joke it didn’t open the season the odds-on favorite to cut the Big East nets down!

Xavier +400

Sean Miller has done a fantastic job resurrecting his career overlooking the Musketeers who look to have all the intangibles to make a deep run in both the conference and NCAA tournaments. Even with the injury bug targeting the roster early on, the X-Men have been able to churn out a 12-3 SU record that’s seen them go 8-6-1 against the closing college basketball betting odds. It just scored a monster win at home against the Huskies in a game it proved it could see all the way through even after pissing away a big early lead. Currently ranked No. 26 at KenPom, the Musketeers offense is what sets it apart from most other competition.

The quadrant of Souley Boum, Jack Nunge, Zach Freemantle, and Colby Jones combine to average 60.8 points per game with both bigs also combining for over 15 rebounds per game. While depth is a concern, Xavier will go as far as the offense allows with much to be desired at the other end of the court with the defense serving up 74.0 points a game. But when your denting scoreboards for nearly 84 a night, who cares – right? Provided this team can stay healthy all the way through, Miller’s kids will have a say in how the Big East rounds out.

Creighton +600

The time to pounce on the Blue Jays is right now! Initially installed the odds-on favorite to win the regular season Big East title for the second time in program history, Creighton inexplicably dropping six straight opened an enormous window of opportunity to get a piece of Ryan Kalkbrenner and his mates at an inflated price. While the team has rattled off three straight wins since, a 6-1 return on investment is nothing short of laughable when it comes to this experienced team. Greg McDermott’s kids have laced up their dancing shoes each of the last two seasons, and have a number of guys still on the roster that suffered the bitter taste of those defeats.

The starting five each averages double digits in scoring to rank No. 28 in offensive efficiency. I think the unit is actually better than that! The 3-ball dropped early on but a lid on the rim has recently prevented the sharp shooters from hitting their mark. This is a much better 3-point shooting unit than its No. 87 ranking suggests. When the shots start falling consistently, the BJs will hang some crooked numbers and blow the opposition out of the gym. It’s starting to occur but it’s not totally there just yet. Look out when it is!

Bet Big East College Basketball Futures Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook