College Basketball Futures

By Phil Simon

It’s a glorious time of year for fans and bettors of college sports. The football season is nearing its end with a number of teams vying for a chance to compete for a national championship. And the dawn of fall also means college hoops action is underway. And of course it’s never too early to have a look at the futures market with a number of options available at your favorite sportsbook.

March Madness is the best few weeks of the year for basketball fans. Leading up to it is also a blast. It’s time to gaze into the crystal ball and make a selection on your favorite team to cut down the nets in a few months.

They lost a ton of talent from last season’s national runner-up squad, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs are the heavy favorite to finally win the national title. They’ve been close on a number of occasions and have been a constant threat for nearly two decades. They bring in the highest rated recruit in program history in Chet Holmgren, who also happens to be a potential No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA draft, to try and get them over the hump.

For the returning players last season was a failure. The Zags lost only one game, but it came in the national final when they were a favorite to beat Baylor. However, it wasn’t to be and motivation could be a spark.

Plenty of blue blood programs are right at the top of the odds board. Duke, Kansas Kentucky and Michigan have the next best odds along with Texas and Memphis. UCLA’s surprise run to the Final Four has them locked in with odds of +1400.

There are also some storied programs missing from the top of the odds board that could be value picks. North Carolina sits at +4000 to win the title as the Tar Heels begin a rebuild under new coach Hubert Davis. Another traditional powerhouse missing from the top of the odds board is Michigan State.

NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Odds

Gonzaga +450
Duke +1200
Kansas +1200
Kentucky +1200
Memphis +1200
Michigan +1200
Texas +1200
UCLA +1400
Purdue +1600
Villanova +1600
Illinois +2200
Alabama +2500
Oregon +2500
Arkansas +3300
Baylor +3300
Ohio State +3300
Houston +4000
Maryland +4000
North Carolina +4000
Tennessee +4000
Texas Tech +4000

The college basketball futures market isn’t limited to winning the national championship. If throwing down on one team to win it all is too much of a commitment, how about a wager on teams reaching the Final Four. The odds are shorter but you have a better chance of getting a payout. Gonzaga tops that market with odds of +185. And there are 14 teams list with odds of 5/1 or shorter.

Of course you have to get into the Tournament first and the easiest way to do that is to win the conference tournament championship. Check out the team odds to win a league title and make your bets accordingly. Kansas has owned the Big 12 Conference in recent years and Bill Self has another strong group hitting the hardwood. The Jayhawks are a +160 favorite to claim another league championship.

With Gonzaga a big favorite to win a national championship they are an even bigger favorite to claim the West Coast Conference title. It’s not even worth putting a wager down with the Zags at +10000 to steamroll the league.

Oddsmakers expect a close race for the SEC Tournament Championship with five teams currently listed with odds of 7/1 or shorter to win it. Kentucky is looking to make up for a lost season and is the favorite at +275. Coach Cal retooled the roster after a disastrous 9-16 campaign and has a deep roster but not overly talented as in previous years. Still, the group is strong enough to claim the conference tournament, but there is also a bunch of hungry clubs in the chase.

Odds are fluid for all futures bets and will change during the course of the season. Waiting to make a wager is beneficial sometimes, but as the season progresses the betting markets catch up. And you should shop around to find the best price for your team(s) since the odds differ at every sportsbook.