NCAA Tournament Futures

The field is set, the madness is marching, and the odds are out for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Also available to college basketball bettors are futures on the winners of each regional as well as the national championship.

The West Regional is garnering a lot of attention, namely because that side of the bracket is topped by the defending national champs. The Duke Blue Devils, who are priced at +425 to repeat as NCAA champions at Bodog.com, are +125 favorites to win the West Regional over contenders like San Diego State (+350), UConn (+450), and Texas (+450).

Duke has the size inside to punish opponents as well as the experience on the court and on the sidelines. There have also been rumblings about the possible return of freshman point guard Kyrie Irving, who has missed the last four months with a foot injury. If Irving returns, Duke’s NCAA Tournament odds will change dramatically.

The Ohio State Buckeyes, the top-rated No. 1 seed in the tournament, are the oddsmakers’ favorites to claim the NCAA championship, set at +500. The Buckeyes are also the favorites to win the East Regional at +140, ahead of other notables like North Carolina (+425), Syracuse (+425), and Kentucky (+375).

Ohio State has a balanced attack, with freshman bull Jared Sullinger in the paint and shooters like Jon Diebler on the wing. Head coach Thad Matta also has plenty of tournament experience, guiding OSU to the national championship game in 2007.

The Kansas Jayhawks, the No. 1 seed in the Southwest Regional, are set at +400 to win their second national title in four years. In order to do so, KU must go through some tough competition on that side of the bracket. The Jayhawks are +130 favorites to win the Southwest Regional, over the likes of Notre Dame (+325), Purdue (+425), and Louisville (+450).

Kansas is perhaps the most versatile and deep team in the field. It can pound inside with the Morris brothers, or stretch the defense with its sharp shooting from beyond the arc. Head coach Bill Self is a master of fine tuning over the course of the tournament and last year’s shocking second-round exit can only serve as motivation.

In the Southeast Regional, the Pittsburgh Panthers lead the way among the title contenders. Oddsmakers have priced the Panthers at +750 to win the NCAA championship and at +160 to win the Southeast Regional. They could run into some tough teams along the way, with Florida (+350), BYU (+700), and Wisconsin (+750) sharing that side of the bracket.

Head coach Jamie Dixon is hoping this year is the year for his Panthers. Pitt topped the Big East but stumbled in the conference tournament. The Panthers have had some time off to adjust and correct any mistakes heading into the Big Dance. They can play any style, with the toughness to slug it out on defense and the finesse to get up and down the floor and score a ton of points.