CBB National Championship Futures Update
It’s still the Gonzaga Bulldogs or bust for the oddsmakers, who have the Bulldogs listed as strong favorites to win this year’s college basketball national championship.
At Bovada Sportsbook, Gonzaga currently tops the March Madness futures at +350. The Bulldogs are coming off a disappointing weekend after suffering their third loss of the season, a 67-57 setback to the Saint Mary’s Gaels as 10.5-point favorites in their regular-season finale. Gonzaga boasts a balanced attack with five players averaging double-digit points. Could this finally be the season the Bulldogs live up to the hype and claim their first national title?
Following Gonzaga on the odds list at Bovada are the Arizona Wildcats and Kentucky Wildcats, both at +700. Like Gonzaga, both teams suffered losses last weekend.
Top teams in championship odds all coming off losses
Arizona was also tagged with its third loss of the season, falling to the Colorado Buffaloes 79-63 as a 9.5-point favorite. Despite their recent success and No. 2 ranking in the AP Top 25, the Wildcats haven’t been a great bet at 8-8-1 against the spread since January.
Kentucky’s weekend 75-73 loss came at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks as a 2-point road underdog. The Wildcats’ place on the March Madness oddsboard doesn’t exactly match their place in the Top 25, where they currently reside at No. 7 in the nation. Oscar Tshiebwe had a strong game against Arkansas with 30 points and 18 rebounds, and if he can get some help from TyTy Washington Jr. and Kellan Grady, Kentucky could definitely make some noise in the tournament.
The only other team getting triple-digit odds on the futures board at Bovada is the Purdue Boilermakers at +900. Keeping with the trend, Purdue also lost last weekend, falling to the Michigan State Spartans 68-65 as a 5-point road favorite. The Boilermakers followed that up with a 70-67 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers as a 3-point favorite on Tuesday. Five of Purdue’s six losses have come on the road this season and the team is 3-6-1 ATS in road games, which is something to keep in mind in the tournament.
Duke presents good value in Coach K’s swan song
One of the better values in the futures odds right now may be the Duke Blue Devils at +1200. Duke was the only team ranked in the top seven that did not lose last weekend. The Blue Devils are also hot at the right time with seven straight wins and 12 victories in their last 13. It’s also worth noting Duke beat Gonzaga 84-81 as an 8.5-point underdog back in November. One more national championship would be a fitting way for coach Mike Krzyzewski to end his career.
The odds on a few other notable schools include the Auburn Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks, both at +1200, the Baylor Bears at +1500, the UCLA Bruins at +2500 and the Providence Friars at +8000.