
With March Madness in sight, which teams have best odds to win NCAA college basketball crown?
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For many sports bettors around America, this will be the first time they get to experience March Madness with a chance to place wagers on the chaos.
And trust me, it is chaotic. If you have ever been at a sports bar watching the first two rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you will know how crazy it is. When you add in mobile wagering, it becomes a sight to see: the energy is frenetic.
Most of the sportsbooks are expecting record numbers through the next two months, as fans and bettors in an ever-growing cadre of states get to place wagers on games from wherever they are, be it their home, the bar, the car, or the stadium.
So with a little more than a month until March Madness kicks into high gear, which teams have the best odds to win the 2022 national championship?
Here are the odds (as of February 4, 2022) of the teams that are below +10000 (100-1) by Caesars:
Team Odds
Gonzaga +600
Auburn +800
Duke +1000
Purdue +1000
Baylor +1200
Kentucky +1200
Kansas +1400
Arizona +1400
UCLA +1600
Villanova +2000
Illinois +2000
Which teams should bettors be focused on for best value, or for best legitimate long shot odds to win the 2022 NCAA national championship?
Of course, the teams that made the Final Four in 2021 should all be looked at very closely, as all are top 10 teams in the nation right now.
Gonzaga is the current favorite, and has made the final twice in five years (2017, 2021), losing both times. Could the third time be the charm for the Zags?
What about defending champions Baylor (odds of +1200), or the other two Final Four teams from last year, UCLA (+1600) and Houston (+3000)? All three of those teams look appetizing heading into February. Of course, Auburn had just one loss in its first 21 games, and provides very good value at +800 odds.
But what about down the board a little?
“Right now, outside of the obvious subjects, and the teams you had mentioned, I would be looking at Arizona at odds of +1400, especially after the win over UCLA last week,” aBritish betting and casino portal spokesperson said. “Houston at +3000 is a little baffling: the Cougars are legit. I am not sold on the Big Ten teams. I think they beat up on each other during the season and get some good wins against each other, but they rarely show up–bar the two Michigan teams–when the chips are down.
“I will give you a couple off the radar teams. North Carolina at +8000 odds (80-1) and Providence at +6600 could make some deep runs.”
Will it be business as usual come early April, or will there be some teams making runs from out of the blue?
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