College Basketball National Championship Odds: Duke Remains the Big Favorite

We are just over a month into the college basketball schedule, and as it’s been since the start of the season, the Duke Blue Devils continue to dominate the oddsboard, topping all other schools with odds of +200 to win the 2019 national championship. Duke has been the favorite since the preseason when it opened at +450 and since people have seen its exciting gameplay, money has poured in and that line has dropped to +200.

Bovada has Duke leading the charge at +200 followed by Gonzaga at +800, Kansas at +1000, Virginia at +1400 and Nevada at +1500 to round out the top five schools on the oddsboard.

Blue Devils thrilling fans into betting on them

Duke grabbed a lot of attention by opening the season with a dominant 118-84 triumph over then-No. 2 Kentucky that fueled the fire behind the Blue Devils as many are crowning them before the conference schedule even begins. They are led by a three-headed monster of R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish, with the trio of freshmen each averaging double-digit points on the season. Barrett is tops on the team with 24.2 points per game, while Williamson electrifies the crowd with his thunderous dunks en route to 20.4 points and nine rebounds per game.

The Blue Devils did stumble in the Maui Invitational final, falling 89-87 to then-No. 3 Gonzaga as the Bulldogs shot over 50 percent from beyond the arc and from the floor overall, while Barrett couldn’t get a layup to land late as he looked to push the game to overtime. There is still a lot of basketball to be played, but as the young team continues to learn and grow under coach Mike Krzyzewski, it only makes sense that Duke is the favorite to clip the net off the rim at the end of the year.

Kansas not getting any love

Sitting atop the AP poll, but not the oddsboard, are the Kansas Jayhawks. The undefeated Big 12 team has stormed out of the gate to an 8-0 start, including knocking off then-No. 10 Michigan State in the season-opening game 92-87 and also edging then-No. 5 Tennessee 87-81 in overtime before the Volunteers toppled then-No. 1 Gonzaga 76-73. Duke’s recruiting class was already mentioned, but the Jayhawks’ young guns are no slouches either – three 2018 McDonald’s All-Americans in Devon Dotson, Quentin Grimes and David McCormack.

But what sets Kansas apart from Duke is its veteran players as the Blue Devils are led by rookies while the Jayhawks are led by junior forward Dedric Lawson, who is averaging 19.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, and senior guard Lagerald Vick, who is also chipping in with 16.3 points per game. At +1000, oddsmakers are overlooking a dangerous Kansas Jayhawks team that lost in the Final Four last year.

Here’s the full list of the 2018-19 college basketball championship odds:

Odds as of December 10 at Bovada

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College basketball is back in your life and oddsmakers have made some slight changes on the oddsboard for the 2018-19 national championship. The Duke Blue Devils put in a strong season-opening performance and remain the favorites at +300, making them more of a favorite than in the preseason when they were +450.

Bovada has Duke leading the pack at +300, followed by Kentucky at +550, Kansas at +950, and Gonzaga and Nevada at +1000 to round out the top five schools in the nation.

Duke has turned heads early

The AP poll had the Blue Devils ranked fourth to begin the season, while oddsmakers had them as the consensus favorites to win the national championship. Duke had a tough task to open the year, colliding with Kentucky, ranked No. 2 both in the AP poll and on the oddsboard, at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the State Farm Champions Classic. The Blue Devils turned heads in that contest with a dominant 118-84 triumph as projected first overall draft pick R.J. Barrett dropping a game-high 33 points in 32 minutes played. They don’t play another ranked team until conference play begins in early January, so expect them to remain atop the leaderboard.

Kansas providing great value

Last season was a successful one for Kansas, making it to the Final Four before being beaten out by the eventual champs, the Villanova Wildcats. The Jayhawks (+950) are ranked No. 1 in the AP poll and got the season off on the right foot, taking on No. 10 Michigan State in the early game of the Champions Classic. Of the three 2018 McDonald’s All-Americans that Kansas recruited, it was Texas guard Quentin Grimes shining the brightest in the season opener as he scored a game-high 21 points to lead his new team to a 92-87 victory. Coming off a strong season last year and with their new recruits playing strong early on in the year, at +950 the Jayhawks are definitely worth a wager.

Here’s the full list of 2018-19 NCAA basketball championship odds:

Odds as of November 8 at Bovada

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The college basketball schedule tips off at the start of November and it is the Duke Blue Devils at +450 who have the best odds to win the national championship this season. Duke has already touched the court in a trio of games north of the border, winning all three games by a combined score of 285-185.

Bovada has Duke atop the oddsboard at +450 followed by Kentucky at +500, Kansas at +750, and Gonzaga and Nevada both at +800 to round out the top five teams in the nation heading into the season.

Duke poised to win its first championship since 2015

The Blue Devils (+450) have done a fantastic job recruiting for the upcoming season, having three players projected in the top four for next year’s NBA draft. Those three freshmen are Zion Williamson, a power forward from North Carolina, Cam Reddish, a small forward from Pennsylvania, and R.J. Barrett, a small forward from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This could be the first time that players from the same school go in the first two picks in the NBA draft since Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in 2012 with both players coming from Kentucky. The Wildcats won the national championship that year.

Duke won the national championship in the 2014-15 season and hasn’t reached the Final Four since. Last year, the school lost in the ACC semifinal to North Carolina and was eliminated in the Elite Eight in overtime against Kansas at the NCAA Tournament. In addition to their high-level freshmen, the Blue Devils frontcourt is filled with juniors and seniors, including former five-star recruit, junior center Marques Bolden.

Has Kansas equaled Duke’s recruiting class?

The Jayhawks (+750) reached the Final Four last season for the first time since 2012, but they were beat out by the eventual champs, the Villanova Wildcats. Head coach Bill Self went right to work building for the upcoming season as he landed three 2018 McDonald’s All-Americans in Texas guard Quentin Grimes, North Carolina guard Devon Dotson and Virginia center David McCormack. In addition to their strong class of recruits, Kansas also returns sophomore center Udoka Azubuike and junior guard Lagerald Vick. The Jayhawks have made it to the Elite Eight or further in each of the last three years, but haven’t won a national championship since 2008. At +750, perhaps this is the year they can return to supremacy.

Here’s the full list of 2018-19 NCAA basketball championship odds:

Odds as of October 12 at Bovada

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The Duke Blue Devils are the favorite to win the 2018-19 NCAA college basketball championship after an impressive tour through Canada showcasing the skills of Ontario’s R.J. Barrett and the phenom that is Zion Williamson. 

Last week, the Blue Devils toured Canada and took care of business against university sides in Toronto and Montreal. They defeated Ryerson University 86-67, the University of Toronto 96-60 and McGill University 103-58. 

Kentucky Was The Early Betting Favorite, Now Second

John Calipari’s Wildcats hold the distinction of leading all NCAA schools in NCAA Tournament appearances (58), games won (126) and Sweet 16 appearances (43) and have played in 17 Final Fours (second all-time). Their eight NCAA championships are second only to UCLA’s 11 national titles. Kentucky’s last three titles have come since UCLA last won in 1995, with the Wildcats most recently hoisting the trophy in 2012.

Four members of the 2017-18 Wildcats were selected in the NBA draft: Kevin Knox to the Knicks at No. 9, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Charlotte at 11, Jarred Vanderbilt to Orlando at 41 and Hamidou Diallo to Brooklyn at 45. A fifth player, Wenyen Gabriel, went unselected at the draft but signed with Sacramento’s Summer League squad. Sacha Killeya-Jones and Tai Wynyard have decided to transfer. Kentucky has slipped from +600 to +700 over the past two months.

Other Movers On the OddsBoard

Villanova, the 2017-18 national champion, has moved from +850 all the way to +1200 as classes are about to start. The Tennessee Volunteers have seen their odds move from +2800 to +4000, Auburn +2000 to +4000 and Virginia Tech from +4000 to +8000.

The teams that have seen their odds improve include Gonzaga +950 to +800, Michigan State +3300 to +2800, and Arizona jumping from +10000 to +7500.

Below is a full list of 2018-19 NCAA basketball championship odds:

Odds as of August 23 at Bovada

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With recruiting classes finalized, the Kentucky Wildcats are the betting favorite to win the 2019 NCAA Basketball championship at +600. Duke (+650), pre-draft favorite Kansas (+800) and defending champion Villanova (+850) are also early contenders in the eyes of oddsmakers.

Kentucky The Early Betting Favorite

John Calipari’s Wildcats hold the distinction of leading all NCAA schools in NCAA Tournament appearances (58), games won (126) and Sweet 16 appearances (43) and have played in 17 Final Fours (second all-time). Their eight NCAA championships are second only to UCLA’s 11 national titles. Kentucky’s last three titles have come since UCLA last won in 1995, with the Wildcats most recently hoisting the trophy in 2012.

Four members of the 2017-18 Wildcats were selected in the NBA draft: Kevin Knox to the Knicks at No. 9, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Charlotte at 11, Jarred Vanderbilt to Orlando at 41 and Hamidou Diallo to Brooklyn at 45. A fifth player, Wenyen Gabriel, went unselected at the draft but signed with Sacramento’s Summer League squad. Sacha Killeya-Jones and Tai Wynyard have decided to transfer. Despite this egregious exodus, Kentucky is the betting favorite at +600.

The jump to odds-on favorite occurred when Stanford graduate transfer Reid Travis decided to finish his NCAA career in Lexington. The six-foot-eight power forward averaged 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds in his final year at Stanford, earning first-team All-Pac-12 status for the second straight campaign. Kentucky also added five of the top 40 prospects available in the 2018 recruiting class, including the top-ranked power forward, six-foot-10 EJ Montgomery. Guard Ashton Hagans, guard Immanuel Quickley and small forward Keldon Johnson are all top-20 recruits. Tyler Herro, a shooting guard from Milwaukee, was ranked 38th.

Coach K Nabs The Top Three Recruits Available

Duke will be looking for its sixth NCAA championship and fourth since this year’s recruiting class was born. The Blue Devils are +650 at Bovada. Despite losing their entire starting lineup to the NBA draft and free agency, there is an air of expectancy in Durham as Mike Krzyzewski has recruited each of the top three available high schoolers.

No. 1-ranked RJ Barrett is currently contributing with the Canadian senior men’s team before even stepping foot onto an NCAA court. Barrett is a potential No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NBA draft. Six-foot-six Zion Williamson from Spartanburg, South Carolina is a lefty who has a mean streak and doesn’t mind playing through contact. Combine this with his athleticism and scouts are expecting big things.

Cameron Reddish is 6-7 and has a 7-1 wingspan. Reddish is regarded as maybe the most well-rounded 2018 recruit because of his play away from the ball. He doesn’t possess the same explosiveness as Barrett or Williamson but makes up for it with his cerebral play. Tre Jones, the No. 12 recruit in the nation, is fourth best among this group. Wow.

Pre-Draft Favorite Kansas now +800

Bill Self is hoping the taste of success from advancing to last season’s Final Four is enough to get his returning players to buy in again and push for an NCAA championship once more in 2019. The Jayhawks lost two players to the NBA, Devonte’ Graham to Atlanta and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk to the Lakers. Both players were also graduates, and thus were never counted on to be back.

Forgoing his junior year, Malik Newman entered the draft and signed with the Lakers upon not being drafted. Nigerian Udoka Azubuike initially declared for the draft but the seven-footer pulled out to return for his junior year, much to the delight of Jayhawks fans.

Kansas has two five-star recruits headed its way this season. Guards Quentin Grimes (The Woodlands, Texas) and Devon Dotson (Charlotte, North Carolina) will be joined by fellow McDonald’s All-American David McCormack, a 6-10 center from Norfolk, Virginia. Kansas is offering good value to bettors at +800 as the Jayhawks were seen as the favorites as recently as a month ago by oddsmakers and college basketball pundits.

Below is a full list of 2019 NCAA Basketball championship odds:

Odds as of June 27 at Bovada

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And then there were two. The field of 68 has been slowly whittled down and now only the Villanova Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines remain. Villanova is a heavy favorite to win the national championship, being pegged as -290 chalk for the finals matchup with Michigan, which comes back at +245.

The Wildcats, who have been at or near the top of the oddsboard all season long, have looked absolutely unstoppable during the tournament with more than a few similarities to their national championship-winning team from two years ago. The Wolverines’ road has not been as easy but their stellar defensive play has the team riding a 14-game winning streak entering the finals.

bet on NCAA basketball here!

Odds to win the 2018 NCAA Basketball championship

Odds as of April 2 at Bovada

• Villanova -290
• Michigan +245

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The field of national championship hopefuls has been whittled down to four – and it perfectly encapsulates the madness that comes during March. Villanova is -110 to cut down the nets in San Antonio followed by Michigan (+250), Kansas (+350) and Loyola-Chicago (+850). 

OddsShark has got you covered for March Madness betting analysis and predictions from the tipoff of the First Four to the final whistle of the national championship game.

Be sure to check out our Pick’em Madness Contest on Instagram for a chance to win a $500 gift card for tickets to any sporting event in North America.

bet on NCAA basketball here!

Odds to win the 2018 NCAA Basketball championship

Odds as of March 31 at Bovada

• Villanova -110
• Michigan +250
• Kansas +350
• Loyola-Chicago +850

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The NCAA men’s basketball tournament has been whittled down to six teams and the Villanova Wildcats are the odds-on favorite at +200 to be the last team standing in March Madness.

Online sportsbook Bovada has Villanova in the top spot followed by Michigan at +220, Duke at +350, Kansas at +650, Loyola-Chicago at +900, and Texas Tech at +1500 to round out the field.

OddsShark has got you covered for March Madness betting analysis and predictions from the tipoff of the First Four to the final whistle of the national championship game.

Be sure to check out our Pick’em Madness Contest on Instagram for a chance to win a $500 gift card for tickets to any sporting event in North America.

Odds to win the 2018 NCAA Basketball championship

Odds as of March 25 at Bovada

• Villanova (1) +200
• Michigan (3) +220
• Duke (2) +325
• Kansas (1) +650
• Loyola-Chicago (11) +900
• Texas Tech (3) +1500

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After five days and 44 games, March Madness has certainly lived up to its name.

No. 1 overall seed Virginia was defeated by 16 seed UMBC on Friday and the race for the NCAA college basketball national title is wide open with Villanova (+500) as the odds-on favorite to cut down the nets on April 2.

With the Cavaliers going home, Villanova is followed on the oddsboard by Duke at +575, Kansas and Michigan State at +900, Michigan and Kentucky at +1000, Gonzaga at +1100, Cincinnati at +1285, North Carolina at +1400 and Xavier at +1600 to round out the top 10.

Villanova, Duke, Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky, and Gonzaga have already punched their ticket to the Sweet 16, while Michigan State, Cincinnati and North Carolina look to survive and advance on Sunday to wrap up the first weekend of March Madness.

OddsShark has got you covered for March Madness betting analysis and predictions from the tipoff of the First Four to the final whistle of the national championship game.

Be sure to check out our Pick’em Madness Contest on Instagram for a chance to win a $500 gift card for tickets to any sporting event in North America.

bet on NCAA basketball here!

Odds to win the 2018 NCAA Basketball championship

Odds as of March 18 at 5Dimes

• Villanova +500
• Duke +540
• Kansas +900
• Michigan State +900
• Michigan +1000
• Kentucky +1000
• Gonzaga +1100
• Cincinnati +1285
• North Carolina +1400
• Xavier +1600
• Purdue +2000
• Texas Tech +3000
• West Virginia +3300
• Auburn +5000
• Texas A&M +10000
• Clemson +12500
• Florida State +15000
• Loyola-Chicago +17500
• Butler +19000
• Nevada +19000
• Kansas State +23000
• Syracuse +40000
• Marshall +50000
• UMBC +75000

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, it’s not Christmas, it’s the conference tournaments for NCAA college basketball and before each tourney gets into the quarterfinals, oddsmakers have placed the Virginia Cavaliers, Duke Blue Devils and Villanova Wildcats as +600 favorites to win the national championship.

VIRGINIA AND VILLANOVA HAVE BEEN HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE FIELD

The Cavaliers and Wildcats have dominated the ACC and Big East respectively this season and are rightfully at the top of the list at sportsbook BetOnline. Virginia is 28-2 SU this season with only one loss in conference play and held teams to an astounding 52.8 points per game, which ranks No. 1 in the country.

On the flip side, Villanova has the No. 1-ranked offense in the nation, averaging 87.2 points, and is battle-tested in the postseason, having secured a No. 1 seed the last two seasons, including a national championship in 2016. Both of these teams will be tough outs in their conference tournaments and are in line for a 1 seed in March Madness.

CAN ANYONE CHALLENGE THE KILLER VEES?

The public picks like Duke and defending national champion North Carolina (+2000) will always be teams you can count on to make noise in March Madness. But they both have some ugly losses this season that may be hard to reconcile for bettors when getting in a single-game elimination tourney, especially when potentially facing teams like Villanova and Virginia.

Rising teams that should catch your attention include the Michigan Wolverines at +1200 and Xavier Musketeers at +2000. The Wolverines, who won the Big Ten tournament last weekend and seem to play their best basketball in March, are led by junior forward Moritz Wagner.

Xavier is a potential 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and senior Trevon Bluiett has carried his squad to the best record in the Big East. The Musketeers had signature wins vs Cincinnati and Seton Hall in conference play and made it to the Elite Eight in last year’s March Madness tourney. Although they fell short both times vs Villanova this season, the Musketeers were the best rebounding team in the Big East and ranked second in points per game.

ARE THERE SLEEPER TEAMS WORTH WAGERING ON?

All sleepers are worth wagering on in March Madness (except No. 16 seeds). Hence the name. That being said, teams like West Virginia and Florida should be on your radar when the tournament tips off next week.

West Virginia is listed at +2500 and coming out of the Big 12, each game during conference play has the feel of a playoff game due to the talent level and coaching from each squad. The Mountaineers play suffocating defense and Bob Huggins led them to the Sweet 16 last season.

Florida (+2000) is always an intriguing team due to how it performs in the postseason. The Gators made it to the Elite Eight last year and are returning most of their squad from that run. The SEC isn’t as competitive as in years past and with some ugly losses earlier in the year on their resume, the Gators might be throwing bettors off their scent.

ODDS TO WIN THE 2018 NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Odds as of March 6 at BetOnline

• Virginia +600
• Villanova +600
• Duke +600
• Michigan State +700
• Purdue +1200
• Michigan +1200
• Kansas +1600
• Arizona +2000
• Xavier +2000
• North Carolina +2000
• Florida +2000
• Cincinnati +2000
• Tennessee +2000
• Wichita State +2500
• West Virginia +2500
• Gonzaga +2500
• Texas Tech +2500
• Kentucky +4000
• Texas A&M +4000
• Ohio State +4000
• Saint Mary’s +5000
• Oklahoma +5000
• Auburn +5000
• Virginia Tech +6600
• Clemson +8000
• Miami (FL) +10000
• Missouri +10000
• Alabama +10000
• NC State +10000
• Arizona State +12500
• Texas +12500
• Penn State +12500
• Rhode Island +12500
• Seton Hall +12500
• Florida State +12500
• Notre Dame +12500
• Arkansas +12500
• Houston +12500
• Syracuse +15000
• TCU +15000
• Loyola-Chicago +15000
• Oklahoma State +20000
• Nevada +20000
• Middle Tennessee +20000
• Providence +20000
• Baylor +20000
• USC +20000
• Creighton +20000
• New Mexico State +20000
• St. John’s +25000
• Washington +25000
• Indiana +25000
• Louisville +25000
• Butler +25000
• UCLA +25000
• Mississippi State +25000
• Kansas State +25000
• Harvard +50000
• Vermont +50000
• Florida Gulf Coast +50000
• Pennsylvania +50000
• South Dakota State +50000
• Rider +100000
• Buffalo +100000
• Toledo +100000
• Nicholls +100000
• Louisiana +100000
• Montana +100000
• UNC Asheville +100000
• Charleston +100000
• Winthrop +100000
• Savannah State +100000
• St. Bonaventure +100000