It’s hard to imagine a less typical basketball season than this one, with a regular stream of cancellations and postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and the absence of such traditional powerhouses as North Carolina, Duke and Kansas from the AP Top 25. Gonzaga and Baylor have emerged as the top two sports betting favorites to win the national championship, but Gonzaga has the mental challenge of a soft West Coast Conference schedule ahead of the grueling run of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and Baylor just had to cancel more games because of COVID-19 issues. Also, last week, among the top 20 teams, eight lost games, adding to the disorder. This seems like one of the most wide-open tournaments in recent memory.
Let’s take a look at the latest horse racing odds to win the title as well as some thoughts about some of the contenders.
NCAA News: Updated Odds to Win the Men’s Basketball Championship
| Team | Odds |
| Gonzaga | +275 |
| Baylor | +300 |
| Michigan | +900 |
| Villanova | +1400 |
| Texas, Iowa | +1500 |
| Alabama | +1600 |
| Illinois | +1800 |
| Houston | +2000 |
| Wisconsin | +2200 |
| Tennessee, Florida State, Virginia | +2400 |
| Texas Tech | +2500 |
| Ohio State | +2800 |
| Creighton | +3000 |
| West Virginia | +3300 |
| Kansas, Oklahoma | +4500 |
| Oregon | +5500 |
| Connecticut | +6000 |
| Virginia Tech, UCLA, North Carolina, Clemson, Louisville, Saint Louis, Indiana, USC, Rutgers, Colorado | +6600 |
Gonzaga (18-0, 9-0 WCC) did not play a single game last week as both of their WCC opponents had to pause activities with COVID-19 issues. They tried to find someone from another conference to play in the meantime, but instead they had the week off before playing at Pacific. The inconsistency took its toll on the Bulldogs, as they found themselves down by seven in the second half. However, they pulled things together and won by 18. Next up was an 11-point win at BYU, and now they will visit Santa Clara and San Francisco.
Baylor (17-0, 9-0 Big 12) did pull off a huge win at Texas but then had to postpone their meeting with TCU. Against Texas, the Bears got 27 points from Davion Mitchell and 20 more from Jared Butler, as they made eight three-pointers combined. Their home game against Texas Tech has also been postponed, and at this pace, the Bears will either have a tight schedule before the Big 12 Tournament, or the conference will have to figure out seeding without a bunch of games having been played.
Michigan (13-1, 8-1 Big Ten) had to shut down for two weeks, along with the rest of the Wolverines’ athletic program. Next up is a Sunday matinee at Wisconsin, whom the Wolverines beat by 23 back on January 12. That will tell us if the Wolverines really can deal with a tough game after a long period without competition.
Ohio State (15-4, 9-4 Big Ten) might be better than Michigan right now. They beat Iowa on the road, behind 16 points apiece from Kyle Young, Duane Washington and E.J. Liddell. They also beat a reeling Michigan State program. So despite those four losses, it would not be a surprise to see the Buckeyes go farther in the Big Ten tournament than the Wolverines.
Villanova (11-2, 6-1 Big East) fell at St. John’s last week, losing by 11. They bounced back to knock off Georgetown by 10 at home. They host Marquette, whom they easily beat on the road, and then they head west to face Creighton in a matchup that will have key Big East tournament seeding implications.
Illinois (13-5, 9-3 Big Ten) picked up a huge overtime win at Indiana, and then they rolled right over a Wisconsin team that seems to have lost a lot of its fight. Ayo Dosunmu was the big star against the Badgers, notching a triple-double with 21 points, 12 boards and 12 assists. Kofi Cockburn also had a big game, putting up 21 points and 14 rebounds.
College Basketball Betting Odds
Love betting NCAA basketball? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date college basketball lines
