The college basketball season is well underway and it’s already clear we will be in for a dramatic month of March. There hasn’t been a team that’s separated themselves from the rest of the pack, such as the way we’ve seen schools like Duke and Kentucky do in the past. In fact, this season features a lot of new blood running the game of college hoops.
We’ll look at National Championship odds from a top NY sportsbook and see where a few New York teams stand with a few weeks left in the regular season.
A Non Power 5 School Leads the Way
The Houston Cougars are the favorites to win the 2023 NCAAB National Championship. They’ve started the season 23-2 and are ranked second in the country, behind only Purdue. The Cougars reached the Elite 8 last year but were ultimately undone by Villanova.
Their team this year has had a number of guys step up. Senior Marcus Sasser is Houston’s top scorer but the team has shown most of its success on the defensive end. The Cougars are second in the country in points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. They’re behind Tennessee in each category.
Purdue and Arizona are each tied for the second-best odds to win this year’s National Championship. The Purdue Boilermakers have been led by their 7’4 center, Zach Edey. Edey’s been averaging 22 points a game while dominating on the glass. Team’s have been unable to solve the Wooden Award candidate.
Where Are the Blue Bloods?
Most college basketball fans are used to seeing the same teams dominating the sport. Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas are big players every year it seems. This year, however, they’re taking a back seat.
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The Kansas Jayhawks are the defending national champs. It’s always tough to repeat in any sport, and the Jayhawks are finding that out this year. After starting the season strong the team is in a skid of sorts, having lost four of its last seven. Among the blue bloods, Kansas still has the best odds to win this year’s National Championship.
Neither Duke, Kentucky, or the defending runner-ups North Carolina are ranked at the moment. Such an occurrence is remarkably unprecedented in the college hoops world. Each of these teams will likely end up in the Big Dance but they won’t be top seeds.
No New York Teams In the Mix
Syracuse is New York’s best basketball school. After making the Sweet 16 in the 2020-2021 season, the Orange failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. They’ve begun this season 15-10 and appear to be on the outside looking in at the moment. Syracuse will have big upcoming matchups against NC State and Duke. They’ll need a win in at least one of the two if they want to gain some respect from the committee.
The Orange have +30000 odds to win this year’s National Title, meaning a $100 bet on Jim Boeheim’s squad will pay out $30,000.
Even if Syracuse fails to qualify for the tournament, New York will still have a chance to get a non-Power 5 school in the field of 68. Iona, a school located in New Rochelle, qualified for the tournament two years ago. This year they stand at 16-7 and will have to win their conference tournament if they hope to return to the Big Dance. Caesars sportsbook is listing their odds to win the whole thing at +50000.
Fordham is another school that has a chance to get in on the madness. They’ve begun the season 19-5 but are in a competitive Atlantic 10 conference. If you want to wager on the Rams to win the NCAA title you can find them on Caesars for +500000.
NCAAB National Championship Odds Courtesy of Caesars
| Team | Odds |
| Houston | +700 |
| Purdue | +1000 |
| Arizona | +1000 |
| Tennessee | +1200 |
| UCLA | +1200 |
| Alabama | +1200 |
| Kansas | +1600 |
| Connecticut | +1800 |
UCLA and Arizona are each title contenders in the Pac-12. UCLA has had a lot of tournament success recently, including their run from the first four to the final four two years ago. UCLA still has a couple of starters that were leading the team two years ago. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell are the two and they’re each having stellar seasons as UCLA pushes for its first national title since 1995.
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Alabama is having its best hoops season in recent memory. The high-scoring Tide have a couple of marquee wins on their resume so far. Sharpshooting freshman Brandon Miller has established himself as one of the top young talents in the country, having helped elevate his program’s status this year. Alabama has the 6th best odds to win this year’s National Championship.
Tennessee slipped out of a tie for the second-best odds with a buzzer-beater loss to Vanderbilt.
