Heading into the second week of college basketball action in the month of February, bettors are already looking ahead to March Madness and the highly anticipated return of the NCAA Tournament.
Mirroring the action on the court, Bovada has recently updated its NCAAB futures odds to win this season’s national title. The top two teams on the list are no big surprise, but there are still a few value plays on the board lower on the list.
NCAAB Futures Top Five Teams
Gonzaga Bulldogs +275
The Bulldogs are well on their way to another West Coast Conference title to set themselves up with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga is playing with a strong sense of purpose after missing out on a golden opportunity to win a national title last season. The talent runs deep in this year’s roster as well, but the Bulldogs epitomize the concept of team play.
Baylor Bears +300
Baylor has also separated itself from the pack with its undefeated run through the first 17 games. The Bears’ issues are off the court wrapped around a string of canceled games due to health protocols. That should work itself out by the time March rolls around but missing that much playing time is not a good thing when you are trying to win it all.
Michigan Wolverines +900
At 8-1 in conference play, the Wolverines have established themselves as the class of the Big Ten this season, although Ohio State and Illinois would probably take issue with that statement. Michigan can make a deep run this season, but I am not quite sure this is a national championship-caliber team as compared to the top two names on the list.
Villanova Wildcats +1400
Anytime you are talking about a team that has won a pair of national titles in a three-year span, there is added value in its odds to win again. Head coach Jay Wright has already proven he knows how to get a team ready for a title run in a grueling single-elimination tournament format. The Big East is a solid proving ground to get this year’s squad ready as well.
Texas Longhorns +1500
Playing in the shadow of Baylor, Texas is another Big 12 team with the ability to go deep in this year’s NCAA Tournament. However, the team’s current form has revealed a few cracks in the foundation. With four losses in the last five games, this current form has chipped away at the value in the Longhorns’ futures odds to win it all.
NCAAB Futures Best of the Rest
Iowa Hawkeyes +1500
Having Luca Garza in the starting lineup automatically makes the Hawkeyes a legitimate contender, but his supporting cast drains some value from these odds.
Alabama Crimson Tide +1600
In the absence of Kentucky, the Tide appear to be the team to beat out of the SEC this season. However, betting them to add a national title in basketball along with the school’s football title is too far of a reach.
Virginia Cavaliers +2400
A recent national title run keeps the Cavaliers in the national picture. Yet, the entire ACC’s issues this season make it unlikely that any team from this conference makes a deep run in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
