College Basketball odds: Betting the Final Four, Arizona, Gonzaga and more
Will a newcomer cut down the nets at the Final Four in New Orleans, or will a college basketball blue blood reclaim the mantle as the best men's team in the land?
We look at some betting options for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, from the traditional powers to the neophytes.
For more, from gambling-friendly schedules featuring live, updating odds to expert analysis and the day's most-bet games, check out the college basketball section on the FOX Sports App and FOXSports.com!
FOX Bet commercial manager Jacob Blangsted-Barnor said bettors should look at teams that are battle-tested heading into March more so than schools with shiny win-loss records.
"The No. 1 thing we look for is the record against ranked teams as this will tell you how they may fare against teams they will face in the back end of the tournament," Blangsted-Barnor said.
Bettors can cash in on college basketball's shifting landscape as outsiders, such as the Baylor Bears, have recently claimed the NCAA title while long-standing powerhouses have gone an eternity since winning it all.
Consider this: The Villanova Wildcats and UConn Huskies each have more NCAA men's hoop titles (two each) in the 2010s than upper-crust Kentucky and North Carolina did (one each).
Kansas, whose first basketball coach was James Naismith, has won three NCAA titles but the last came in 2008. That means the Virginia Cavaliers (2019) have won a NCAA men's hoops title more recently than the history-laden Jayhawks.
And where, oh where, are the Indiana Hoosiers? Their fifth, and most recent, NCAA title came in 1987.
Here are the past "sweet" 16 national champions in men's basketball (no title was awarded in 2020 due to COVID-19):
2021 Baylor Bears
2020 None
2019 Virginia Cavaliers
2018 Villanova Wildcats
2017 North Carolina Tar Heels
2016 Villanova Wildcats
2015 Duke Blue Devils
2014 UConn Huskies
2013 Louisville Cardinals *
2012 Kentucky Wildcats
2011 UConn Huskies
2010 Duke Blue Devils
2009 North Carolina Tar Heels
2008 Kansas Jayhawks
2007 Florida Gators
2006 Florida Gators
2005 North Carolina Tar Heels
* = Title was vacated by the Committee on Infractions
Top-ranked Gonzaga — one of the most prominent "mid-major's" fighting for a seat at the blue blood table — still seeks its first national title.
Yet Blangstead-Barnor says to keep an eye on another team out west with a direct tie to the Zags.
"I think UCLA was overhyped and that the true power of the Pac-12 this year sits in Arizona," he said. "They may not necessarily win, but I think they have a great chance to make the Final Four.
"They have fairly well-spread talent, four players averaging 10-plus points with another five contributing five-plus. They have a new head coach in Tommy Lloyd, who learned his trade from Gonzaga, so he's learned from some of the best."
ODDS TO WIN NCAA TITLE (via FOX Bet)*
Gonzaga Bulldogs +400 (bet $10 to win $50)
Kentucky Wildcats +800 (bet $10 to win $90)
Auburn Tigers +900 (bet $10 to win $100)
Arizona Wildcats +900 (bet $10 to win $100)
Purdue Boilermakers +1000 (bet $10 to win $110)
Duke Blue Devils +1400 (bet $10 to win $150)
Kansas Jayhawks +1400 (bet $10 to win $150)
Baylor Bears +1600 (bet $10 to win $170)
UCLA Bruins +2000 (bet $10 to win $210)
Villanova Wildcats +2200 (bet $10 to win $230)
Illinois Fighting Illini +2500 (bet $10 to win $260)
Houston Cougars +3000 (bet $10 to win $310)
Texas Tech Red Raiders +3000 (bet $10 to win $310)
Texas Longhorns +5000 (bet $10 to win $510)
Michigan State Spartans +5000 (bet $10 to win $510)
Tennessee Volunteers +5000 (bet $10 to win $510)
*Odds as of 2/23/2022
If you are throwing a few bucks down on who will be among the final four teams standing, head over to FOX Bet to place your wagers.
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