College Basketball: Updated 2024 National Championship Odds ahead of March Madness

With Champ Week underway, Selection Sunday is only a few days away. That means contenders and bubble teams alike are taking their final opportunities to make an impression on the selection committee for the NCAA Tournament.

With the Round of 64 in March Madness right at a week away, FanDuel has updated their title odds for several teams that expect to be in the field. Three teams, all presumed as No. 1 seeds, have odds in the hundreds with plenty of value on other options past them.

Here’s how Vegas sees the championship hunt in college basketball with only a few days left before we start dancing.

Connecticut Huskies (+480)

UConn cut the nets down at the end of last season and are the favorite to do so again this March. This comes with them sitting at 28-3 overall and after they won their first outright Big East regular-season title since the turn of the century.

The Huskies are currently in the midst of their first game in the conference tournament in Madison Square Garden. How they fair in The Mecca today and likely over the next two could then determine whether or not they can earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Houston Cougars (+650)

Houston didn’t lose an ounce of steam in their first year in the Big 12 after a decade in the American. The Cougars also went 28-3 overall and won the conference by two games with a record of 15-3, including 14 of their final 16 after a 1-2 start.

Houston will play TCU in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament this afternoon in their first game in trying to sweep the league titles. That would then put them in the mix for the top overall seed in March Madness as well.

Purdue Boilermakers (+750)

There’s no hiding the fact that Purdue has had it rough come this time of year, especially over the last three tournament. Still, based on regular-season resumé, it’s hard to ignore the Boilermakers, regardless of what their recent history suggests.

Purdue sits at 28-3 as well after having won the Big Ten by three games. Now, much like the previous two, their appearance in their conference tournament, which starts tomorrow against either Michigan State or Minnesota, will decide whether they’re just one of the four No. 1 seeds or if they’ll sit atop the bracket overall.

Arizona Wildcats (+1400)

Arizona is one of the teams that are vying for the last of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. They are doing so after having won the Pac-12’s regular-season crown as part of their 24-7 record on the year.

The Wildcats didn’t help themselves after losing their season finale against a team in USC that sat under .500 overall. However, fate has given them an opportunity to make up for it as they’ll face the Trojans again in their quarterfinal of the Pac-12 Tournament.

Tennessee Volunteers (+1400)

Like Arizona, Tennessee is also in the mix for a No. 1 seed with UConn, Houston, and Purdue. At 24-7 and as regular-season champions in the SEC, the Volunteers have one of their best teams, if not the best, of Rick Barnes’ tenure.

Still, also like the Wildcats, they didn’t do themselves a favor as they lost their regular-season finale, albeit to a more quality team than Arizona did as they fell to Kentucky. That’s why their appearance in Nashville in the SEC Tournament could now be a separator for them and the Wildcats out in the Pac-12.

Auburn Tigers (+2000)

Vegas gave Auburn some love in the odds when you compare them to other teams on this list. They have their sixth-best chance to win the title in the NCAA Tournament even though they finished as the No. 4 seed, albeit through a four-way tie, in the Southeastern Conference.

With that said, they have the same record as the two teams above them in Arizona and Tennessee at 24-7. Their chances would then be even better if they could move up to as high as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, especially if they were to, say, beat the Volunteers in a potential game in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.

North Carolina Tar Heels (+2200)

At 25-6 and as the regular-season champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, North Carolina is the third team, along with the Volunteers and Wildcats, that is vying for the last No. 1 seed. Their only issue is that conference play hasn’t been as kind to their chances based on strength of opponent.

Still, if they were to win the ACC Tournament, an appearance that they started earlier today against Florida State, they’d be 28-6 with a pair of conference titles behind them. That’d be plenty to respect and consider in regards to them being a top seed and, as such, have a better draw in March.

Duke Blue Devils (+2500)

Duke and North Carolina are often compared to one another as Tobacco Road rivals. That makes the Blue Devils’ position even more interesting as they’re just at one spot back of UNC.

Duke missed a share of the ACC’s regular-season title with a season-finale loss to those Tar Heels in Durham. That leaves them as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament for now depending on how the league tournament goes for them, specifically if they were to finally manage a win over North Carolina this season in a potential final on Saturday.

Creighton Bluejays (+2500)

After a decent season in Omaha, Creighton is surging into the postseason after having won seven of their final eight. That brought their record to 23-8 and to bring them into a tie for second place in the Big East with Marquette.

The Bluejays are looking like a top-three seed in most brackets ahead of their outing in the Big East Tournament. A run inside The World’s Most Famous Arena, though, including a likely final over Connecticut, could then raise that ceiling to as much as a No. 2 come Sunday.

Kentucky Wildcats (+2500)

Kentucky, like Creighton, also closed on a run of seven wins in their final eight. That has turned people around on the Wildcats based on what they can be at their peak.

UK enters the SEC Tournament after winning all three of their last Top-25 matchups, including their final game in Knoxville. That earned them the No. 2 seed in Music City with a potential No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament on the table for them depending on how the weekend goes for them.

Odds from (+3000) to (+15000)

Marquette Golden Eagles: +3000
Alabama Crimson Tide: +3000
Iowa State Cyclones: +3000
Illinois Fighting Illini: +3000
Kansas Jayhawks: +3500
Baylor Bears: +4000
Florida Gators: +5000
BYU Cougars: +6500
Gonzaga Bulldogs: +6500
Saint Mary’s Gaels: +6500
Michigan State Spartans: +7500
San Diego State Aztecs: +7500
Washington State Cougars: +10000
Clemson Tigers: +10000
South Carolina Gamecocks: +10000
Texas Longhorns: +10000
Texas Tech Red Raiders: +10000
Wisconsin Badgers: +10000
Colorado Buffaloes: +13000
Mississippi State Bulldogs: +13000
TCU Horned Frogs: +13000
Nebraska Cornhuskers: +13000
Nevada Wolf Pack: +13000
New Mexico Lobos: +13000
Utah State Aggies: +13000
Florida Atlantic Owls: +13000
Dayton Flyers: +13000
Oklahoma Sooners: +15000
Drake Bulldogs: +15000
Colorado State: +15000

While we have a basic idea of who’s going to make the final bracket, there’s still a lot for teams to go out and determine this week. That sets up for a wild next few days at tournament sites across the country with everyone looking to best position themselves for the NCAA Tournament next week.