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CBB national championship odds: Ohio State now a title favorite

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The college basketball season is just more than a month old, but it's already off to a wild start. Louisville became the fourth No. 1 team to lose this season when it fell to Texas Tech by a score of 70-57 on Tuesday night. That result made Kansas the new favorite to win the national championship, with 10 teams having odds of 20-1 or shorter.

Here is a complete list of teams with odds shorter than 100-1 to win this season's NCAA Tournament, along with which ones are trending up or down.

Team Current Odds Opening Odds
Kansas 6-1 20-1
Louisville 7-1 20-1
Duke 12-1 8-1
Michigan State 12-1 8-1
Ohio State 12-1 80-1
Kentucky 14-1 7-1
Gonzaga 14-1 14-1
Maryland 16-1 80-1
Arizona 20-1 20-1
Oregon 20-1 20-1
Baylor 25-1 100-1
Virginia 30-1 7-1
Michigan 30-1 12-1
North Carolina 30-1 14-1
Villanova 30-1 14-1
Florida 30-1 60-1
Memphis 30-1 80-1
Purdue 40-1 60-1
Seton Hall 40-1 80-1
Butler 40-1 300-1
Auburn 50-1 30-1
Tennessee 60-1 30-1
Texas Tech 60-1 30-1
Xavier 60-1 80-1
San Diego State 80-1 500-1
VCU 80-1 200-1
Florida State 80-1 40-1
LSU 80-1 80-1

Trending up

Ohio State (12-1)

No team has been more dominant early in the year than Ohio State has. The Buckeyes opened 80-1 - I grabbed them at 45-1 in mid-November - and now sit at 12-1. They could see their odds could shorten even further with a win Sunday at Minnesota.

Ohio State's early-season run isn't a fluke. The Buckeyes are one of the few teams ranked in the top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency, and already own impressive blowout wins over Villanova, North Carolina, and Penn State. The value is long gone, so wait if you want some of this action. Most teams go through a lull during conference play. Hold out for better odds.

Baylor (25-1)

Baylor is another team that's had its odds shorten quite a bit since the start of the campaign. The Bears opened 100-1 and were still available at 50-1 right before Thanksgiving. However, after wins over Villanova, Arizona, and Butler, Baylor is now at 25-1. I hit the Bears at 50-1 and believe 25-1 is right about where the odds should be given their talent and depth. If you like this team, hit it now. Unless Baylor implodes in Big 12 play, it's unlikely its odds move back to 50-1.

One thing this team needs to fix, though, if it's going to be a serious title contender, is its knack for blowing leads. The Bears blew double-digit advantages in the second half to Washington, Arizona, and Butler. While they were able to hold off the latter pair thanks to a stifling defense, offensive droughts of this nature are a recipe for disaster in March.

Butler (40-1)

Butler's odds have shortened more than any other team's. The Bulldogs suffered their first loss Tuesday, though a one-point road setback to a top-15 team like Baylor shouldn't impact their odds. Butler still ranks in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Bulldogs will be a factor in March due to their defense; through 10 games, they have yet to allow 70 points and held opponents to under 60 seven times.

The Bulldogs were picked near the bottom of the Big East this year but they will compete with Villanova, Seton Hall, and Xavier for the conference title. I'm going to wait on Butler and hope for better odds after missing the boat with the real value, though 40-1 isn't bad if you like this team.

Trending down

Virginia (30-1)

The defending national champion was at 20-1 last week but moved to 30-1 after getting blasted 69-40 at Purdue. However, the Cavaliers did bounce back with a nice 56-47 win over North Carolina. The issue for Virginia is simple: offense. It ranks 128th in offensive efficiency and is averaging just 53.6 points per game. On the other side of the ball, Virginia ranks first in almost every key defensive stat, including a nation-low 44.2 points allowed per game. The Cavs have held eight of their first 10 opponents to under 50 points and are by far the No. 1 ranked team in defensive efficiency.

Virginia's suffocating defense makes it a problem for any opponent in March. However, it's hard to back a team in the NCAA Tournament when we know it will struggle for long stretches to score. Hard pass on the Cavaliers at 30-1.

North Carolina (30-1)

North Carolina opened at 14-1 but moved to 30-1 after blowout losses to Ohio State and Virginia. UNC has now lost three of its last four games and is having trouble finding consistent scoring options to complement freshman star Cole Anthony. One thing about Roy Williams' teams, though, is they typically get better as the season progresses. UNC is still dominant on the boards and, with a star like Anthony, it can be a dangerous team in March if another scorer emerges. This isn't Williams' most talented squad but, at 30-1, this is one of the few times there is some value backing the Tar Heels.

Syracuse (500-1)

Syracuse opened 60-1 for some unknown reason and has moved all the way to 500-1. To be honest, those odds are still too short. I live near Syracuse and have followed the team since Pearl Washington was playing point guard. This is the most unathletic Syracuse squad I've ever seen, and it has very little quality depth. The Orange's archaic offense ranks 186th in scoring and 74th in efficiency, while Jim Boeheim is still tinkering with rotations early in the season. The problem is Syracuse simply doesn't have enough good players to be a serious threat in the ACC, even in what looks to be a down year for the conference.

Boeheim should have let Mike Hopkins take over the program a few years ago, but he instead stayed to coach his son. Now, Hopkins is at Washington pulling in top-rated recruiting classes while Syracuse is consistently a bubble team. Only, this year, the Orange will be on the bubble to make the NIT.

Thomas Casale is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. He's been following the sports betting industry for almost 30 years. A devoted fan of the wishbone offense, Thomas bets on all sports but specializes in college football, NFL, and college basketball. Find him on Twitter @TheTomCasale.

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