The updated odds to win March Madness are out with the regular season coming to a conclusion, conference tournaments starting soon and Selection Sunday nearing.
Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars are currently the No. 1 team in the nation with a 27-2 record. They have won eight consecutive games. Standing at No. 2, the Alabama Crimson Tide are mired in some drama surrounding stud wing Brandon Miller. But on the court, he has continued to play at a high level.
Meanwhile, Kansas sits at No. 3 with the UCLA Bruins rounding out the top-four. These are among the teams with the best odds to win March Madness.
Note: March Madness odds provided by Vegas Insider
Houston Cougars: +600
Thus far this season, Houston has gone up against only two top-25 teams. It lost to Alabama back in December before beating the then-No. 2 ranked Virginia Cavaliers a week later. Despite this, Sampson’s squad has been dominant throughout the regular season.
The Cougars rank No. 1 in the nation in points allowed at 55.9 per game. It is outscoring opponents by north of 20 points per game. Led by Marcus Sasser, the Cougars have four players averaging double-digit points. This all-around performance has Houston looking like a real threat, and its odds to win March Madness adds another layer to that.
Kansas Jayhawks: +800
Kansas has had a much more difficult schedule than Houston heading into March. That includes 12 games against top-25 teams. In those 12 games, the Jayhawks boast a 7-5 record. That includes recent wins over Baylor and Texas Christian.
Senior forward Jalen Wilson continues to show that he can be a top-scoring option on a contending team. He’s averaging nearly 20 points per game on 46% shooting from the field. Freshman guard Grady Dick is also playing at a high level, averaging 19.3 points and 5.0 rebounds over the past four games. Kansas closes up its regular season slate Saturday against the conference rival Texas Longhorns in Austin. That should play a huge role in where it is seeded.
Alabama Crimson Tide: +800
All of the talk in Tuscaloosa right now surrounding stuff freshman Brandon Miller. The forward has been linked to the shooting death of a young woman from back in January. While it’s a bad look, he’s not facing criminal charges. On the court, the projected lottery pick has been dazzling of late. Miller is averaging a resounding 28.7 points and 5.7 rebounds on 42% shooting from distance over the past three games.
If Miller remains on the court for Nate Oats’ squad, Alabama will continue to have one of the shortest odds to win March Madness moving forward. The Crimson Tide boast a 25-4 record on the season with six wins against top-25 squads. That included beating the No.1-ranked Cougars back in December.
Purdue Boilermakers: +1000
Purdue’s narrow home loss to the conference-rival Indiana Hoosiers this past weekend prevented the team from earning at least a share of the Big 10 regular-season championship. It also has Matt Painter’s team at just 2-4 in its past six games heading into the final two regular-season outings before the conference tournament.
Despite this, Purdue’s track record speaks for itself. Big man Zach Edey is a mismatch waiting to happen. The 7-foot-4 center is averaging 22.3 points and 12.9 rebounds on the season. However, Purdue needs to get more production from the perimeter if it is going to have a real shot in the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA Bruins: +1200
Led by Jaime Jaquez and Jaylen Clark, UCLA has a real shot of advancing deep in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Jaquez has been stellar this season, averaging 17 points and 8.0 rebounds while connecting on 49% of his shots. In his first full season as a starter, Clark is shooting a solid 48% from the field.
One of the biggest strengths for UCLA is its depth with six players averaging at least eight points per outing. However, the team will be impacted if it has to go further down the bench come the postseason. With a mere 2-3 mark against top-25 teams, this will impact the Bruins’ odds to win March Madness.
Odds to win March Madness
Here’s a look at the top-15 teams with the best odds to hoist the trophy in Houston.
- Houston (+600)
- Kansas (+800)
- Alabama (+800
- Purdue (+1000)
- UCLA (+1200)
- Arizona (+1400)
- Baylor (+1600)
- Connecticut (+2000)
- Tennessee (+2000)
- Texas (+2000)
- Gonzaga (+2500)
- Indiana (+2500)
- Texas Christian (+3000)
- Marquette (+3500)
- St. Mary’s (+3500)
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