As the college basketball regular season is nearing its end, we’re looking forward to the conference tournaments and then the “Big Dance”, the NCAA Tournament. In years past, we’ve seen one or two dominant teams. This season, there are numerous teams that could win the whole thing. Let’s take a look at the NCAAB National Championship Betting favorites, along with a smart pick, and a dark horse to win this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Updated College Basketball Title Odds (Favorite, Smart, Longshot)

The Favorites

• Gonzaga Bulldogs +475

Mark Few’s squad is the favorite to win it all this season. Drew Timme, Andrew Nembhard, and freshman sensation Chet Holmgren form a dynamic scoring trio. Gonzaga only has two losses this season, and those are to two teams that should be in the NCAA Tournament.

• Kentucky Wildcats +825

John Calipari’s squad seems to be getting better and better as the season progresses. He has one of the most talented and athletic squads in the nation. If TyTy Washington can take care of the ball, Kentucky has a great shot at cutting down the nets.

• Arizona Wildcats +850

The Arizona Wildcats are 22-2 and look like the best team in the Pac 12. They have some quality wins, and they can match up with anyone in the country.

• Auburn Tigers +900

Bruce Pearl’s team is one of the best teams in the country. They’re dominating the SEC, and have only lost twice this season. Freshman sensation Jabari Smith will more than likely be one of the top selections in the upcoming NBA Draft if he chooses to leave Auburn early.

• Purdue Boilermakers +1200

Matt Painter may be the best X’s and O’s coach in the country. With Zach Edey and Jaden Ivey leading the way, Purdue has the most efficient offense in the country. Unfortunately, they struggle to defend, so until they get that end of the floor fixed, it could be tough for the Boilermakers to win it all. 

The Smart Choice

• Houston Cougars +2500

Even though Kelvin Sampson lost his top scorer earlier this season, the Houston Cougars are still playing well. They’re in the top 15 in offensive, defensive, and total efficiency. After coming off of last year’s Final Four, the Cougars know what it takes to get to the top. 

Although their schedule is particularly strong, they proved last year that the strength of the schedule isn’t everything. We’ll see if they can repeat last year’s performance and make another long tournament run.

The Dark Horse

• Connecticut Huskies +8000

When looking at a surprise team to ride out far in the bracket, let’s take a look at the Connecticut Huskies. Danny Hurley’s squad is currently sitting at 17-7. They play in a very tough Big East Conference. In looking at the Pomeroy rankings, UConn is ranked 27th in offensive efficiency, and 29th in defensive efficiency. 

These sorts of balanced squads tend to do well in the NCAA Tournament. The Big East is very competitive, and if UConn can play well in this conference, they can hang with any NCAA Tournament team. They’ve flown under the radar this season, and at a +8000, a small wager could earn you a lot of money down the road.