Betting Odds Favorites for the 2017 NCAA Championship

With Monday night’s absolutely thrilling conclusion to the 2016 NCAA National Championship Basketball Tournament, college basketball betting fans and enthusiasts alike are turning their eyes toward the 2016-17 season in the hopes of identifying the best contenders to cash in on their value-packed NCAAB Championship Futures Odds. To that end, thee teams currently stand head and shoulders above all the rest – and believe it or not – one of them is not 2016 runner-up North Carolina. You see, right now, oddsmakers and college basketball prognosticators everywhere are expecting a trio of teams to contend more than anyone else when it comes to winning it all in 2017. Now, let’s take a brief look at how oddsmakers and experts like myself view the nation’s top three teams heading into next season.

Betting Odds Favorites for the 2017 NCAA Championship

Duke Blue Devils 9/2 or +450

At 9/2 or +450, the Blue Devils are the No. 1 overall favorite to win the 2017 national championship, but I’m not sure they should be. Duke will lose sweet-shooting forward Brandon Ingram to the NBA draft, but ‘semi-dirty’ shooting guard Grayson Allen is expected to return to lead a group of core players that will also include incoming freshmen Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum, the No. 1 and No. 2 high school All-American players in most experts’ view. For me, I believe it’s hard to say what kind o team Duke will become knowing they’re going to heavily rely on two freshmen next season, although I do believe the Blue Devils will at least be legitimate title contenders next season.

Kentucky 6/1 or +600

With point guard Tyler Ulis, shooting guard Jamal Murray and backup power forward Skill Labriesse, among others all departing for the NBA Draft, Kentucky is losing a ton this year. No matter…as is the case every year these days, head coach John Calipari will be getting another boatload of elite high school talent. Kentucky will have elite high schoolers suiting up next season in the form of 6-4 point guard De’Aaron Fox and 6-3 combo guard Malik Monk, generally regarded as the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 five high school prospects in the country. Kentucky will also have forwards Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones, the nation’s No. 13 and No. 26 prospects on board next season.

Villanova 8/1 or +800

Reigning national champion Villanova will lose key players Daniel Ochefu and Ryan Arcidiacono  but will likely have leading scorer Josh Hart and sweet-shooting ‘folk legend’ forward Kris Jenkins back to lead them in 2016-17 if the NBA waters they test this summer aren’t quite ready yet. Villanova adds Omari Spellman, the No. 3-ranked high school center and No. 22 ranked overall player in the country to a group that already includes point guard Jalen Brunson and active big men Phil Booth and Mikal Bridges.

Best of the Rest

Louisville +1000 Kansas +1000 Michigan State +1200 North Carolina +1500 Indiana +2000 Virginia +2000 Xavier +2000