Odds to NCAA Basketball Championship

NCAA Basketball starts this month (in just a few days actually) and Bovada has the preseason odds to up as to which team has the best odds to win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.  Let’s analyze the teams that top the list.

Kentucky

6/1

Kentucky tops this list despite having a lot of question marks surrounding their team.  There are no clear leaders on the court for Kentucky after six of their major players got drafted into the NBA.  Kentucky will need the likes of Kyle Wiltjer or maybe even Ryan Harrow to step up and fill the leadership roles left behind by the 2012 NBA class from Kentucky.  The reason this team still has the best odds despite taking a huge roster hit during the NBA draft is that they are coached by John Calipari.

Indiana

7/1

If you need a reason why Indiana has great odds at winning the NCAA Basketball Championship this year just take a look at their starting line up, which consists of Jordan Hulls, Victor Oladipo, Christian Watford and Cody Zeller.  I also fully expect Indiana to start Yogi Ferrell despite his freshmen status.  Ferrell is one of the best PGs in the nation a position that Indiana needed some improvement in last season.  With this starting line up Indiana is going to have a great basketball season.

Louisville

17/2

Experience is what puts this Louisville team over the top.  It also does not hurt that one of the best coaches in the NCAA in Rick Pitino is still the coach of this team.  Last year this team dominated the Big East and went all the way to the Final Four.  Now they are a bit older and a bit wiser and going up against a lot of teams that were hurt by players graduating and/or moving on to the NBA.  I fully expect this team to make an equal or bigger splash in NCAA basketball this year as they did last year.

UCLA

12/1

This has to be the year that UCLA makes a huge splash.  They got a great freshmen class with high expectations being added to an already talented roster.  Shabazz Muhammad, Tony Parker and Kyle Andersonhave a ton of hype coming into UCLA and are already being considered as top prospects for the NBA next year.  It is time to shine for UCLA.

North Carolina

14/1

Tar Heel fans are a bit worried considered the poor offensive performance in an exhibition against  Shaw.  UNC won the game only after pulling ahead in the second half 81-54, but do not let that end score deceive you.  UNC shot for 43.8 percent from the floor and 18.8 percent from the three point line.  UNC clearly has some offensive work today but under the watchful eye of Roy Williams I expect the to get it together before the season officially starts.