The NCAA season is off to a fun start with several big upsets, some top teams living up to their expectations and others struggling in nonconference play. Before the start of the season, the betting favorites included Purdue, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State.
Purdue and Kansas have lived up to the hype, with each team only having one loss and several marquee wins. Duke, Kentucky and Michigan State each have two or three losses and are dropping in the odds. What is great about college basketball, unlike college football, is that a few losses do not derail a team's season. There is plenty of time for every team in the nation to put together a great run and be contenders.
Some teams not at the top of the odds to start the season but have entered the picture include UConn (7-1) and Arizona (7-0), who look primed to be contenders come March. Then there are a handful of underdogs that got little hype before the season, but hot starts have people starting to pay attention.
In this article, we will share the live odds for the top teams to win the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament, share our favorites, underdogs and make a prediction on which team, based on their start to the season, we think will win the National Championship.
Live odds to win 2023-24 NCAA Tournament
Here are the live odds from the best online sportsbooks for the men's college basketball National Championship winner.
MORE: Best March Madness betting apps
Betting favorites to win men's NCAA Tournament
Kansas Jayhawks (+1300 @ FanDuel)
The Jayhawks are off to a solid start to the season, with their only loss coming to a very good Marquette team. Kansas has some excellent wins, too, with victories over UConn, Tennessee and Kentucky. With such a veteran team, Kansas will be a tough out for any opponent in March.
For Bill Self to take home another National Championship, the key will be continuing to get high-level play out of star center Hunter Dickinson, who has thrived after transferring from Michigan. The senior is averaging career bests in points (20.9 PPG), rebounds (12.3 RPG), and shooting percentage (65%). In past seasons at Michigan, Dickinson had big starts but faded late in the season. Perhaps playing for Kansas, who will have meaningful games all year, will help Dickinson stay engaged and play his best.
Purdue Boilermakers (+2000 @ BetRivers)
Purdue is playing very well to start the season, with their only loss coming to Northwestern in their first Big Ten game. While the upset was surprising, Purdue bounced back with a dominant win over Iowa their next time on the floor.
The Northwestern loss showed that Purdue's guard play can still be an issue, and even with reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey down low, basketball is a guard-oriented game. Edey cannot get the ball to himself, and if Purdue's guards struggle like they did in the NCAA Tournament last year the Boilermakers could see another early exit.
UConn Huskies (+1500 @ Caesars)
The reigning national champions lost some stars from last year's team, which was probably why they were not the favorite before the season. UConn has reloaded, though, and has seen some of last year's role players develop into stars.
Tristen Newton and Donovan Clingan have each raised their scoring average from last season by seven points and are doing it with increased efficiency and increased minutes. Plus, the addition of Rutgers transfer and three-point sniper Cam Spencer has been a big lift, as he is averaging 15 points and shooting 43.4% from three.
Arizona Wildcats (+2000 @ BetRivers)
Arizona is another team that lost a few really good starters but has replaced them and looked fantastic. The Wildcats have played two of the preseason national champion favorites, Duke and Michigan State, and beaten both. Outside of those two opponents, it has not been challenging for the Wildcats, but they have been dominant against lesser competition.
It will be interesting to see if the Wildcats continue to beat more difficult opponents when they get to Pac-12 play and see good teams nightly. If Arizona wants to win it all, they would be wise to continue to feed players like Keshad Johnson and Kylan Boswell while using Caleb Love less. Johnson (56.9%) and Boswell (51.6%) are shooting it a lot better from the field than Love (39.5%).
Longshots to win Men's College Basketball National Championship
Florida Atlantic Owls (+5000 @ BetMGM)
FAU is the 11th-ranked team in the AP poll and 14th in the Kenpom rankings, but on average, the Owls are 20th odds-wise at the top online sportsbooks. FAU went to a Final Four last season and is 7-1 to start this year.
The Owls brought back all of their major contributors and look even better than last year. Their odds are likely driven down by larger schools having more money wagered on them due to bigger fanbases. With FAU's elite guard play, they may be worth a wager based on their high-value odds.
James Madison Dukes (+50000 @ Caesars)
If you are looking for a massive longshot where a small wager can payout big, look no further than James Madison. The Dukes beat Michigan State in East Lansing to open the season and remain undefeated.
The Dukes are a veteran team with some excellent guards and are shooting 39.1% from three as a team. If they make it into the NCAA Tournament, their guards and three-point shooting could put them on a Cinderella run similar to FAU's from a year ago.
Men's NCAA Tournament prediction: Kansas looks like the team to beat!
The Jayhawks have a star in Hunter Dickinson, veterans who can score on the wings and one of the best playmaking point guards in the country in Dajuan Harris (7.3 APG), who is top five in all of college basketball in assists. Kansas can win in many different ways, and their veterans will be able to handle the rigors of one-day turnarounds in the NCAA Tournament.
Pick: Kansas
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Sporting News has editorial oversight for this content. Learn more >