Future Bets For NCAAM Championship

NCAAM Champion Prediction

I'll start by saying this, it is way too early to predict who will win the NCAA Championship. However, if you bet on UCONN early last year, you made a good amount of money. If you bet on UCONN before the NCAA tournament started, you probably didn't make all that much money as they were the favorite (I believe) for the entirety of the tournament. Let's take a look at how we can break up a unit and place it on some potential winners for the 2025 Men's NCAA Basketball Champion. 

UCONN +900

UCONN is trying to do something that hasn't been done since the 1970s. We've seen teams win two championships in a row, including Florida as the most recent in 2006-2007. However, it isn't since the UCLA days where they won virtually every single season. UCONN has a chance to do that and is the betting favorite, but it won't be easy. They did get to keep Alex Karaban who was probably going to be drafted in the NBA lottery. They also added a talented wing player in Liam McNeeley, but they lost Donovan Clingan who did a ton for the team last year. Chances are that UCONN still wins the Big East, but betting on them for a 3-peat, I have a hard time believing it. Still, this number won't be around any other time this season unless they start poorly, and in that case, you're probably not going to want to bet on them. 

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 7: Cooper Flagg #31 of the USA Basketball Men's Team looks on during USAB Men's Training Camp in Las Vegas on July 7, 2024 in Las Vegas Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

Duke +1000 

It seems like every single season you get a bit of hype from the Duke train. I can't say I am against it this year. We've seen the Blue Devils capture the best incoming talent before, but this year feels a bit different. With Cooper Flagg on the team, Duke has a guy who wowed NBA players and supposedly played extremely well against them in the Olympic scrimmages. He will be the #1 pick in the draft, but that doesn't mean he will carry them to a championship. The team has received some very talented players in the transfer portal who will give the team some depth and leadership to go along with the freshmen. In addition, Kon Kneupell looks like he will be one of the hated shooters on Duke, playing really well in the preseason. I do think this is a reasonable expectation, but you're asking for a one-year team to come together and win. 

Rutgers +5000

Hard to imagine a team that is 50:1 to win a championship, right? That's true, but keep in mind that Rutgers also might be featuring two potentially lottery picks in the NBA and one of those players, Ace Bailey, is likely to be selected right after Flagg in the draft. So, you have a superstar, but that is almost never enough in college. You also have Dylan Harper, the son of former NBA player Ron Harper. They certainly lost some players in the transfer portal, so don't expect Rutgers to grab a #1 seed, but if you have a one-game situation, which you do in the NCAA tournament, having a team with the best player on the court is almost always a benefit.

Kansas +1000

We are talking about the three favorites here, but let's be real - they are favorites for a reason. And, as I mentioned, when you get to the tournament, you won't find these numbers unless the team has struggled through the season. Kansas didn't have a very good season last year, but they were able to lure the third-ranked transfer class which should bolster the team. Kansas has a good coach in Bill Self, so he should be able to navigate the additions and existing players to get them working together rather well.

The team I feel most confident in is UCONN, but I don't really believe they will get a 3-peat, it is just incredibly difficult to do. My recommendation here is to take one unit, grab a share of all four of these teams, and then you can hedge later down the line. Imagine having a ticket on Duke at +1000 to win the championship and they play a team in the Sweet 16 who is +450 to win. You can bet on them and still be in line for some nice profit. That's the point of the future bets, not always that you think they will cash, but more that you can create value opportunities for yourself. 

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