3 NCAA Tournament National Championship Bets to Make (Not Just The Huskies)

While there are endless games to put action on in the NCAA Tournament, we’re all trying to become experts in predicting the future.

Now with the entire field set of 68 teams, the futures markets are open. The best news is that you're guaranteed at least a 1.4 percent chance of picking the correct champion! Something’s gotta give eventually.

Here are the best teams to target for winning this year’s national championship.

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National Championship Best Bets

UConn +370

There aren’t enough superlatives to describe what the UConn Huskies are doing this season. In a title defense year after starters Jordan Hawkins, Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson all went to the NBA, head coach Dan Hurley has this program at the mountaintop of college basketball.

The wildest part, they enter this tournament in a significantly better position than last year with the No. 1 overall seed. That could explain why almost everyone is picking them to win it all or at least reach the Final Four.

Generally, I would like to stay away from such a weighted favorite but so many different metrics favor the Huskies. They rank top 20 in points per game (81.5), third in assists (18.5 per game), 30th in 3-point percentage (36.7 percent). By watching this team almost all season long, it’s hard to pass up on such efficiency.

Let’s not forget that a No. 1 seed generally makes it to the Final Four. 2023 was only the fourth time in tournament history that a top team didn’t make it to the last legs.

The Huskies are in a challenging East region, with their other 2023 Final Four co-stars San Diego State and Florida Atlantic in there.

Additionally, Auburn and Iowa State could potentially meet them in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Despite this, I’m not going to shy away from the team that has been the most consistent in the sport all year long, an element that is always the ultimate challenge in college basketball. The spotlight is on the Huskies this time around, but they live for it.

Put your faith in them once again to cut down the nets in Glendale.

Arizona +1300

There is a lot of value to lean into with this play. The Final Four is in Glendale, Arizona and the Wildcats will undoubtedly have a lot of their fanbase cheering them on if they can get to this stage.

The odds are certainly inflated due to some of the speed bumps coming down the home stretch of the regular season and a defense that is middle of the road. I still believe that Arizona is still very capable of beating the teams that lie in their path.

This is a relatively deep team that head coach Tommy Lloyd has at his disposal. Transfer guard Caleb Love from North Carolina has been spectacular this season, averaging 18.1 points per game, along with increased numbers in more significant metrics including free throws, 3-point shots, rebounds and assists. It’s safe to say the switch out West has significantly benefitted him.

Add in other all-PAC-12 players 7-foot center Oumar Ballo (13.1 PPG, 10.1 REB) and 6-foot-6 guard Pelle Larsson (12.8 PPG), and you have one of the most versatile offenses that can score with any other team in the country.

Out of all the areas in the bracket, this is another potentially vulnerable region around them. Besides having No. 1 North Carolina at the top, teams like No. 3 Baylor, No. 4 Alabama and No. 8 Mississippi State bring plenty of arsenal offensively, with defense taking the backseat.

For a team like Arizona that averages 87.9 PPG (third in the country), it can take on any of these other programs in a track-meet style game. 

This is one of the most fun and vibrant teams to keep tabs on in the tournament. Just because Arizona has had some bumps along the way, so does every team.

Losing a game before the tournament can turn out to be a positive. Throw some down on the Wildcats to win the championship in their home state.

Kentucky +3000

Head coach John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats are back in yet another NCAA Tournament. This time around, it’s a 3-seed and a dangerous one at that. They are placed in the South region which by looking at the overall bracket, is likely the easiest by going through metrics.

This other Wildcats squad beyond Arizona, has been compared a lot to NBA-like talent with a lethal guard trio of Antonio Reeves (20 PPG), Rob Dillingham (15.4 PPG) and Reed Sheppard (12.8 PPG).

This Kentucky team scores proficiently and can form some of the most creative offensive schemes. Plus Calipari knows a few things about March and winning national championships. This is another efficient offense, fourth in effective field goal percentage (57.4 percent), second in scoring with 89.4 PPG and the top offense from three point range at a 41.2 percent success rate. 

You may be asking yourself why Kentucky is such a juiced value team.

It’s because the Wildcats defense is not it. They rank 340th in Division I basketball, allowing 79.7 PPG, but they do grab defensive rebounds, averaging 25.9 per game (22nd in the nation). Regardless of their atrocious defensive efforts at times, there are creative playmakers scattered throughout this Kentucky lineup and I’ll gladly sprinkle on a Calipari team at this price.

This is one of the better long shot plays if you’re looking to wager on a champion. The biggest challenge is that there is a dangerous Houston Cougars team awaiting which they could cross paths with in the Elite Eight, one of the best defensive teams in the nation.

But there are nights that Houston cannot show up offensively, which was evident in the Big 12 championship. If Kentucky can exploit any defensive team’s weaknesses, it is capable of playing shootout style basketball and hoisting the national championship trophy in Glendale. Sprinkle a bit on the Calipari ‘Cats.

Odds refresh periodically and subject to change.