After a thrilling week of conference tournament action, the brackets are set for the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. While SBS has covered a lot of D-I basketball in this space before, this futures article will encompass betting markets related to the top teams as of Selection Sunday, March 12. Leading the charge for this article will be the Houston Cougars who are recognized as perhaps the No. 1 team in the country and the champions of the American Athletic Conference. Another squad that has stayed at the top of the college basketball rankings all year is the Alabam Crimson Tide, the SEC champions. Moreover, two other dominant conference champions could certainly make a run as well with Kansas and Arizona bother offering up a lot to like.
For this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from each squad along with more thoughts and notes about NCAA basketball betting.
| Odds to Win NCAAB Men's National Championship |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Kansas | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Alabama | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Arizona | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
In perhaps one of the more wide-open NCAA Tournaments in recent memory, Houston has established itself as the favorite in this field thanks to a dominant record of 31-3. While the Cougars did falter against Memphis in the AAC Tournament Championship game, they still were able to get past almost every team this year. Though some will point to Houston playing a lighter conference schedule than their SEC and Big 12 brethren, the Cougars still were able to achieve the No. 1 overall NET ranking at multiple junctures this season. Marcus Sasser has been the main catalyst for the Cougs this year, averaging a cool 17.1 points per game.
At 27-7, the Jayhawks were recognized by some outlets as the potential No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. While head coach Bill Self suffered a medical episode earlier this month, the coach has said he plans on returning for the NCAA Tournament run and defending Kansas’ 2022 NCAA title. Forward Jalen Wilson has been a revelation for the Jayhawks frontcourt, averaging 20.1 ppg and also pacing the team in rebounds per contest at 8.4. Though Kansas did lose to Texas in the Big 12 title game, they are not a team one should overlook.
Even though there has been some controversy clouding the program due to off-the-court issues, the Tide has had a remarkable year led by head coach Nate Oats. Coming off an SEC championship win over Texas A&M, Alabama is cruising into the NCAA Tournament with a program record of 29 wins. The star player for the Tide this year has been guard Brandon Miller who, despite some off-the-court uncertainty, has paced the squad with 19.5 points per game. At 29-5, the Tide definitely have a lot of good momentum as they head into the tournament.
Coming off a thrilling two-point win over UCLA in the Pac-12 championship game, the Wildcats are one of the hotter teams coming into March Madness. Led by forward Azuolas Tubelis (19.8 ppg along with 9.3 rpg), the Cats compiled an impressive season record heading into the tournament at 28-6. While Arizona did falter against UCLA earlier this season, they have had success against most teams in their conference with a record of 14-6. A top-ten team in points per game at 82.7 ppg, the Wildcats play at a frenetic pace that will make them a problem for most squads this March.
Prediction: As mentioned above, this is a pretty wide-open tournament, but a savvy team like Houston could be the choice here to win it all.
After you are all squared away regarding the latest round of NCAA basketball wagering, make sure to also look into all the great resources that SBS has put together for you. For instance, our NCAAB betting sites guide is a page you should definitely keep bookmarked all throughout the month of March. Here you can find the latest betting markets related to March Madness. Additionally, another great page to always keep an eye on is the SBS best bonus betting sites rundown which goes over a catalog of the latest welcome bonus offers. Finally, for those on the go, the SBS best betting apps breakdown goes over the variety of different ways you can utilize mobile betting to your advantage.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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