NCAA Tournament 2015: Championship Odds and Best Value Picks to Win a Title
If we learned anything from last year's college basketball season, it's that the favorite doesn't always win the NCAA tournament.
Connecticut was a No. 7 seed a year ago before taking home the national championship in a win over No. 8 Kentucky. While this season seems to be stronger at the top with Kentucky now the odds-on favorite to win it all, it doesn't mean it's a sure thing.
Savvy college basketball fans could be in line for a big payday by betting on a sleeper to win the title. Here is a look at full championship odds for the top teams along with the best value picks on the board.
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| Kentucky | 4-5 |
| Wisconsin | 8-1 |
| Arizona | 12-1 |
| Duke | 12-1 |
| Virginia | 12-1 |
| Gonzaga | 18-1 |
| Kansas | 20-1 |
| Utah | 25-1 |
| Villanova | 30-1 |
| Iowa State | 40-1 |
| Louisville | 45-1 |
| North Carolina | 50-1 |
| Ohio State | 50-1 |
| Wichita State | 50-1 |
| Notre Dame | 65-1 |
| Oklahoma | 75-1 |
| Arkansas | 85-1 |
| Baylor | 85-1 |
| LSU | 85-1 |
| Maryland | 85-1 |
| Michigan State | 85-1 |
| Nothern Iowa | 85-1 |
| Ole Miss | 85-1 |
| SMU | 85-1 |
| West Virginia | 85-1 |
| Butler | 150-1 |
| Georgetown | 150-1 |
| Dayton | 175-1 |
| Indiana | 175-1 |
| Georgia | 200-1 |
| Iowa | 200-1 |
| Oklahoma State | 200-1 |
| Providence | 200-1 |
| San Diego State | 200-1 |
| Texas | 200-1 |
| Texas A&M | 200-1 |
| VCU | 200-1 |
Ohio State (50-1)
These are actually pretty low odds, considering Ohio State is predicted to be playing in the 7-10 game, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi. That said, the reason the odds are only 50-1 is the reason you should still place a bet.
Last season, Connecticut was carried by Shabazz Napier doing everything in his power to help the team win. This year, D'Angelo Russell has the ability to be that player for Ohio State, despite being just a freshman.
The guard simply does it all for the Buckeyes, averaging 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He has one triple-double this season and a handful of double-doubles to showcase his pure dominance.
Recently, Russell has taken on more of a scoring role to ensure his team's success, totaling 28 points in each of the past two games. Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports joked about the player becoming a star:
"D’Angelo Russell pure fire mode has been engaged.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 5, 2015"
Ohio State has other players who can contribute like Sam Thompson and Marc Loving, but Russell is someone who can carry his team on a deep run through March.
Notre Dame (65-1)
Defense might win championships most of the time, but an elite offense can also be a scary thing in the NCAA tournament.
Notre Dame simply knows how to score, ranking No. 2 in the nation in effective field-goal percentage, according to KenPom.com. Most would assume this was thanks to the great outside shooting of Pat Connaughton, Demetrius Jackson and others, but the squad ranks first in the country with a 58.3 percent mark on two-point attempts.
The team does a great job of passing the ball to find the open shot and more times than not, the player with the ball finds a way to finish.
It all comes down to the play of Jerian Grant, who is performing as well as almost any backcourt player in the country at this point. Jeff Goodman of ESPN had high praise for the senior:
When this group is hitting its shots, it can beat anyone in college basketball and take home a championship.
Texas (200-1)
Although Texas has been a bubble team for the past few weeks, an overtime win over Baylor should just about secure a bid to the Big Dance. The squad still has just a 3-11 record against the RPI top 50, but there are no bad losses and those wins are as good as any other bubble team.
In reality, the performance against the RPI top 50 and the Big 12 in general is a big reason this team could be scary in March. It is truly battle-tested against the best college basketball has to offer, and the team fought hard just about each time out.
Meanwhile, it's important to remember this is still an extremely talented team. Even senior Jonathan Holmes acknowledged the players were not playing to their ability last month:
Between Holmes, Myles Turner and Cameron Ridley, this is one of the best frontcourts in the nation. Adding a playmaking point guard like Isaiah Taylor to the mix provides all the ingredients for a successful team.
There is a reason Texas entered the year No. 10 in the nation in the preseason polls.
If the Longhorns finally get it together, they can follow the path of Kentucky last season as a squad that failed to live up to expectations until finally clicking in the postseason.
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