After the Super Bowl, the most important event in sports betting is without a doubt March Madness. With the tournament canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 tournament brings a ton of anticipation, excitement, and of course a ton of betting markets to capitalize on.
As the 2021 college basketball season progresses, the odds to win the NCAA Tournament have (and will continue to) change. We take a look at the latest odds to win March Madness, odds movement since the opening odds were released, and the latest news and happenings around college basketball that could help you gain an edge in the NCAA Tournament futures market.
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March Madness Champ Odds Movement
Here is a look at the latest odds at various legal sportsbooks to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament. As you can tell, the prices vary at different books which makes this an extremely important market to corner given the ability to take advantage of the price differences. If you wish to wager on Gonzaga to win, be sure to get the best price to ensure the highest payout as it will help you become a better bettor long term. Let’s take a look a the latest odds.
School | Odds to Win NCAA Tournament | Opening Odds |
Baylor | +250 | +1000 |
Gonzaga | +275 | +1000 |
Michigan | +650 | +4000 |
Ohio State | +1100 | +3000 |
Villanova | +1100 | +900 |
Houston | +1400 | +3000 |
Texas | +1700 | +4000 |
Alabama | +2000 | +7500 |
Florida State | +2000 | +2500 |
Illinois | +2000 | +1500 |
Iowa | +2000 | +1200 |
Oklahoma | +2000 | +10000 |
Texas Tech | +2000 | +3000 |
Wisconsin | +2000 | +2000 |
Creighton | +2500 | +2500 |
Virginia | +2500 | +1000 |
UConn | +3000 | +6000 |
Tennessee | +3000 | +3000 |
USC | +3000 | +7500 |
Virginia Tech | +3000 | +20000 |
As of mid-February, Baylor has overtaken the top spot in the futures market as the favorite to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament. They are neck and neck with Gonzaga, but the odds movement has shown them passing the Bulldogs for the top spot.
Looking back to the opening odds, there was some serious value on both Baylor and Gonzaga as both teams opened at 10:1 before the CBB season started. The favorite entering the season was Villanova at +900, and their odds have fallen to +1100, but the Wildcats are still a very good candidate to win the whole thing.
The teams that have seen the most significant movement since the odds have opened are the Michigan Wolverines (+4000 to +650), the Texas Longhorns (+4000 to +1700), Alabama (+7500 to +2000), and the Oklahoma Sooners (+10000 to +2000). One other team to watch is Virginia Tech, who skyrocketed from +20000 to +3000 after a successful first few months of the season.
Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
NCAA Tournament Odds Movement News
Leading up to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, we will track odds movement and news that could affect the betting market of who will win March Madness. Stay tuned for updates, moves in the CBB betting market, and more.
PointsBet Releases Latest Odds, Gonzaga and Baylor Lead at +300
Looking to bet on the #NCAATournament winner?
PointsBet has Gonzaga and Baylor at the top.#CBB #cbbpickshttps://t.co/KXB9tmlSmO pic.twitter.com/R96OVoH3Oy
— Action Rush (@ActionRushBets) February 22, 2021
At PointsBet, you can wager on Gonzaga and Baylor to win the NCAA Tournament at +300 odds, which pays $400 per the above chart. Coming in behind the top two is Michigan at +700, then the rest of the teams in the top top all have odds of +1100 or higher. After Ohio State’s loss to #3 Michigan, they fell to +1200 to win the CBB title, but are still contenders.
Baylor Passes Gonzaga in February as NCAA Title Favorite
For the first time in the 2020-2021 college basketball season, Baylor has become the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament. While the odds are extremely close given both teams are undefeated, at some legal sportsbooks Baylor has overtaken Gonzaga as the betting favorite as of Valentine’s Day. At DraftKings Sportsbook, Baylor’s price is +290 and Gonzaga is set at +310. Both are far above Michigan (+650), and the rest of the field of 11:1 or higher.
In the latest polls, Gonzaga is still #1. They received 59 of 64 total first place votes in the AP Top 25, 28 of 32 votes in the Coaches Poll and also rank as #1 in RPI. With all that said, some sportsbooks have still placed Baylor’s odds higher than Gonzaga. Could this mean that the public is wagering more money on Baylor? Time will tell, but as February comes to a close expect to see the odds flip between these two programs until (if) one team loses.
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Michigan Wolverines Hot Streak Continues – Odds Rise to +650
Another dub.
Wagner: 20P, 7R, 3A
Smith: 12P
Dickinson: 10P, 8R
Livers: 7P, 6R, 3B, 3A#GoBlue 〽️🏀 pic.twitter.com/bsEiFk9TxP— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) February 19, 2021
At 15-1 after winning four in a row, the Michigan Wolverines’ odds to win the National Tournament have increased to +650. Their only loss was to Minnesota on January 16th, but have won back to back games after a long COVID-19 related layoff. Here’s a look at the Wolverine’s upcoming games:
- at Ohio State
- at Indiana
- vs. Iowa
- at Michigan State
After those four games, the Big Ten tournament begins where Michigan will be the favorite.
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