Advertisement

2024 NCAA tournament: Kansas leads preseason championship odds

Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY
·3 min read
1
Connecticut Huskies guard Tristen Newton cuts down a piece of the net after defeating the San Diego State Aztecs in the national championship game of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium.
Connecticut Huskies guard Tristen Newton cuts down a piece of the net after defeating the San Diego State Aztecs in the national championship game of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium.

The UConn Huskies are preparing for a title defense as we speak. It seems like just yesterday they took down the San Diego State Aztecs to win their first national championship since 2014. Today though, the first USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll for the 2024 season was released.

The Kansas Jayhawks enter the season as the Coaches Poll No. 1 team with 23 of the possible 32 first-place votes. The reigning champion Huskies come in at No. 5. How much do these rankings reflect the Vegas odds for the 2024 champions though?

Early look: Top 25 outlooks: Inside look at every team in men's college basketball preseason rankings

Who are the Men's NCAA Basketball favorites?

Best odds per BETMGM:

  • Kansas +1000

  • Duke +1300

  • Purdue +1400

  • Kentucky +1600

  • Michigan State +1600

  • UConn +2000

  • Arizona +2000

  • Marquette +2000

  • Miami (FL) +2000

  • Houston +2200

According to BetMGM, the favorites (+1000) for the 2024 championship are the Kansas Jayhawks, matching the coaches' poll in that regard. However, Kansas opened up at +2200 odds. UConn was the early betting favorite, but the polls have seemingly shifted all attention toward the Jayhawks.

While Purdue comes in at No. 2 in the poll, they are only being given third-best championship odds behind No. 3 Duke. Purdue has consistently disappointed in the NCAA tournament, culminating in a loss to Fairleigh Dickinson in the Round of 64 last season, becoming just the second No. 1 seed to lose in the first round in tournament history.

The rest of the poll's top-5 are Michigan State and UConn. They come in tied for fourth (+1600) and tied for sixth (+2000) respectively in championship odds. The only other school in that top mix is the Kentucky Wildcats, who open the season ranked 16th by the coaches.

Do preseason rankings have any relation to championships?

About one in six preseason No. 1 teams wind up winning the national championship. Over the last 37 full seasons (excluding 2020), six have wound up winning it all. That said, one also failed to earn a tournament bid.

Something to prove: Five snubs from the USA TODAY Sports men's college basketball preseason poll

Who has been the most popular team to bet on?

According to BetMGM, nearly 19 percent of all tickets and 31 percent of the entire market has backed up the Jayhawks. The second-most popular team to bet on though has been Michigan State, which is a little confusing considering that Michigan State has not won a national championship since 2000 and haven't reached a Final Four since 2019. They've earned a reputation for crumbling under pressure alongside Gonzaga and Purdue, so why are they being backed by 14 percent of all tickets and 17 percent of the entire market?

The Spartans return 83 percent of their scoring from a season ago. Each player on that team gets another year of experience, and that's scary considering this is the same team that took down No. 2 Marquette during last year's tournament. The team also added five-star big man Xavier Booker to help round out an incredibly deep roster that already includes one of the best guards in the country Tyson Walker.

When does the men's college basketball season start?

The season starts on Monday, Nov. 6. The first ranked teams to play will be No. 2 Purdue, No. 5 UConn, No. 10 Tennessee, and No. 20 Villanova. Each of those games tips off at 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT.

NCAA Women's Basketball: Coaches' Poll

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas, Duke are preseason odds favorites for national championship