Dean Etheridge
The 2022/23 college basketball season is fast approaching the end of the regular-season. So with less than a month of action remaining, it’s time to look at the futures market again, and in particular, see if we think the Kansas Jayhawks can add another championship to the one they won in 2022? In this article we’ll also look at conference futures betting and name our updated NCAAB betting picks for the remainder of the season.
- The 2022/23 College Basketball regular-season is scheduled to finish on March 12th, 2023
- The postseason NCAA Basketball Tournament then starts on March 14th with the National Championship final taking place in Houston on April 3rd
- The Kansas Jayhawks are the current champions. They defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 in the final held in New Orleans in April 2022
Betting to win the 2023 National Championship
As things stand, the Kansas Jayhawks aren’t the frontrunners with the best college basketball betting sites to win the title again in 2023. The favorites to win the title this year are the Houston Cougars at +750. The Cougars have been leading the betting for a lot of the season, and it’s no surprise given the form they have been in. They are currently on a five-match winning streak. And they also sit top of the AAC with a conference record of 11-1.
But despite having been favorites for a long period of the season, the Cougars have been ranked two over recent weeks, with the Purdue Boilermakers having held the top spot for some weeks now. The Boilermakers have just lost this ranking though (to Alabama) following two defeats in their last three matches.
POLL ALERT: Alabama jumps to No. 1 in the men’s AP Top 25 college basketball poll for first time in 20 years; Houston, Purdue, UCLA, Kansas next.
See the full rankings: https://t.co/ZJG5mgWZhI pic.twitter.com/CkIvjPvj6m
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) February 13, 2023
Despite this, the Boilermakers are still second in the betting to win the National Championship. And more surprisingly, they have seen their odds continue to shorten in recent weeks.
Around a month ago, the Cougars were +600, and Purdue were +1000. The gap has shrunk considerably in recent days and weeks. With Houston drifting, and Purdue shortening. As we’ve already mentioned, Houston is now out to +750, with Purdue having shortened to +800.
And Purdue has now been joined on +800 with Bovada (you can read more about this excellent college basketball betting bookmaker at our Bovada sportsbook review) by the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Crimson Tide have themselves been on a serious run of good form. They’re currently on a winning streak of four, and going back further, they have won 13 of their last 14 matches. There is then a bit of a gap in the betting, until we get to the next three teams, they are UCLA (+1200), Kansas (+1400), and Arizona (+1400). These six sides have broken away from the best of the rest.
| 2023 NCAAB National Championship Winner |  |  |  |
| Houston Cougars | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Purdue | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Alabama | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| UCLA | +1200 | +1150 | +1200 |
| Kansas | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Arizona | +1400 | +1200 | +1400 |
| Tennessee | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Baylor | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Connecticut | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Texas | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Virginia | +2800 | +3000 | +2800 |
| Xavier | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Gonzaga | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
Picks to win the 2023 NCAAB National Championship
When it comes to winning the championship, there are two things to take into consideration. And this is why we’re naming two NCAAB betting picks in this market. The two things are form and know how. At the moment, Alabama have the form, and Kansas have the know how. With the odds as they are, it’s possible to pick both. Even three sides, and still be in profit if one comes home. But for now, we’re just going to go with Alabama and Kansas.
Why? Well, Alabama just seems to be getting stronger as the season goes on, and if they get any shorter in the betting, they won’t be worth picking. And as we alluded to, Kansas has the know how, having won the National Championship match in 2022. At +1400, they surely have to be worth a dollar or two?
And don’t forget about Purdue either. It might seem slightly strange to be talking about backing them after two disappointing losses in their last three. But it’s really not. The Boilermakers are miles clear at the top of the Big Ten, and it’s impossible to get a bet on them. So why not take them to win the championship match? At the moment, they are +800. But if their odds start to drift again, don’t be shy about getting on them as well.
Big 12 Conference Futures
When it comes to betting on the conference futures, the Big 12 is arguably the most hotly contested conference in the NCAA. At the moment Texas sits top with a 9-3 record. The Kansas Jayhawks and Baylor are both close behind at 8-4.
The top March Madness betting sites for college basketball seem to be calling it a three-horse between these three teams. They have Texas at +110, Kansas at +200, and Baylor at +350.
In the last few weeks Kansas has been defeated by TCU (83-60), Baylor (75-69), and Iowa State (68-53). This has seen them overtaken by Texas in both the Big 12 table and in the betting to win the conference.
But even with Texas looking stronger at this moment in time, it still looks like Kansas is the better value bet. Would it surprise anyone to see the Jayhawks come through and win the conference? With Bill Self’s team at +200 in the betting to win the Big 12, they have to be taken seriously and in our view are the better value betting pick.
