Dean Etheridge
The opening fixtures may well still be a few months off, but it’s never too early to look ahead to the 2023/24 college basketball season. As ever there is a live market, so we’re going to look at the latest NCAA Basketball Futures betting and see if we can find any early eye-catching picks.
- What; 2024 NCAA Basketball Futures
- Where; Across the USA
- When; November 6th, 2023 – April 8th, 2024
It may seem a touch optimistic to be trying to predict the winners of next year’s college basketball competition. But there’s nothing wrong with looking at the futures market and attempting to find some way too early betting picks to bet on for the 2023/24 NCAA college basketball season.
There’s still plenty of time to go before we get to the competitive matches in November, and a lot of the sides haven’t even put their squads together yet. But that makes it a good time to make some speculative calls, and hopefully get some great value bets.
As you’ll see when we come to the betting later, there is not a side priced up at under +1000. So, if we can make a good call now, we could be in with a great chance of making a nice profit later in the season.
In last season’s Final Four, three of the teams who made it that far did so for the first time ever. It was also the first time three rookie sides made it to the Final Four since 1970. There were shocks everywhere in the playoffs, and if there’s any kind of repeat this season, then the bettors who grabbed the preseason prices could be the ones counting their winnings next spring.
Futures Betting to win the 2023/34 NCAA College Basketball Championship
Last season’s winners were the UConn Huskies. They defeated the unfancied San Diego State Aztecs in the final, sealing their fifth title in the process.
2023 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS ‼️#HU5KIES pic.twitter.com/UV26Jq7Wx0
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 4, 2023
This year, UConn are +1400 to win the title again with the best college basketball betting sites. That puts them behind the early front runners in the betting, with Kansas the favorites at +1000, and Duke next at +1100.
Some of the usual suspects are next, with Michigan State at +1600, and Houston and Gonzaga both at +1800. More NCAAB odds from the best online sportsbooks can be found below on our betting table.
| 2024 NCAAB Tournament Winner Betting |  |  |  |
| Kansas | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Duke | +1100 | +1000 | +1100 |
| UConn | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Michigan State | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Houston | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Gonzaga | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Kentucky | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Texas | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Arkansas | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Purdue | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| UCLA | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Saint Johns | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| North Carolina | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| West Virginia | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Arizona | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Creighton | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| USC | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Tennessee | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
Where is the early value for 2023/24?
Backing the favorites can sometimes be fatal. This time last year the Carolina Tar Heels were amongst the teams strongly fancied to go all the way. In fact, they were a lot of people’s betting picks to win the competition. This after coming so close in 2022.
ROCK CHALK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! 🏆@KUHoops battles all the way back from a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat North Carolina, 72-69, to win the fourth #NationalChampionship in program history!#MFinalFour pic.twitter.com/6rQB4jX8sv
— NCAA Men's Final Four (@MFinalFour) April 5, 2022
In the end, the Tar Heels had a disaster, failing to even make it to the postseason. So how can we avoid that happening this season? Well, with the trading season yet to come, it’s going to be difficult, but this is what we’ve picked out so far.
The defending champions
Last year UConn started the season at best college basketball odds of +5000 (and above), depending on who you were betting with. This time around, they’re the third favorites at +1400.
They weren’t flawless last season, that’s for sure. At times they struggled in their conference, but they breezed through the postseason playoffs. Showing they are a side well equipped to do the business when it really mattered.
Maybe a bet on UConn is one for when the season starts. If they’re a bit sleepy again during the regular season (they only managed 4th in the Big East), the odds on Dan Hurley’s team could drift, and that may be the best time to get on them. If you think they are a good value bet at +1400, we wouldn’t try to talk you out of it.
What about the betting favorites?
Depending on where you bet, may determine who the betting favorites are to win the 2023/24 NCAA Basketball Championship. But in general, it’s a toss up between Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks (+1000), and Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils (+1100).
Last year, the Jayhawks lost by one point to Arkansas in the Round of 32, and the Blue Devils went down by 13 points to Tennessee at the same stage. Both sides will feel they underachieved, and both are probably right.
At this moment in time, we feel they could both be best left alone at their current odds. A wait-and-see approach could be the best tactic here.
Outside betting picks
In Duke’s region last year was a team that may be worth looking at though. Kansas State made it further than the Jayhawks, and also further than the Blue Devils.
They got all the way to the Elite Eight last season, and even though they have lost a couple of big names, they’ve plenty of time to roster in some quality replacements. At +5500 with BetOnline, they look a good early shout.
Another side we like the look of is one of last season’s Final Four losers, Florida Atlantic. History goes against them, the Owls have only made it to the end of season tournament twice before. But the majority of Dusty May’s side looks likely to be retained, and at +5000 they could be a good value bet to go a long way again.
