Trent Reinsmith
March Madness is closing in and the hunt for the NCAA Basketball champion is in full swing. Below are some important dates for the upcoming NCAA Basketball tournament.
- Selection Sunday: March 13
- First Four: March 15 & 16
- First Round: March 17 & 18
- Second Round: March 19 & 20
- Sweet 16: March 24 & 25
- Elite Eight: March 26 & 27
- Final Four: April 2 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
- National Championship: April 4 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
At the end of last season, Baylor captured the NCAA title with a 86-70 win over Gonzaga Despite their loss in the championship game, the Gonzaga Bulldogs were the preseason favorites to win the 2022 NCAAB title. With the 2022 NCAAB season heading to its end, Gonzaga remains the favorite to take home the championship. The Baylor Bears are still in the conversation, but the team has fallen to long-shot status. Meanwhile, the Auburn Tigers look like they could become the latest Cinderella story.
Let’s look at the best sites for March Madness 2022 betting. Also, be sure to check out our NCAA College Basketball betting page for tips and advice on how to wager on NCAA basketball.
2022 NCAAB National Championship odds
| To Win NCAA Championship |  |
| Gonzaga | +450 |
| Kentucky | +650 |
| Arizona | +650 |
| Duke | +1000 |
| Baylor | +1100 |
| Auburn | +1100 |
| Purdue | +1200 |
| Kansas | +1400 |
| Villanova | +2500 |
| Texas Tech | +2500 |
Gonzaga stumbles but still the favorite
The No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs looked like they would enter March Madness on an impressive unbeaten run. The Bulldogs were riding a stretch of 17 straight wins — a run that began on December 9 — when they traveled to Moraga, California to face the No. 23 ranked Saint Mary’s Gaels on Saturday, March 5. St. Mary’s won that game 67-57 on a day where each of the top six teams in the AP Poll and seven of the top nine, lost. Gonzaga finishes up its season on Monday, March 7 against the unranked San Francisco Dons.
Gonzaga is 24-3 ahead of their final game of the season. The Bulldogs are led by the scoring of Drew Timme, who has averaged 17.6 points per game and the developing play of possible first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Entry Draft, Chet Holmgren. Outside of Timme and Holmgren, Andrew Nembhard has been an integral part of the Bulldogs’ success this season.
With their play this year, Gonzaga deserves to be the favorite to win the NCAA Championship in 2022.
Auburn is for real
In January, the Auburn Tigers were listed at +3500 to win the 2022 NCAA Basketball Championship. As the 2022 season comes to a close, Auburn sits at +1100. Auburn is the No. 5 ranked team in the AP Poll at this time, but they held the No. 1 spot for three weeks in 2022. That run at the top of the rankings was the first time the Tigers ever ranked No. 1 in the AP poll.
Auburn is the No. 1 team in the SEC and they hold a 27-4 record. Jabari Smith leads the team with 17. 1 points per game.
Auburn might have been an afterthought at the beginning of the 2021-22 NCAAB season, but they have exceeded expectations and will be a genuine threat come March Madness.
Arizona comes on strong
The Arizona Wildcats opened the 2022 NCAA Basketball season as a longshot to win the title. The team is currently the No. 2 club in the AP Poll and looks like they will be a problem during March Madness. Arizona, who are 28-3, sit in the No. 1 spot in the Pac-12. The Wildcats are led by the scoring of Bennedict Mathurin, who looks like he will be a lottery pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Entry Draft. Mathurin, a sophomore guard, has averaged 17.3 points per game for Arizona. The Wildcats have three other players on their roster who have averaged over 10 points per game this season.
Kentucky remain in the mix
The Kentucky Wildcats have a 25-6 record and are the No. 7 team in the AP Poll. The Wildcats have had mixed results against ranked teams to finish the 2022 season. In January, Kentucky defeated the Kansas Jayhawks, but in February they dropped games to the Tennessee Volunteers and Arkansas Razorbacks.
Kentucky has five players who average more than 10 points per game, led by junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who puts up an average of 17.3 points per game.
The Wildcats have a shot to win the 2022 NCAAB title, but they are going to have to play better team basketball during March Madness.
See below the best sportsbooks where you can find great NCAAB National Championship odds and bets and choose the best one for you:
