Steve Starr
- Bovada and BetUS have updated odds for the eight teams remaining in the 2021 NCAA March Madness tournament
- The Elite Eight will be played on Monday and Tuesday while the Final Four starts on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium
- Gonzaga (+130) is still the heavy favorite to win the national championship
While the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has been ruled by chaos, three of the four No. 1 seeds are still standing in the Elite Eight. Gonzaga, Baylor and Michigan are joined by a No. 2 (Houston), a No. 3 (Arkansas), a No. 6 (USC) and two Cinderellas in No. 11 UCLA and No. 12 Oregon State.
Before Monday evening’s doubleheader in Indianapolis, let’s check out the updated national championship odds for the remaining eight schools as we steam towards the Final Four. And make sure to refer to our Ultimate March Madness Betting Strategy Guide if you need any tips or advice.
2021 College Basketball National Championship Odds
 |  |
|
| Gonzaga | +130 | +135 |
| Baylor | +300 | +300 |
| Michigan | +500 | +550 |
| Houston | +650 | +600 |
| USC | +1200 | +900 |
| Arkansas | +1600 | +2000 |
| Oregon State | +1600 | +2000 |
| UCLA | +2500 | +2800 |
Gonzaga headed for showdown with Michigan
After crushing No. 5 Creighton 83-65, Gonzaga (+130) is only three wins away from becoming the first unbeaten team since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers. Winners of 33 straight games, the Bulldogs opened as nine-point favorites over USC (+1200) in their West Region final on Tuesday night.
Looking for their first Final Four appearance since 1954, the Trojans will be no pushovers, however – they’ve won their three tournament games by a total of 62 points after obliterating Oregon 82-68 in the Sweet Sixteen. Even if Gonzaga advances to the Final Four, there will still be a lot of work to do. The last five undefeated teams to enter the Final Four since that ’76 Hoosiers squad have all fallen short of winning the title.
Gonzaga has outscored its opponents by 77 points through 3 NCAA Tournament games, the biggest such differential since Kansas in 2017 and 2nd-biggest in the last 3 tournaments.
But that Jayhawks team lost their next game against 3-seed Oregon. pic.twitter.com/vMAxyz0BnG
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 28, 2021
The winner of Gonzaga/USC will face either Michigan (+500) or UCLA (+2500) in Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday. The Wolverines enter Tuesday’s contest as 7.5-point favorites over the Bruins, who beat No. 2 Alabama 88-78 in overtime on Sunday night.
Michigan had a much easier time in the Sweet Sixteen. Juwan Howard’s team rolled to a 76-58 victory over No. 4 Florida State, increasing their average margin of victory to 15.3 points in their three tournament games. But expect a close one against a UCLA team on a magical March run.
Baylor could battle Houston in Final Four
Baylor (+300) went on a 16-4 second-half run to advance past No. 5 Villanova on a night their three-point shooting went ice cold. Now one win away from its first Final Four since 1950, the Bears will look to break the 70-year drought against Arkansas (+1600), who are on a 25-year drought of their own.
The Razorbacks opened as 7-point underdogs in the South Region final and after narrowly outlasting No. 15 Oral Roberts 72-70 on Saturday, will find the sledding even tougher against a Baylor team that should be shooting a lot better on Monday night.
.@BaylorMBB x ELITE 8
1-seed Baylor battles back to take down 5-seed Villanova and advance to their first Elite 8 since 2012 🐻 pic.twitter.com/AWeWZFrDdn
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 27, 2021
Finally, in the Midwest Region final, Houston (+650) is a 7.5-point favorite over Oregon State (+1600). The beneficiary of a number of upsets, the Cougars can become the first team to reach the Final Four without facing even one single-digit seed. Luckily for them, however, history suggests that the competition a Final Four team faces in the early rounds has little bearing on who wins the national championship.
When the dust settles on Tuesday night, we believe all four favorites — Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan and Houston — will be headed to the Final Four, but don’t be afraid to bet the underdogs in an upset-fueled tournament that could continue to surprise.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
