Sean Maloney
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been a fixture at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament over the past decade. But despite reaching the national championship game in two of the past four editions of March Madness, the Bulldogs have consistently fallen short, capped by last season’s heartbreaking loss to the Baylor bears. Gonzaga’s lack of success at the Big Dance has failed to sour their position on the odds to win the 2022 national championship, where they continue to lead the way as clear betting favorites. However, with the start of the 2021-2022 college basketball season just a few weeks away, the Zags face some stiff competition on the national championship odds.
MyTopSportsbooks takes a look at all the national championship favorites, and the best bets to advance to raise the hardware at this season’s NCAA Tournament. Sports bettors getting in on college basketball betting action for the first time should refer to our FAQ for tips on how to hone their betting strategies.
| College Basketball National Championship Odds |  |  |  |
| Gonzaga | +700 | +600 | +650 |
| Michigan | +1000 | +1000 | +800 |
| UCLA | +1200 | +1400 | +1000 |
| Duke | +1500 | +900 | +1600 |
| Illinois | +1600 | +1800 | +2500 |
| Memphis | +1600 | +850 | +1200 |
| Purdue | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Texas | +1600 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Villanova | +1600 | +1800 | +1400 |
| Kansas | +1800 | +1600 | +1800 |
| Kentucky | +1800 | +1400 | +1200 |
| Alabama | +2000 | +2500 | +2000 |
| Baylor | +2500 | +2500 | +2000 |
| Florida State | +2500 | +5000 | +2800 |
| Ohio State | +2500 | +2800 | +3300 |
| Arkansas | +3000 | +3300 | +3000 |
| North Carolina | +3000 | +3300 | +2800 |
| Houston | +4000 | +4000 | +3300 |
| Michigan State | +4000 | +5000 | +3300 |
| Texas Tech | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Louisville | +4500 | +5500 | +3000 |
| Maryland | +4500 | +5500 | +5000 |
| Oregon | +4500 | +5000 | +4000 |
| Virginia Tech | +4500 | +5500 | +4000 |
Bulldogs’ Destiny Derailed
The Gonzaga Bulldogs looked destined to finally raise the hardware last season at March Madness while marching to the top of the West Coast Conference standings with an unblemished 26-0 straight up record. The Zags maintained their dominant play early on at last season’s NCAA Tournament, posting four straight wins by double-digit margins on their way to their second berth in the national championship game. However, the dream came to a crushing end with their stunning loss to Baylor.
BAYLOR ENDS GONZAGA’S PERFECT SEASON TO WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/ncxQoshtsC
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) April 6, 2021
However, last season’s disappointment and offseason changes have not taken the shine off the Bulldogs, who have opened atop the preseason AP Top 25 rankings. That has helped to propel the squad to the top of the national championship odds at BetOnline, where they sit perched as strong +600 favorites. But can Gonzaga live up to the hype after flirting with a historic run at a title last season?
DREW TIMME IS TAKING OVER 😤 pic.twitter.com/uobICSZ7Tt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2021
The Zags are set to return to action with some key veterans on the roster, including Drew Timme, Andrew Nembhard and Anton Watson. The squad should also benefit from the arrival of Rasir Bolton, who joins Gonzaga after making 59 career starts at Iowa State. Of course, the Bulldogs have endured some key losses, most notably Jalen Suggs, who was selected fifth overall by the Orlando Magic in this year’s NBA Draft. However, once again this team has assembled a stellar lineup of freshmen ready to pick up the slack, including Chet Holmgren, Hunter Sallis, Nolan Hickman, and Kaden Perry.
Wolverines on Rebound
So, can any team keep pace with the Bulldogs as they seek to atone for last season’s failure? Indeed, there are no shortage of challengers, with the Michigan Wolverines sitting as +800 second favorites at BetUS, while the Memphis Tigers closely trail with +850 odds at BetOnline, just ahead of the Duke Blue Devils at +900.
10 things about Michigan basketball: Wolverines’ national title goal feels right https://t.co/Xs5sL6OAK1
— Freep Sports (@freepsports) October 16, 2021
Like the Bulldogs, the Wolverines are coming off a disappointing finish to last season. First-place finishers in the Big Ten conference standings, the Wolverines struggles at times down the stretch, falling to defeat in three of their final five regular season contests before seeing their March Madness run end with a narrow 51-49 loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight.
Recruits Power Tigers’ Rise
Forced to settle for an NIT berth after a pair of late-season losses to Houston, including a demoralizing 76-74 defeat in the semi-finals of the AAC conference tournament, the Tigers look poised to take the next step this season. With the addition of a pair of five-star recruits in Emoni Bates and Jalen Duran, this is a team ready to make impressive gains. However, with uncertainty on how long it will take for this lineup to gel, enthusiasm should be tempered. That does not mean that sports bettors should not shop around for better value. Indeed, Memphis can be found sporting national championship odds as long as +1600 at Bovada, which sports bettors should jump on immediately.
However far this Memphis team goes, it will be largely because of its pair of decorated freshmen who reclassified.
A lot rests on Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren. Are they ready? https://t.co/BLviobS3aj
— John Martin (@JohnMartin929) October 18, 2021
As for the Blue Devils, they have an enormous task ahead of them after a disappointing 2021 campaign that they finished without a March Madness berth for the first time since 1995. Duke should benefit from the return of starters Wendell Moore Jr., Jeremy Roach and Mark Williams, and also sports the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class. But it is likely to take a lot of magic from coach Mike Krzyzewski for this team to climb their first national championship since 2015.
The Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs to win national championship (+600 at MyBookie)
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