Quinn Allen
- What: 2023 NCAA Basketball Championship Game
- Date & Location: Monday, April 3, 2023 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas
- Time: TBD
- How to Watch: TBD
It’s been just over two months since Kansas lifted the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, but it’s never too early to look ahead to who could be a favorite to win the 2023 March Madness tournament. The Jayhawks ultimately beat North Carolina in the final, who made a Cinderella Run with first-year head coach Hubert Davis.
For 2023, Gonzaga is already an +800 favorite to take home the National Championship, while Kentucky, UNC, Houston, and Kansas aren’t far behind.
Before diving into the odds, picks, and predictions for the NCAAB title, make sure to check out the best sites for March Madness betting. Also, be sure to take a look at our NCAA College Basketball betting page for tips and advice on how to wager on College Hoops.
2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Odds
| To Win 2023 National Basketball Championship |  |  |  |  |
| Gonzaga | +800 | +1000 | +940 | +1000 |
| Houston | +1000 | +1000 | +960 | +1000 |
| Kentucky | +1200 | +1200 | +1175 | +1200 |
| North Carolina | +1200 | +1100 | +1150 | +1200 |
| Kansas | +1400 | +1200 | +1225 | +1200 |
| Duke | +1400 | +1200 | +1300 | +1200 |
| Baylor | +1600 | +1500 | +1775 | +1600 |
| Arkansas | +1600 | +1400 | +1425 | +1600 |
| Creighton | +2000 | +2500 | +2300 | +2200 |
| Arizona | +2200 | +2000 | +1875 | +2000 |
| Michigan | +3300 | +2500 | +2800 | +3300 |
| Indiana | +3300 | +3500 | +4500 | +3300 |
| Texas Tech | +3500 | +3000 | +2700 | +3300 |
| Texas | +4000 | +4000 | +4300 | +4000 |
| Villanova | +4000 | +4000 | +3700 | +4000 |
Gonzaga
The Zags were expected to be in the Final Four at the very least after going 28-4. However, they failed miserably to come through, getting outplayed in the Sweet 16 by No. 4 Arkansas. But despite losing Andrew Nembhard and projected lottery pick Chet Holmgren to the NBA Draft, Gonzaga is still at the top of the pack, with National Title odds as low as +800 at Betonline. Also, star big man Drew Timme decided to come back to Spokane for a fifth year instead of heading to the Association, which is huge for Mark Few’s squad. They never have a problem finding more talent and the Zaga also added former five-star recruit and LSU big center Efton Reid, who should give them lots of prowess on both ends of the floor down low.
Houston Cougars
The Cougars have been a very solid program in recent memory, making a run all the way to the Elite Eight in March and even reaching the Final Four in 2021 before losing to Baylor. Houston’s impressive play in this past tournament really opened eyes because they were doing it without their two best players in Marcus Sasser and Traon Mark. The duo is thankfully coming back to the Cougars next season and head coach Kelvin Sampson also signed five-star recruit Jarace Walker. This is certainly a team to watch.
North Carolina
The 2022 finalists really shocked the college basketball world in March, especially since Davis had just taken over for UNC legend Roy Williams and there were few expectations. The Tar Heels knocked out ACC rivals Duke in the Final Four but ultimately came up short in the big dance, losing 72-69 to Kansas. Nevertheless, there is lots of reason for optimism moving forward. Almost the entire starting five is returning to Chapel Hill, including Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, and Leaky Black. With a year under their belt of terrific experience on the biggest stage, UNC should absolutely be in the mix not only for the ACC title but the National Championship as well.
Kentucky
The Wildcats went 26-8 in 2021-22, but they fell flat on their faces in the NCAA Tournament, getting upset in the first round by Saint Peter’s. While Kentucky is set to lose some players, the program will see star Oscar Tshiebwe come back to Lexington instead of heading to the NBA. He was a beast last season for John Calipari, averaging 17.4 points, 15.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game en route to being named National Player of the Year.
Duke
The Blue Devils are heading into a whole new era with Coach K retiring. John Scheyer is set to take over and it’s frankly hard to know what to expect out of Duke after the legend himself decided to hang them up. This entire program has been defined by Coach K and he almost pulled off the storybook ending, leading them to the Final Four in March before losing to UNC. Paolo Banchero is going to be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft, while Trevor Keels, AJ Griffin, and Wendell Moore Jr could all get selected too. Losing all of their best players isn’t ideal by any means therefore it’ll be interesting to see what the Blue Devils can do.
Arizona
The Arizona Wildcats are a team that can’t be taken for granted. Although Bennedict Mathurin is heading to the NBA after just one fantastic season, they have a lot of talent returning to Tucson from their 2021-22 squad. Former Gonzaga AC Tommy Llloyd led Arizona to an impressive 33-4 record last year but they did fall short in March Madness, losing to Houston in the Sweet 16.
2023 NCAA Championship pick
Odds are definitely going to shift a lot once the season rolls around, therefore it’s worth jumping on some teams right now. The only reason I also didn’t mention reigning champs Kansas is because they’re essentially losing their entire core, which means Bill Self’s group will have a whole different look.
Out of all the programs mentioned above, I like UNC the most. They were on the absolute brink of March Madness glory only to fall short and that entire group is back and hungry as ever to get another chance at a title. They’re a solid early pick.
Pick: North Carolina to win 2023 Men’s Basketball NCAA Championship.
See below a list of reliable NBA Finals sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
