NCAA National Championship Odds Update After Recruiting Season, Beilein’s Exit

Steve DomineySteve Dominey | May 15, 2019
John Beilein coaching Michigan
Jon Beilein has left Michigan for the NBA, but the Wolverines are still near the top of the 2020 title odds. Photo credit: Adam Glanzman (flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
  • BetOnline has Duke (+600) as the favorite to win the 2020 National Championship
  • Kentucky (+750) is trending upward after a string of recent commitments from prized recruits
  • Master recruiter Penny Hardaway is making Memphis (+2500) contenders again

Sixty-six of the nation’s top prospects will take part in live scrimmages, agility and strength testing, and interviews during the NBA Draft Combine this Thursday and Friday in Chicago. The event is an important measuring stick for NBA hopefuls as they decide whether they’re truly ready for the league, or if they’re better off retaining NCAA eligibility.

With the May 29 deadline to withdraw from the draft still a few weeks away, let’s instead concentrate on which schools have landed five-star high-school recruits when examining the latest 2020 National Championship odds at BetOnline.

Odds to Win 2020 NCAA National Championship

Team 2020 March Madness Title Odds at BetOnline (May 15, 2019)
Duke +600
Kentucky +750
Michigan State +800
Virginia +800
Michigan +1200
North Carolina +1400
Gonzaga +1600
Villanova +1600
Kansas +2200
Marquette +2200
Oregon +2200
Louisville +2500
Memphis +2500
Arizona +2800
Auburn +3300
Mississippi State +3300
Tennessee +3300
Texas Tech +3300
Washington +3300

*Odds taken on 05/15/19

Duke Blue Devils (+600)

With Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett off to the NBA, it’s somewhat surprising to see Duke listed as favorites. That is until you realize that the Blue Devils are busy building their fourth-straight top-ranked class.

Recruiting is going so well for Coach K in fact that he already landed his first five-star recruit of the 2020 class in point guard Jeremy Roach.

Kentucky Wildcats (+750)

Never to be outdone on the recruiting front, John Calipari recently wooed four-star forward Johnny Juzang to Lexington, giving the Wildcats four players in the top 35 heading into 2019.

Coach Cal is also closing in on securing a commitment from 6’10” All American Jaden McDaniels, according to 247Sports’ Crystal Ball Predictions.

Michigan Wolverines (+1200)

Michigan seems slightly overvalued at 12/1 considering John Beilein, the program’s all-time winningest coach, just hightailed it to Cleveland.

There’s already speculation the coaching change could spur the Wolverines’ two top recruits to back out of their letters of intent. The team is also still waiting to see if Big Ten Freshman of the Year Ignas Brazdeikis will return to school.

Memphis Tigers (+2500)

Considering his recruits were born a solid decade after his Lil Penny commercials dominated the airwaves, what Penny Hardaway is doing in Memphis is impressive.

Entering his second season with the Tigers, Hardaway has signed three top-50 recruits, including the 2019 class’ top prospect James Wiseman, stole point guard Boogie Ellis from Duke, and is the odds-on favorite to land 6’9” combo forward Precious Achiuwa, a top-15 prospect.

If Memphis is to return to its glory years of 2008 when a young Derrick Rose was running wild through March, this might be your last chance to get Penny’s Tigers at 25/1.

Steve Dominey

Steve has almost 15 years of experience in marketing, PR and sports television. After acquiring a Journalism degree from Carleton University, he assembled highlight packs for Canada's most-watched sports network (TSN) before transitioning to a career in communications. He describes himself as a good father, great dog owner, and mediocre gambler and husband.