As the NCAA Tournament nears, it’s a good time to take a breath and take stock of who the favorites are to reach the Final Four. Major conference tournaments will take place next week, which can cause overreactions galore or a team’s odds of climbing the list. Now may be the time to hop on the bandwagon of a team you believe in.
We’re here to help you out with that. We’ll list the teams that are the odds-on favorites to reach the national semifinals and explain why they may be in that position.
What Teams are The Odds-on Favorites for Reaching the Final Four in San Antonio?
For this piece, we’re using FanDuel Sportsbook for our odds, which has some pretty juicy lines and some that you may want to avoid.
Duke Blue Devils (-160)
It should be no surprise that the Blue Devils are at the top of the list. There’s not much that needs to be said besides that they boast arguably the best player in the country, along with one of the best-supporting casts in college basketball.
Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg has excelled all season with sweet-shooting freshman Kon Knueppel, junior and former five-star recruit Tyrese Proctor, 7’2″ center Khaman Maluach, and 6’6″ physical guard Sion James rounding out the stacked starting lineup.
It’s hard to see anyone upsetting the Blue Devils, which is a huge reason they’ll be a heavy favorite to win their region and reach the semifinals.
Auburn Tigers (-140)
It’s a similar sentiment and team build for Auburn as it is for Duke. They’ll be named a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament despite dropping their final two games of the regular season — they’re that good.
Naismith National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome has dominated all season long with the help of second-leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara and three talented guards, each averaging in double figures scoring. The Tigers can score with the best of them.
Although they have some different pieces, head coach Bruce Pearl’s squad lost in the first round last season to the Yale Bulldogs—though they were led by current Michigan Wolverine Danny Wolf, who is tearing up the Big Ten. That could put a sliver of doubt in their odds, but the Tigers have shown that they’re a different, more locked-in team this season.
Florida Gators (+140)
After three convincing wins to end the regular season — which included a home victory over the 12th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies and a road victory over the seventh-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide — the Gators have positioned themselves to claim a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Their trio of high-scoring guards — Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Will Richard — are the headliners, but the play of sophomore forward Alex Condon has raised their ceiling exponentially.
In the win against Alabama, he had 27 points and 10 rebounds, a dominant performance against one of the best teams in the nation. With his continued scoring efforts and tremendous defense, Florida could easily find themselves in San Antonio come April.
Houston Cougars (+140)
The Cougars are always a dangerous team come March due to their stifling defense and, especially this season, the offensive firepower of lead guard L.J. Cryer. The fifth-year senior is one of the best shooters in the country.
But it’s not just him, as guards Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan have the potential to turn a game with their offensive ability.
The Big 12 hasn’t been as strong this season as it has been in the past, making the Cougars a potential candidate to be tested early and have to claw back and win a game in the first couple of rounds, as the competition from a different conference may be tough to adjust to. But head coach Kelvin Sampson is one of the top coaches in the sport, and he’ll right the ship and have Houston potentially on its way to a Final Four berth.
Alabama Crimson Tide (+200)
Following a buzzer-beating upset victory over Auburn to finish the regular season, the Crimson Tide have vaulted themselves back into the conversation for a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
They’ve revealed themselves as a team that can win the big ones behind the high-scoring of senior point guard Mark Sears. Like every other team that lands on this list, Alabama has an abundance of depth on its roster.
They have the nation’s top offense, which could be a concern if the shots stop falling at some point. But if they are on as they normally are, they could easily win their region and continue playing until April.
Tennessee Volunteers (+330)
The Volunteers round out the top-six teams with the best Final Four odds. Like Houston, they’re led by a stingy defense and singular players to provide the offense, namely point guard Zakai Ziegler and combo guard Chaz Lanier.
They score under 75.0 ppg and—with the exception of last season’s Elite Eight run—have been a perennial early-exit team in recent history due to their offense drying up in the worst moments. While defense travels, college basketball has reached a point where scoring is a necessity.
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Tennessee’s ceiling will be tested later in the tournament, which is why their odds are over 3-to-1.
Best of the Rest:
- St. John’s Red Storm (+330)
- Iowa State Cyclones (+440)
- Michigan State Spartans (+460)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (+550)
- Maryland (+800)
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