If you still don’t consider the UConn men’s basketball team to be a “blue blood” after its dominant run in this year’s NCAA tournament, next year may give you another data point in that direction.
The Huskies are favored to win the national championship again in 2024, given +1200 odds at Caesars Sportsbook — and incidentally matching the women’s team, which is the +500 favorite for next year’s national title according to odds in the market. The UConn men lead a parade of so-called blue bloods atop the futures board at Caesars Sportsbook. Listed next are Duke and Kansas (both +1500) and then UCLA and Kentucky (both +1800).
Because the transfer portal is humming, recruiting isn’t over and the period to declare for the NBA draft hasn’t ended, there could be wild swings in these odds. But for now, UConn gets the nod considering star big man Adama Sanogo may return to school instead of testing the draft waters.
After those top five teams come some schools that suffered untimely upsets in this year’s NCAA tournament, clearing UConn’s path. Arizona, which lost to No. 15 seed Princeton in the first round, is +2000 to win next year’s title, followed by No. 1 seeds Houston and Purdue, both at +2200. The Cougars lost in the Sweet 16 to eventual Final Four participant Miami, while Purdue had an even more surprising fate, falling to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round. But the Boilermakers did spend time at No. 1 in the polls this season, and 7-footer Zach Edey may be back in West Lafayette.
The No. 1 overall team in this year’s tournament was Alabama, and though star freshman Brandon Miller is expected to be a top five pick in the draft, the Crimson Tide is still the second-highest SEC team on the board at +2500. Joining them at that price is Marquette, which beat UConn twice en route to winning the Big East.
Miami and Creighton — two lower seeds who made big runs at this year’s tournament — check in at +3000 to win next year’s national championship. The other Final Four teams from 2023 are given much longer odds. Florida Atlantic, this year’s Cinderella, is 70-to-1, and national runner-up San Diego State is buried at 100-to-1 for next year’s championship.
Here’s the complete list of odds according to Caesars Sportsbook, current as of Thursday morning:
2024 men’s national championship odds
UConn +1200
Duke +1500
Kansas +1500
UCLA +1800
Kentucky +1800
Arizona +2000
Houston +2200
Purdue +2200
Marquette +2500
Alabama +2500
Miami (Fla.) +3000
Creighton +3000
Michigan State +3500
Tennessee +4000
Texas +4000
North Carolina +4000
Baylor +4000
St. John’s +4000
Gonzaga +4000
Arkansas +4000
Illinois +5000
Xavier +5000
Kansas State +5000
TCU +5000
West Virginia +6000
Iowa State +6000
Virginia +6000
Oregon +6000
Indiana +6000
Auburn +6000
Florida Atlantic +7000
Maryland +7000
St. Mary’s +8000
Texas A&M +8000
Memphis +10000
USC +10000
Northwestern +10000
San Diego State +10000
Villanova +10000
Rutgers +10000
Clemson +12500
Missouri +12500
Florida +12500
Colorado +12500
Arizona State +15000
Saint Louis +15000
Michigan +15000
Texas Tech +15000
Ohio State +15000
Wichita State +15000
Iowa +15000
NC State +15000
Virginia Tech +15000
Cincinnati +20000
Georgetown +20000
Penn State +20000
Florida State +20000
Boise State +20000
Oklahoma +20000
Butler +20000
Utah +20000
Washington +20000
Pittsburgh +20000
Ole Miss +20000
Drake +20000
Providence +22500
Mississippi State +25000
Notre Dame +25000
Stanford +25000
Wisconsin +25000
LSU +30000
Oklahoma State +30000
BYU +30000
New Mexico +30000
Dayton +30000
Georgia Tech +30000
Utah State +30000
Tulane +30000
VCU +30000
Georgia +30000
Wake Forest +30000
Seton Hall +30000
South Florida +30000
George Mason +30000
Richmond +30000
San Francisco +50000
Hofstra +50000
Colorado State +50000
DePaul +50000
UCF +50000
Missouri State +50000
Vanderbilt +50000
Santa Clara +50000
Nevada +50000
Youngstown State +50000
Davidson +50000
Nebraska +50000
Louisville +50000
UAB +50000
Boston College +50000
Syracuse +50000
Oral Roberts +50000
Buffalo +50000
Washington State +50000
UC Santa Barbara +50000
