2021-22 College Basketball Conference Championship Odds – ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC Lines Before Season Tip-Off on Nov. 9th

• Mike Krzyzewski farewell tour begins with Duke as ACC Championship favorites
• The Big Ten featured nine teams in the NCAA Tournament a season ago
• Read below for the updated championship odds for each conference and our betting prediction

Is it really college basketball season again?

It may seem like Jalen Suggs’ halfcourt heave at the buzzer to send Gonzaga to the title game was just a cup of coffee ago, until you see Suggs plying his craft with the Orlando Magic.

The Bulldogs eventually fell to the Baylor Bears, and star Davion Mitchell is now playing that trademark defense with the Sacramento Kings.

So the college game regenerates, and there’s plenty of buzz for this upcoming year, with COVID restrictions getting lifted and student sections returning.

Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines appear loaded in Year 3, which is important in a loaded Big Ten, while there should be some major jockeying in the Big 12.

Can anyone challenge UCLA in the Pac 12? And who’s poised to break from the pack in the SEC?

Let’s look at the latest College Basketball Conference Championship odds, and get you primed ahead of the Champions Classic from MSG, starting November 9.

Not surprisingly, we’ll start with the name that you’ll hear relentlessly this season.

ACC Championship Odds

All odds as of November 2nd at Barstool Sportsbook

It’s not every day one of the trademark faces in the sport takes a full farewell tour, but that’s certainly the case for Mike Krzyzewski, who is in his fifth decade as the face of Duke basketball and will retire at season’s end.

Putting that part of the equation away, Duke has a chance to be something special, if freshman stud Paolo Banchero is everything he is being hyped up to be. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound forward is being touted already as a potential no. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Paolo Banchero is going to be a problem this season 😤

(via @DukeMBB)pic.twitter.com/5PqrwYjbC8

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 2, 2021

Challenging to spoil the party are Duke’s longtime rivals, the North Carolina Tar Heels. They’ll be kicking off the Hubert Davis era, and they have a solid core of returnees that include Caleb Love, Kerwin Walton, Anthony Harris and Armando Bacot. Transfers Dawson Garcia (Marquette) and Brady Manek (Oklahoma) give them more weapons.

Caleb Love with the and-1 slam 💥 pic.twitter.com/VlwV8rC8z7

— ESPN (@espn) February 6, 2021

Don’t forget about both Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Virginia, who should all be in the mix. And Syracuse got a little more Boeheim — Jimmy has transferred in from Cornell to join bro Buddy and pop Jim, where it should be more long-range bombing and 2-3 zoning from the Orange.

Still, hard to argue Duke isn’t the most talented team in this conference.

The pick: Duke (+250) 

Big 12 Championship Odds

Baylor is the defending national champion, but this is not the same roster that cut down the nets in March. They’ll be hoping a new group situated around incumbent Matthew Mayer will be able to keep them in range in the conference.

In actuality, change is the theme in the Big 12, where Remy Martin joins the Kansas Jayhawks after a four-year run with the Arizona State Sun Devils. He’s averaged 19.1 points per game in his last two seasons at ASU, and how he adjusts with a roster where he doesn’t need to be a do-it-all star will be key.

Remy Martin really might be the best lead guard in *college* basketball

Arizona State has a POTY sleeper in their starting lineup this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/V5A4GVHfl9

— Cody Larson (@Codylarson99) November 14, 2020

He’s got four returning starters to work with, including David McCormack, Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun. Jalen Wilson and DaJuan Harris also dot the roster, and recruit Bobby Pettiford could claw his way into some minutes.

The real noise may be coming out of Texas, where Chris Beard has been brought in from Texas Tech to bring the Longhorns to a higher level.

MARCUS CARR WINS IT FOR MINNESOTA. ICE IN HIS VEINS. pic.twitter.com/ELMTWMlcNV

— Joe Moussa (@Joe_NPH) December 1, 2020

He’s adding Marcus Carr, ex of the Minnesota Golden Gophers and named to the Big Ten first-team last year. Can star point guard play lift Texas to the top of the charts? I think it’s a lot to ask in Beard’s first year, but worth the gamble.

The pick: Texas (+155)

Big East Championship Odds

Is it that Jay Wright and Villanova are that good? Or is the field not capable of catching the Wildcats?

‘Nova getting back Collin Gillespie from a torn MCL is a boost, as he is one of the best point guards in the country. He joins a group of returnees that includes Jermaine Samuels, Justin Moore and Caleb Daniels.

This move by Collin Gillespie 💯 pic.twitter.com/mFmfZNAjy1

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) January 25, 2020

Dominance is also on their side: the Wildcats have won at least a share of the conference regular season title in seven of the last eight years.

But there is some considerable value just a slot down the board, where the UConn Huskies boast a top-10 recruiting class, with almost every player of significance returning from last year, minus scoring stud James Bouknight, who is in the association.

The pick: UConn (+450)

Big Ten Championship Odds

Last year’s NCAA tourney was dotted with Big Ten teams, with nine out of the 14 going to the dance.

There’s plenty of talent this year as well, with five schools ranked in the Preseason AP top 25. They’re led by the Michigan Wolverines, who still found their way into the Elite 8, despite injuries to key players. This core will start out with returning big man Hunter Dickinson, guard Eli Brooks and forward Brandon Johns Jr.

Don’t blink or you’ll miss them…#GoBlue 〽️🏀#WeAreNotForEveryone pic.twitter.com/Uraf0BsMSW

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) October 27, 2021

What’s even more encouraging, however, is the second-rated recruiting class in the nation. Five-star prospects Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate and 4-star signees Kobe Bufkin, Franke Collins and Isaiah Barnes should all be able to play a part in Juwan Howard’s system.

Purdue (No. 7 preseason AP) will contend with a powerful returning group, featuring the team’s top eight scorers from a year ago. Seniors forward Trevion Williams and sophomore guard Jaden Ivey lead the way.

Jaden Ivey went off his freshman season! @IveyJaden pic.twitter.com/7FBAapvBLe

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms_) September 9, 2021

Illinois should be in the mix as well, and maintain the necessity of having interior heft to compete in the conference. Big man Kofi Cockburn and guard Andre Curbelo lead a group of four retuning players, trying to absorb the loss of three players graduating to the NBA. This team was a No. 1 seed in the tournament last year, and have the potential to make some noise.

Kofi Cockburn just too strong. (via @IlliniMBB) pic.twitter.com/aUNpVRmUFU

— SLAM University (@slam_university) October 30, 2021

Looking for a long shot? Tom Izzo is cooking up something in East Lansing, after losing four players via transfer. He’s reloaded with a super intriguing backcourt: Northeastern transfer Tyson Walker, the CAA Defensive Player of the Year last season, and the top shooting guard prospect in Max Christie.

Surprise, surprise, we’re staying chalk.

The pick: Michigan (+200)

Pac 12 Championship Odds

UCLA was so close to competing in last year’s title game. If all goes to plan, they’ll at least be the best Pac-12 hope to do it again this year.

The Bruins return a formidable backcourt in Tyger Campbell and Johnny Juzang, while bringing in 5-star frosh Peyton Watson and transfer Myles Johnson  to add some frontcourt depth to Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Johnny Juzang for three 🎯 pic.twitter.com/xO7MRC1omw

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2021

Talk about a usual suspect: the Oregon Ducks should again be in the mix, as they’ve finished tied for second or better in the conference in seven of the last 10 seasons. USC would have loved to have Evan Mobley for one more year, but bro Isiah is still in the mix, and with some help from wings Drew Peterson and Isaiah White, should be able to make things difficult for the opposition. That, and hoping Memphis transfer Boogie Ellis hits his stride on the West Coast.

The pick: UCLA (+150)

SEC Championship Odds

We wrap things up in the SEC, where things aren’t as clear cut with who’s at the top.

Arkansas fell to Baylor in the Elite 8 last year, and they’ve beefed up via the transfer portal for this season. They’ve added three players who’ve averaged better than 15 points per game at their previous locales, including South Dakota’s Stanley Umede. Add him to the returning core of SEC 6th Man of the Year JD Notae and Khalen Robinson, who was injured last year, and the Razorbacks mean business.

JD Notae shows off his range 💧 pic.twitter.com/pQZSm9f5kV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 21, 2021

Defending SEC Champions Alabama have a chance to stay in the mix, thanks to the return of Jaden Shackleford, Jahvon Quinnerly and Juwan Gary. The Crimson Tide also dipped into the transfer portal and came away with Noah Gurley, while freshman 5-star recruit Charles Bediako should be a player from the start.

TyTy Washington playing the passing lanes and finishing in the open court pic.twitter.com/GQbmyETDyd

— HoopsWill (@HoopsWill) October 30, 2021

But it’s John Calipari’s Wildcats at the top of the charts, on the strength of transfer window activity vs a loaded freshman class. It’s landed them Sahvir Wheeler from Georgia, who led the SEC in assists, while scooping Davidson transfer Kellan Grady and Iowa sharpshooter CJ Frederick to add to blossoming star Tyty Washington and last year’s leading scorer Davion Mintz.

Want extra intrigue? Did you know Tennessee ranks as the highest SEC team in both KenPom and BartTorvik? Take a splash at +1200.

The pick: Arkansas (+425)