NCAAB Odds & Props – UK Favored in New Regime
The dream of March Madness is alive and well for 351 Division 1 college basketball teams that tipped off the season this week. The 2015-16 season has a new class of high-flying freshman, a shortened shot-clock (30 instead of 35 seconds) and plenty of elite talent. It’s unlikely to see another historically great team enter the NCAA tournament with an undefeated record (like Wichita St. in 2014 and Kentucky in 2015) but several of the game’s most prolific programs are poised for outstanding years; the top six favorites to win the national title have all won at least one championship since 2ooo.
Rule changes will also increase the likelihood of more skilled and athletic rosters winning on a nightly basis. The most successful teams will have excellent three-point shooting combined with dynamic slashers capable of getting to the rim. And the high-profile programs are loaded with just such talent. Free-throw shooting will also be more important than ever due to more fouls being called (particularly early in the season). Scoring is noticeably up and sportsbooks have been quick to adjust their over/unders accordingly.
Not every aspect of the game will undergo change this year, though. The trend of one-and-done freshman domination is apt to continue; the five players most likely to be picked first in the 2016 NBA Draft will all be collegiate rookies this season. As in past years, these fabulous frosh find themselves at the top schools (e.g. Kentucky, Duke), and with the new rules favoring the best athletes, the divide between the haves and the have-nots should start to grow again (after the last few seasons saw a rise in parity).
So Cinderella may have a short stay at the ball this year, but if you’re looking for a preseason long shot, boy oh boy, East Tennessee State has an interesting team.
2015-16 NCAA Basketball Odds and Props
Odds of winning the NCAA Championship
Kentucky: 6/1
Kansas: 8/1
Maryland: 10/1
North Carolina: 10/1
Duke: 12/1
Michigan State: 12/1
Virginia: 20/1
Wichita State: 20/1
California: 25/1
Iowa State: 25/1
Villanova: 25/1
Baylor: 40/1
Cincinnati: 40/1
Gonzaga: 40/1
Oklahoma: 40/1
Arizona: 50/1
Indiana: 50/1
Miami (FL): 50/1
Oregon: 50/1
Vanderbilt: 50/1
East Tennessee State: 600/1
Odds of reaching the Final Four
Kentucky: 5/7
Kansas: 6/5
Maryland: 8/5
North Carolina: 8/5
Duke: 11/5
Michigan State: 11/5
Virginia: 5/1
Wichita State: 5/1
California: 6/1
Iowa State: 6/1
Villanova: 6/1
Baylor: 10/1
Cincinnati: 10/1
Gonzaga: 10/1
Oklahoma: 10/1
Arizona: 13/1
Indiana: 13/1
Miami (FL): 13/1
Oregon: 13/1
Vanderbilt: 13/1
East Tennessee State: 150/1
Over/Under on losses for …
Kentucky: 4.5
East Tennessee State: 5
North Carolina: 5.5
Kansas: 6.5
Duke: 7
Maryland: 7
Virginia: 7.5
Connecticut: 11.5
Naismith Awards Odds
Ben Simmons (LSU): 5/1
Skal Labissiere (Kentucky): 8/1
Kris Dunn (Providence): 10/1
Kyle Wiltjer (Gonzaga): 10/1
Jamal Murray (Kentucky): 12/1
Georges Niang (Iowa State): 15/1
Ron Baker (Wichita State): 20/1
Melo Trimble (Maryland): 20/1
Buddy Hield (Oklahoma): 25/1
Denzel Valentine (Michigan State): 25/1
Marcus Paige (UNC): 40/1
Nigel Hayes (Wisc): 50/1
FIELD: 4/1
Odds on what suspension/penalty will be leveled this season for …
the Louisville sex scandal
- Some type of sanction, but no post-season ban: 1/8
- Postseason ban: 15/1
- No penalty: 25/1
- No penalty: 1/1
- Some type of sanction, but no post-season ban: 5/6
- Postseason ban: 100/1
Odds teams with new head coaches qualify for March Madness
Iowa State (Steve Prohm): 1/20
Texas (Shaka Smart): 1/3
Florida (Michael White): 1/1
Mississippi State (Ben Howland): 1/1
Arizona State (Bobby Hurley): 8/1
Tennessee (Rick Barnes): 8/1
Alabama (Avery Johnson): 15/1
St. John’s (Chris Mullin): 25/1
Odds of being fired or resigning before the start of the 2016-17 season
Rick Pitino (Louisville): 1/3
Larry Brown (SMU): 1/1
Josh Pastner (Memphis): 1/1
Bruce Weber (Kansas State): 2/1
John Groce (Illinois): 5/2
Travis Ford (OK State): 3/1
Dave Rice (UNLV): 6/1
Roy Williams (UNC): 15/1
Chris Mullin (St. Johns): 25/1
Odds of being the no. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft
Ben Simmons (LSU): 5/2
Skal Labissiere (Kentucky): 4/1
Brandon Ingram (Duke): 6/1
Jamal Murray (Kentucky): 6/1
Jaylen Brown (California): 10/1
Dragan Bender (Europe/Israel): 25/1
FIELD: 8/1
(Photo credit: TonyTheTiger (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)
