Kansas’ 2020 March Madness Title Odds Still +1400 After Getting Hit with Notice of Allegations
- Despite being under NCAA investigation, Kansas is among the favorites to win the 2020 Final Four
- Should the Notice of Allegations impact how you handicap the Jayhawks?
- Where can we find value betting college basketball futures?
Breaking news: Not every team competing in major college sports is doing so on the up and up.
Kansas is the latest school to receive word that the NCAA is taking a closer look at their basketball program. What makes this different than some previous scandals is the power of the FBI. Thanks to the trials over the last year the NCAA now has better evidence and may actually be able to issue legitimate punishment.
What does this mean for betting? The latest 2020 March Madness odds suggest not much.
Odds to win the 2020 Men’s Basketball National Championship
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kentucky | +800 |
| Michigan State | +800 |
| Duke | +1000 |
| Kansas | +1400 |
| Virginia | +1400 |
| Memphis | +1400 |
| North Carolina | +1600 |
| Florida | +1600 |
| Gonzaga | +2000 |
| Villanova | +2000 |
| Louisville | +2000 |
| Texas Tech | +2500 |
*Odds taken 09/25/19
While nobody is sure whether Bill Self and his Kansas program are going to bur for this, the majority feel the process will take time and it will not impact the 2019-20 season.
Where does that leave us in terms of handicapping? In effect, the same place we start every season.
The Usual Suspects
Kentucky, Michigan State, and Duke are the three early favorites. Quick, name a player on any of those teams.
It’s easy to assume the big boys are made strictly from freshman talent, but let’s look closer. While Duke’s roster has been decimated (sure you know the names Tre Jones, Javin DeLaurier, and Alex O’Connell) the Blue Devils will go as far as new studs will take them. That is not necessarily the case for UK and MSU.
The Cats lost PJ Washington, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, and Reid Travis, but Ashton Hagans, EJ Montgomery, Nick Richards, and Immanuel Quickley are all back, and are joined by a classic John Calipari blue chip recruiting class.
As for Sparty, Tom Izzo has Josh Langford back from an injury that ended his season in December, and all but three players return from a Final Four team in 2019. Kyle Ahrens missed the NCAA Tournament but his ankle is now healthy too.
If you are going to bet on one of the favorites, MSU’s Cassius Winston almost led the skin and bones of a good team to the title last year, and now he has a fully healthy supporting cast. Izzo has gone to the Final Four six times and cut down the nets once. They are the deserving early chalk.
Kansas
The NCAA has opened an investigation. The findings could be crippling. On the flip side, nobody has ever accused the “governing body” of working quickly or intelligently. After all, despite widespread cheating and corruption throughout the sport, the organization’s president said that name, image and likeness rights are the biggest issue in his tenure.
With priorities like that, it seems likely with appeals and due process that the Jayhawks will not be affected this year.
As for their team, sophomore Ochai Agbaji is likely to be a lottery pick next year, classmate Devon Dotson should be a first-rounder, and senior center Udoka Azubuike is back from injury. Standing 6’11” and tipping the scales at 280 pounds, the Nigerian big-man is a real load for opponents to deal with.
Last year was the first time Kansas failed to win the Big 12 since 2004. Between the high-end talent returning, Silvio DeSousa finally becoming eligible, and newcomers Isaiah Moss, Jalen Wilson, Issac McBride, and Christian Braun added to the mix, the Jayhawks are loaded.
Longshots
It has been a decade since Memphis was a title contender. Calipari left for Kentucky following two Elite Eight appearances, a Final Four, and a Sweet 16 during his last four seasons. Year two of the Penny Hardaway era brings the most talented roster for the Tigers in recent memory.
Sure, the team is young, but James Wiseman could be the number-one pick in the draft, and Precious Achiuwa is a lottery-level talent.
What makes UVA intriguing is that they are the exact opposite of Memphis. The sum of the parts is greater than any individual. What coach turns down a raise? Aside from borderline first-round draft pick Mamadi Diakite, this is a reliable system that will suffocate teams on the defensive end.
Do they have the closers like DeAndre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and Kyle Guy proved to be last year? No, not on paper, but Tony Bennett always seems to find a way, at least in ACC play.
If you are looking for a bigger price, consider Louisville at +2000.
Chris Mack took over Rick Pitino’s disaster last year and managed to win 20 games and reach the NCAA Tournament. Now he has three borderline first-round picks in senior Steven Enoch, junior Jordan Nwora, and superstar frosh Samuell Williamson.
The Cards are deep, but do they have a high-level point guard? If St. Joes transfer LaMarr Kimble proves to be an ACC-caliber player, or Darius Perry or David Johnson emerge to quarterback Louisville, they will be really hard to beat. Indeed, their odds to win the ACC regular-season title shot up almost immediately after they were released.
Dave Friedman has covered professional and college sports for two decades. From ESPN to the Associated Press, Regional Sports Networks, Metro Networks, and many local outlets, he has written about and broadcast major and minor events throughout the country.
