The Purdue Boilermakers are on a seven-game winning streak, which includes an 83-78 victory over the No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini on Jan. 5.
Yet Matt Painter’s Boilermakers and reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey saw their odds of winning the national title remain at +800.
Closing the gap on the Boilermakers are Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars.
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The Cougars (14-0) are the lone unbeaten team in the Top 25 rankings and saw their odds move to +1000 from +1100, nudging ahead of the Arizona Wildcats (+1100) into second on the odds list behind the Boilermakers.
Two other teams made noticeable jumps up the oddsboard: blue bloods in the Kentucky Wildcats (+2000) and the North Carolina Tar Heels (+2500).
Let’s look at the latest odds to cut down the nets after March Madness, with insights from FOX Sports college basketball writer John Fanta.
2023-24 NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TITLE ODDS:*
Purdue Boilermakers +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Houston Cougars +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Arizona Wildcats +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
UConn Huskies +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Kansas Jayhawks +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)
Tennessee Volunteers +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Kentucky Wildcats +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Auburn Tigers: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Marquette Golden Eagles +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
North Carolina Tar Heels: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Duke Blue Devils +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Alabama Crimson Tide: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Creighton Bluejays: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
BYU Cougars: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Wisconsin Badgers: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Baylor Bears: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Illinois Fighting Illini: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Michigan State Spartans: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Memphis Tigers: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
odds as of 1/9/2024
Fanta said he is impressed by what the Cougars do when they don’t have the basketball.
“I’m rewarding Houston for being 14-0 on the season, having the nation’s No. 1 defense and a guard duo in LJ Cryer and Jamal Shead that is flat-out nasty,” Fanta said.
In his Top 25 rankings, Fanta moved the Cougars ahead of the Jayhawks, who are on a nine-game winning streak.
“Kansas fans might be angry with me for moving a team down that won, but without a late flagrant foul call with under a minute remaining in the game, the Jayhawks would have been in even more danger against TCU, who they defeated 83-81 on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse,” Fanta said.
“We can talk until the sun comes up about the call (I do believe the officials got it right), but I’m more concerned about the big picture because the Jayhawks don’t have enough options offensively to surprise anybody.
“Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar Jr., KJ Adams and Dajuan Harris Jr. have formed a great core four, but the lack of 3-point shooting and production from the bench leaves me concerned about the Jayhawks’ ability to win the national championship.”
Kentucky moved to +2000 from +2500, as the Wildcats are on a five-game win streak, including an 87-83 win over the Tar Heels on Dec. 16.
North Carolina has won four in a row since then, including a 65-55 win over No. 16 Clemson on Jan. 6.
Follow along with FOX Sports for the latest in college basketball. March Madness will be here before we know it!
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