We’re two months away from the start of the 2022-23 college basketball season, as crazy as that is. In anticipation of the sport’s anticipated return, we wanted to dig into the betting futures of the next program to win the 2023 title. Below you’ll find the three teams we think deserve your money in that regard.
But before we get into our picks, let’s see what top NCAA basketball sites think. They’ve posted odds to win the championship for dozens of NCAAB programs. As it stands, these schools are most favored to cut down the nets at the end of March Madness:
We don’t need to remind you how crazy March Madness gets, right? Therefore, we shouldn’t have to convince you to make multiple bets on the 2023 NCAAB title winner. Doing so is a natural form of risk management. Plus, did you see the odds above? They’re long across the board, so you can afford to drop multiple bets. We have three that you should consider above all:
Houston Cougars
Preseason hype in college hoops is typically reserved for Duke, Gonzaga, and Kentucky, among others. But this year, the hype is flowing south to Houston, who have the second-best Vegas odds of winning the championship. And we’re here to tell you that the hype is warranted and the Cougars should be atop your to-bet list.
For one, this team is fresh off an Elite 8 appearance in 2022. But that’s not even the most impressive part. The impressive aspect of the run is Houston did so despite missing their two best players in Marcus Sasser and Traon Mark to injuries sustained in December. Sasser and Mark will be back on the court this year, along with rookie sensation Jarace Walker. He’s a five-star and headlines a star-studded rookie class.
What we love about Houston is not merely their talent, but their talent is the perfect mix of experience and newcomers. That’s a formula for a team that can go dancing in March and is the last ones standing at the night’s end.
Plus, Kelvin Sampson remains the best coach no one talks about in all of NCAA. In 10 years, he’s brought the smaller program (they play in the American Conference, for Christ’s sake) back to its ‘80s glory. This team played the Final Four only two seasons ago with a lesser-talented roster. With this 2022-23 group, it’s championship or bust.
Nowadays, it’s incredibly rare for a Player of the Year to return to college hoops rather than the greener pastures of the NBA. But that’s the predicament the Wildcats find themselves in with Oscar Tshiebwe back. The doubles-double machine averaged 17.4 points per game and an NCAA-leading 15.2 rebounds last season. Getting back that production — heck, probably even better numbers in 2023 — is a game-changer for a program known to rebuild every year with one-and-done.
Oh, but that’s not to say coach John Calipari hasn’t loaded up on mega-hyped freshmen. His incoming class includes a pair of five stars in Cason Wallace and Chris Livington. Those two will join Tshiebwe and senior point guard Sahvir Wheeler to form one of the most dominating lineups in the whole country. Watch out for the Cats to make noise in the tourney, per usual.
Eric Musselman has been nothing short of a miracle worker since taking his talents to Arkansas. He’s turned around the Hogs program quickly and led them in back-to-back Elite 8 appearances. But 2023 might be the year Musselman takes Arkansas all the way — that’s because this team is stock-piled with talent, more so than in previous seasons.
Transfers have typically made up Musselman’s rosters, but this season will be rich in freshmen. Arkansas nabbed three five stars in Anthony Black, Nick Smith, and Jordan Walsh. The trio is all expected to be first-round NBA picks, with Black and Smith having strong lottery potential. The influx of talent should have the Hogs in championship mode all season long.
You can go from reading this sentence to betting on NCAAB futures within minutes. Seriously, signing up for an online sportsbook is as easy as 1-2-3. It just takes filling in the usual account details (name, birthdate, address) and using a payment method to fund your account. Do that — which takes a few clicks — and voila, you can bet on college hoops (or another sport) at will.
We can assure you the bookmakers listed below are among the safest betting sites on the Internet. They’re widely used by bettors far and wide, and let’s be honest, that wouldn’t be the case if they weren’t legit. The table below has all the details you need to start gambling!
Eric was born and raised in Nevada — the center of gambling in the United States. Throw in his natural interest in sports, and Eric was destined to be a sports bettor.
This came to a head once Eric turned 21. Already a working sports journalist while in college, Eric began betting at his local sportsbook. Despite massive losses (at first), Eric continued to chip away at wagering. Eventually, he got half-decent at it.
Now Eric is a trusted betting analyst. Not only is he skilled at making picks, but also breaking down the state of the industry — legalization, revenue, and innovation.