It’s been almost seven months since the UConn Huskies won the 2023 National Championship and we’re about set to start another race for the title in 2024. The latest odds to win it all have some familiar names at the top of the list, including a few blue bloods in the top five. Another exciting college basketball season is upon us and it all starts next week.
*Odds via Fanduel
2023-24 National Championship Odds
Kansas (+1100)
2023-24 Preseason Top 25 Rank: 1
Entering the season as the number one ranked team in the nation, Kansas will try to re-write what happened to them last season, losing in the second round to Arkansas as a number one seed. The Jayhawks may have lost a couple of key players but they bring in three four-star recruits and Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson.
With these pieces, Kansas filled some holes and seems to be just as dangerous as before. They will try to capture their third-straight regular season Big 12 Championship and their second national title in three years.
Duke (+1100)
2023-24 Preseason Top 25 Rank: 2
Last year was the first year without legendary Coach K leading the charge. They finished 27-9 overall and won the ACC tournament. Unfortunately for them, they got bounced in the round of 32 but with a new coach and a very young team, they had a great year.
Now in Jon Scheyer‘s second year at the helm, Duke is poised to take a leap. They have a lot of talented second-year players from that freshman-led team coming back, including their leading scorer and preseason ACC Player of the Year Kyle Filipowski. They also have one of the best shooting guards in the country in Jeremy Roach, who is entering his senior year. Duke enters 2023 as the number two team in the country, hoping to show everyone that they are still the team to beat.
Purdue (+1100)
2023-24 Preseason Top 25 Rank: 3
The ending of Purdue’s 2022-23 season was the worst of any team in the tournament. They become only the second number one seed in tournament history to lose to a number 16 seed, getting upset by Fairleigh Dickinson. They want to put that way behind them and focus on the upcoming season, as Purdue has all the pieces to make a run.
The Boilermakers will return the dominant Zach Edey along with an experienced backcourt. This team has a big chip on their shoulder from what happened last season and can put that in the rearview mirror. If history tells us anything, winning it all is certainly a possibility for this team as the first number one seed to lose to a 16 seed, Virginia, came back the next year and won the National Championship so Purdue’s chances are not dead.
Michigan State (+1500)
2023-24 Preseason Top 25 Rank: 4
Returning just about every one of their top players from last season, Michigan State has the talent to win their first National Championship since 2000. One of their returning talent is their leading scorer from last season, Tyson Walker, who is looking to take the next step to lead this squad.
Michigan State has one of the best backcourts in the country and has depth all around. They are also disciplined on the defensive end, making them a tough opponent for anyone. Oh yeah, and they have Tom Izzo leading the charge. There’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the Spartans turning it around from last season.
Kentucky (+1800)
2023-24 Preseason Top 25 Rank: 16
There hasn’t been much to be hyped about when it comes to Kentucky basketball and with John Calipari leading the charge, that’s not said too often. The Wildcats took an early exit in the NCAA Tournament for two years in a row, getting beat by a number 15 seed in 2022 and lost in the second round in 2023.
Whether people think Kentucky is a serious contender or not again, there’s something to be excited about again for this program. They come into the year with their number one ranked recruiting class set to take the court, led by three five-stars and a couple of key additions via the transfer portal and international market. Kentucky will not be an easy out and whether they figure it out this year or not, there’s a reason why they jumped into the top five in the National Championship odds.
Next Best Odds:
Creighton (+2000)
Marquette (+2000)
Houston (+2000)
Tennessee (+2000)
UCONN (+2200)
Alabama (+2500)
Arizona (+2500)
Gonzaga (+3000)
North Carolina (+3000)
Arkansas (+3000)
