According to top March Madness betting sites, the Gonzaga Bulldogs (+400) remain the favorites to win the March Madness NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and finally bag their first championship in the history of the program. Trailing the Bulldogs at the best online sportsbooks are the Kentucky Wildcats (+800), Auburn Tigers (+800), Arizona Wildcats (+900) and Purdue Boilermakers (+1200).
The 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament involves 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season.
2021-22 March Madness Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Gonzaga | +400 |
| Kentucky | +800 |
| Auburn | +800 |
| Arizona | +900 |
| Purdue | +1200 |
| Duke | +1400 |
| Kansas | +1600 |
| Baylor | +1600 |
| UCLA | +2500 |
| Villanova | +2500 |
| Houston | +2800 |
| Illinois | +3300 |
| Texas | +3300 |
| Texas Tech | +3300 |
| Tennessee | +3300 |
| Rutgers | +5000 |
| Alabama | +5500 |
| Ohio State | +6000 |
| Michigan | +6600 |
| Connecticut | +6600 |
| USC | +6600 |
| LSU | +7500 |
| Michigan State | +8000 |
| Marquette | +8000 |
| Wisconsin | +8000 |
| Arkansas | +8000 |
| Miami FL | +10000 |
| Memphis | +10000 |
| Providence | +10000 |
| St. Mary’s CA | +10000 |
Their hopes for a perfect season went up in ashes, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs should be proud following a 2020-21 season where they had a chance to be great. The bad news for the Bulldogs, apart from losing the championship game, is that key players Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert, such key parts of what made Gonzaga a success last season, left for the NBA.
The good news is the Zags returned some top-notch talent in forwarding Drew Timme and guard Andrew Nembhard. They also nabbed the second five-star recruit in program history in Hunter Sallis. He will join the No. 1 player of the 2021 recruiting class, center Chet Holmgren.
Timme and Holmgren averaged 17.8 and 14.6 points respectively to lead the squad. Gonzaga is 22-2 and ranked No. 1 in the country right now, as well as being the favorite at top sportsbooks online.
Purdue Boilermakers (+1200)
The Boilermakers were full of freshmen last season. They earned a No. 4 seed in the tourney. This season, they return a deep roster with tournament experience and a two of the best players in the nation in Trevion Williams and guard Jaden Ivey.
A surefire lottery pick. Ivey has led the way in scoring for the Boilermakers with 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game. This is one of the best offenses in the country. They rank first in adjusted offensive efficiency.
They haven’t been as good on defense, but this is a top-notch team with handsome odds. Purdue’s top sportsbooks online odds increased to +1200 from +1000 following a blowout loss to Michigan. However, they are now ranked fifth in the nation.
UCLA Bruins (+2500)
UCLA is ranked No. 13 in the nation with a 17-5 record. They fell from No. 3 following losses to Arizona, USC and Arizona State. The Bruins have a great blend of talent and experience after they lost to the Zags in the Final Four last season as an No. 11 seed.
The team has had problems playing consistently in recent weeks. The Bruins are 13th in the nation in adjusted efficiency margin. This is a top-15 team and +2500 is a good-looking number.
Best Bet: Arizona +900
There are only two schools in the country ranked in the top 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency as well as adjusted defensive efficiency. One is top sportsbooks online favorite Gonzaga. The other is No. 3 Arizona. The Wildcats’ only two losses this season took place against two ranked teams, UCLA and Tennessee. They are fourth in March Madness odds even though they are arguably the best or second-best team in the country.
