The Gonzaga Bulldogs will be aiming to bury the memory of past disappointment as they get set to open their March Madness schedule as strong 4.00 favourites to win the 2022 NCAA Tournament on the college basketball futures at 10Bet. The Bulldogs have reached the national championship game in two of the past four years but were denied glory in each of those appearances. This time around, Gonzaga enters the tournament as the clear favourite but can expect stiff competition from their closest rivals. The Arizona Wildcats follow as 7.50-second favourites, just ahead of the Kentucky Wildcats at 9.00, while the Kansas Jayhawks round out the front of the pack at 9.50.
CanadianBettingSites takes a look at all the odds and trends as the countdown towards March Madness continues. Sports bettors looking to get in on college hoops action for the first time can check out our guide to the best online sportsbook reviews to learn all they need to know about NBA betting in Canada.
Odds to win NCAA Tournament | ||
---|---|---|
Gonzaga Bulldogs | 4.20 | 4.00 |
Arizona Wildcats | 6.80 | 7.50 |
Kentucky Wildcats | 7.80 | 9.00 |
Kansas Jayhawks | 11.00 | 9.50 |
Baylor Bears | 12.00 | 13.00 |
Duke Blue Devils | 15.00 | 17.00 |
Auburn Tigers | 16.00 | 13.00 |
Purdue Boilermakers | 18.00 | 21.00 |
Villanova Wildcats | 18.00 | 15.00 |
Tennessee Volunteers | 20.00 | 15.00 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders | 23.00 | 23.00 |
UCLA Bruins | 26.00 | 19.00 |
Iowa Hawkeyes | 28.00 | 23.00 |
Houston Cougars | 35.00 | 29.00 |
Illinois Fightning Illini | 40.00 | 51.00 |
Arkansas Razorbacks | 50.00 | 81.00 |
Wisconsin Badgers | 60.00 | 101.00 |
Connecticut Huskies | 60.00 | 81.00 |
Texas Longhorns | 70.00 | 101.00 |
USC Trojans | 90.00 | 201.00 |
Alabama Crimson Tide | 90.00 | 151.00 |
LSU Tigers | 90.00 | 151.00 |
Has Gonzaga’s Time Finally Arrived?
Despite losing to Baylor in last year’s national championship game, the Bulldogs did not miss a beat in their return to action this season. Led by leading scorer Drew Timme, Gonzaga stormed to their familiar perch atop the West Coast Conference standings while opening their conference schedule with 13 straight wins, and closed out their regular season with a 26-3 record, and as conference tournament champions for the eighth time in nine years.
Gonzaga is a 1-seed for the 5th time, all since 2013.
Two of the three teams that have defeated Gonzaga this season (Duke and Alabama) are in the West region with them. pic.twitter.com/3iQMHWjTHx
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 13, 2022
Currently pegged as massive 1.50 chalk to win the West Region and return to the Final Four for the third time in program history, the Zags enjoy a somewhat favourable path through the regional bracket. However, they also find themselves on a collision course with the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils, who handed Gonzaga a stunning 84-81 loss back in November.
Arizona Seeks Redemption
Top seeds in the South Region, the Arizona Wildcats are making their first appearance at the Big Dance since 2018. Indeed, this team has plenty to prove given their recent history. The Wildcats were ineligible for last season’s postseason after being implicated in a recruiting scandal, and also failed to qualify for the tourney in 2019 after finishing ninth in the Pac-10 standings.
By: Kevin Lucas
The #Arizona #Wildcats are back exactly where the college basketball game needs them, at the top, with some of the best recruits/prospects in the world.https://t.co/A7CheG0zxF pic.twitter.com/VnY1kMwwoy
— Nuts & Bolts Sports (@NutsAndBoltsSP) March 14, 2022
And when the Wildcats have reached the NCAA Tournament in recent years, they have made early exits, bowing out on the opening weekend in two of their past three appearances. Things are trending in the right direction for Arizona, which has been dominant at times in 15 of their last 16 outings. However, they face arguably the toughest road to the Final Four, with the South bracket also featuring such contenders as Villanova, Tennessee, and Houston.
Bears, Jayhawks Poised to Renew Big 12 Rivalry
The defending champion Baylor Bears are also far from assured of a shot at cutting down the nets for a second straight year. Perched as the top seed in the East, the Bears find themselves lagging on the March Madness championship odds as a relatively lengthy 12.00, and also trail the second-seeded Kentucky Wildcats as a 3.50 bet to come out of the region. An early exit from the Big 12 Tournament with a stunning 72-67 loss to Oklahoma in the quarter-finals has not helped their cause. Not does a lengthy track record of speedy exits from the big dance.
🚨UPSET ALERT🚨
Oklahoma takes down No. 3 Baylor 72-67 in the Big 12 tournament 😈 pic.twitter.com/YvfmKr0mwJ— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 11, 2022
Conversely, the Bears’ conference rivals from Kansas are red-hot. The Jayhawks ride a five-game win streak as they get set to open their schedule as top seeds in the Midwest Region. Like Arizona, the Jayhawks will be looking to redeem themselves at this year’s tournament. The squad finished atop the Big 12, alongside Baylor with a 14-4 record in conference play, and has appeared in every edition of the Big Dance since 1989, reaching the Final Four seven times and raising the trophy once.
Did Kansas Jayhawks get lucky or unlucky with NCAA Tournament draw? Here’s the answer https://t.co/FTurh9hJYv
— Wichita Eagle Sports (@WichitaEagleSpt) March 14, 2022
However, their past two appearances have been marred by speedy exits on opening weekend, the memory of which remains strong among the players on this veteran squad. That combination of experience and lengthy odds makes the Jayhawks the highest value wager among the top teams at this year’s tournament.
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