Oddsmakers tab Houston as favorite to win NCAA Tournament

After putting together its second consecutive 30-win season, Houston sits as the odds-on favorite to win the NCAA Tournament at a number of sportsbooks.

The Cougars sit at +475 on DraftKings, +500 on FanDuel, and +600 on Caesars Sportsbook to win their first national title in program history. Houston, which has gone 31-3 and will be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1983, begins its quest for a championship against 16th-seeded Northern Kentucky (22-12) on Thursday night.

Alabama (29-5) has the second-best odds to go all the way despite criminal allegations regarding a shooting death surrounding star freshman Brandon Miller, who has not been charged. DraftKings has the Crimson Tide at +650, while Caesars and FanDuel have them at +700 and +800, respectively.

Over at DraftKings, Purdue (+1000), UCLA (+1200), and Kansas (+1200) round out the top five favorites. FanDuel agrees, but Kansas (27-7) is listed at +1000, Purdue (29-5) is at +1200, and UCLA (29-5) is at +1400. Caesars has both Kansas and Purdue at +1000, while UCLA, Arizona (28-6), and Texas (26-8) all sit at +1200.

Gonzaga (28-5) also finds itself among the teams with the best odds to be crowned national champion, sitting at +1500 on both FanDuel and Caesars and +1600 at DraftKings.

FanDuel has Purdue listed as the favorite to win the East Region at +300, while Marquette (28-6), which won its first Big East tournament in program history on Saturday, trails close behind at +420.

In the Midwest Region, FanDuel has Houston as the heavy favorite (+120), while Texas presents the biggest threat to the Cougars at +450. Alabama (+190) is projected to capture the South Region, while Kansas (+320), UCLA (+350), and Gonzaga (+400) are all in a tight race in the West Region.

–Field Level Media