Odds to Win the 2008 NCAA College Basketball Tournament Championship

Carrie Stroup here and it is never too early we suppose to start thinking of college basketball.  With that said, Sportsbook.com (see website here) has already released its odds to win the 2008 NCAA College Basketball Tournament Championship.   

*Note: These odds were as of April 18, 2007.  Please GO HERE NOW and lock in your bets on the latest available odds. 

With the exodus of Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Taureen Green and Corey Brewer to the pros; the likelihood of the Florida Gators “three-peating” next season is pretty slim according to Sportsbook.com. In addition to the four underclassmen, the Gators will also miss the leadership of senior sharp shooter Lee Humphrey. Coach Billy Donovan turned down the prestigious Kentucky job in order to stay in Gainesville and rebuild. Junior to be, Walter Hodge will be the Gators’ top returning scorer at 5.7 PPG. With some talented underclassmen, a top 10 recruiting class and one of the best head coaches around; it won’t be long before the Gators are vying for another championship trophy. That being said, due to their youth and inexperience, it most likely won’t be next season.

The favorite to win it all next year is the University of North Carolina Tar Heels at 6-1. Unlike many of the other top teams, it appears as if UNC will not be affected by mass defections to the NBA. Forward Tyler Hansbrough (18.4 ppg), guard Wayne Ellington (11.7 ppg) and guard Ty Lawson (10.2 ppg) are all definitely returning. UNC will lose senior Reyshawn Terry (9.7 ppg) and most likely freshman Brandon Wright (14.7 ppg) who hasn’t made it official but is leaning towards turning pro.

Right behind the Tar Heels are the Memphis Tigers at 8-1. With only one key senior and nobody cashing out early, Memphis will be absolutely loaded next season and primed to improve on their Elite 8 performance of this year. In “wait and see” mode are the Buckeyes from OSU. If Oden, Conley and Cook shock the world and return for another season; OSU will most likely surpass the Tar Heels as the favorites to win it all next season. Chances seem very slim that Oden or Conley will return since they would be millionaires in a couple months time if they decide to enter the draft. As they stand now, they are 10-1 to win it all.

A lot could change over the next few weeks as additional players add their names to the growing list of early entries. With a little bit of research you can definitely find some value in teams that are not losing key players early to the draft.

Below is a portion of the college teams’ odds to win the 2008 National Championship. For the full list, just log onto Sportsbook.com and go to the “Basketball” section.

Remember, you can find all odds here



Arizona 30-1

Butler 100-1

Duke 60-1

Florida 100-1

Georgetown 15-1

Georgia Tech 30-1

Indiana 30-1

Kansas 10-1

Kentucky 60-1

Louisville 15-1

Marquette 60-1

Maryland 75-1

Memphis 8-1

Michigan State 30-1

UNC 6-1

Notre Dame 100-1

OSU 10-1

Oregon 30-1

Stanford 60-1

Syracuse 30-1

Tennessee 30-1

Texas 40-1

Texas A&M 60-1

Uconn 50-1

USC 20-1

Villanova 30-1

Washington State 30-1

West Virginia 60-1

Xavier 60-1