March Madness National Championship Odds: Houston, not Alabama, Favored to cut Down the Nets

Despite earning the tournament's No. 1 seed, the Crimson Tide are not the favorites to win the National Championship. Instead, the future odds say the Cougars are the top team.

March Madness is upon us!

Across the next three weeks, 68 teams will compete for the title of National Champion.

If you want to get in on the action, there are plenty of ways to bet on the tournament, but the best odds often come before the tournament even starts.

Let’s check in on the market for this year’s National Champion.

Kansas, Alabama, Houston, and Purdue are the No. 1 seeds for the 2023 men's NCAA tournament.

Place your bets on the Men's NCAA Tournament on SI Sportsbook

No. 1-seeds have won 65% of the past 37 tournaments and eight of the last ten. A No. 1 seed has lost only once in the first round in the entire history of the tournament. That historic upset came in 2018 when No. 16 UMBC beat Virginia.

However, 2008 is the only year all four No. 1-seeds reached the Final Four (North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, and Kansas).

Since 2012 the only true Cinderella team to win the National Championship was the University of Connecticut in 2014. They won the title as a No. 7 seed. The lowest seed to ever win the National Championship was Villanova in 1985 which was seeded No. 8.

Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

March Madness National Champion Futures Odds

Houston Cougars +500

Alabama Crimson Tide +700 

Kansas Jayhawks +900

Purdue Boilermakers+1000

UCLA Bruins +1200

Gonzaga Bulldogs +1300

Arizona Wildcats +1400

Texas Longhorns +1600

UConn Huskies +1600

Marquette Golden Eagles +1800

Baylor Bears+1800

Tennessee Volunteers +2000

Duke Blue Devils +2500

Creighton Bluejays +3000

Saint Mary's Gaels +3000

TCU Horned Frogs +3000

Kentucky Wildcats +3000

Texas A&M Aggies +4000

Indiana Hoosiers +4500

Virginia Cavaliers +4500

Kansas State Wildcats +4500

Xavier Musketeers +5000

Iowa Hawkeyes +5500

Michigan State Spartans +6000

Maryland Terrapins +6600

Iowa State Cyclones +7500

 Texas A&M Aggies +7500

Arkansas Razorbacks +8000

Memphis Tigers +8000

 San Diego State Aztecs +8000

Illinois Fighting Illini +10000

West Virginia Mountaineers +10000

Auburn Tigers +10000

Providence Friars +12500

USC Trojans +20000

Penn State Nittany Lions +22000

North Carolina State Wolfpack +25000

Northwestern Wildcats +25000

Utah State Aggies +25000

Arizona State Sun Devils +30000

Odds of +35000:

Florida Gators, Missouri Tigers, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Drake

Odds of +50000:

Kent State, Furman, Charleston Cougars, Boise State, Iona Gaels, Massachusetts Minutemen, Mississippi State, Howard Bison 

NOTE: Odds subject to change

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