Purdue New Betting Favorite to Win Men's Basketball National Championship

The Purdue Boilermakers are now the betting favorite to win the NCAA men's basketball national championship. The update comes after Purdue defeated the Northwestern Wildcats and Wisconsin Badgers last week.

After a pair of wins over the Northwestern and Wisconsin last week, Purdue is now the betting favorite to win the NCAA men's college basketball national championship. It would be quite the March Madness redemption tour for the Boilermakers after last season. 

Per SISportsbook.com, the Boilermakers are listed at plus-800 to take home the national title. The latest update comes after Purdue took down Northwestern 105-96 in overtime on Wednesday and defeated then-No. 6 Wisconsin 75-69 in Madison.

Purdue improved to 21-2 with a 10-2 mark in Big Ten play. The Boilers are ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches Polls. They are behind UConn in both.

Reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey has been dominant this season, averaging 23.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest. Braden Smith might be one of the best point guards in the country, averaging 12.4 points, 7.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game.

The addition of Lance Jones from the transfer portal has been huge, giving the Boilers a strong ball-handler and scorer. They've also got a sharp-shooter in Fletcher Loyer, a terrific sixth man in Mason Gillis and a defensive specialist with Ethan Morton.

All the pieces are in place for the Boilermakers to bounce back after losing to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson last year. Is this finally the year Matt Painter's team breaks through?

Here are the 10 teams with the best odds to win the NCAA national championship this season, per SISportsbook.com:

Purdue Boilermakers 

• Record: 21-2 (10-2 in Big Ten)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 2; Coaches Poll: No. 2
• Odds: Plus-800

UConn Huskies

• Record: 20-2 (10-1 in Big East)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 1; Coaches Poll: No. 1
• Odds: Plus-900

Houston Cougars

• Record: 19-3 (6-3 in Big 12)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 5; Coaches Poll: No. 5
• Odds: Plus-900

North Carolina Tar Heels 

• Record: 18-4 (10-1 in ACC)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 3; Coaches Poll: No. 3
• Odds: Plus-1200

Auburn Tigers

• Record: 18-4 (7-2 in SEC)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 12; Coaches Poll: No. 11
• Odds: Plus-1400

Tennessee Volunteers

• Record: 16-5 (6-2 in SEC)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 6; Coaches Poll: No. 6
• Odds: Plus-1400

Arizona Wildcats

• Record: 17-5 (8-3 in Pac-12)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 8; Coaches Poll: No. 8
• Odds: Plus-1600

Kansas Jayhawks

• Record: 18-4 (6-3 in Big 12)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 4; Coaches Poll: No. 4
• Odds: Plus-1600

Alabama Crimson Tide

• Record: 16-6 (8-1 in SEC)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 16; Coaches Poll: No. 16
• Odds: Plus-2000

Marquette Golden Eagles

• Record: 17-5 (8-3 in Big East)
• Ranking: AP Poll: No. 7; Coaches Poll: No. 7
• Odds: Plus-2000

Related Big Ten stories

• BIG TEN POWER RANKINGS: After beating Northwestern and Wisconsin, Purdue now sits atop the Big Ten standings and the power rankings. Illinois moves up after winning both games last week, while Wisconsin fell after going 0-2. How does the rest of the league stack up? CLICK HERE
• GUS JOHNSON'S NSFW SLIP: Fox broadcaster Gus Johnson had a funny slip-up during Saturday's women's Big Ten clash between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Maryland Terrapins. His Freudian slip came on a Caitlin Clark block of Brinae Alexander. CLICK HERE
• BIG TEN DAILY: There's still one moth left in the Big Ten regular season, but Illinois Fighting Illini star Coleman Hawkins is already prepared for a rematch with the Purdue Boilermakers. Could the conference title come down to their rematch in Champaign in March? CLICK HERE