Kentucky basketball's odds to win the NCAA Tournament are better than expected

Could Mark Pope win a National Championship in his first season as Kentucky's coach?

Mar 17, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; The Kentucky Wildcats mascot performs in the first half against the Providence Friars at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The roster is nearly finished for Mark Pope's first Kentucky basketball team, and it is shaping up to be one that can make a run in the NCAA Tournament. Over the last few seasons of college basketball, a trend has come up where the older teams make deeper runs in the NCAA Tournament. This is why John Calipari's teams have struggled over the last few seasons.

Coach Pope has a roster that is made for March thanks to a handful of veteran players, many of which have played in the NCAA Tournament. This is why some folks are high on the Wildcats being a sleeper team during the 2024-25 season.

When you look on FanDuel Sportsbook the Wildcats odds of winning the NCAA Tournament are better than some might have expected at +3500. These are the 14th best odds to win it all right behind Arkansas at +3000.

These are also the fourth-best odds to win it all in the SEC, behind only Alabama ( +1200), Auburn (+2500), and Arkansas (+3000).

While it is unlikely that Coach Pope will win it all in his first season in Lexington, crazier things have happened in college hoops, and his team has the DNA to get it done.

Kentucky is going to have a tough schedule this season as they have to play Duke, Louisville, and Clemson in the non-conference so far and a gauntlet of an SEC schedule. This will help this team get ready for the NCAA Tournament, where, hopefully, they will make a deep run.