The second-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will take a 17-game winning streak into Saturday’s West Coast Conference road matchup with the Pepperdine Waves, and they are also listed as the leading favorite to take home the 2020 men’s college basketball title at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Bulldogs are +900 (bet $100 to win $900) to cut down the nets on April 6 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
In what looks to be one of the most competitive fields in recent NCAA Tournament history though, Gonzaga is not alone near the top of the March Madness odds. The top-ranked Baylor Bears, third-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, fifth-ranked Louisville Cardinals and seventh-ranked Duke Blue Devils are all right behind the Bulldogs at +1000.
Rounding out the nation’s best seven teams according to oddsmakers on the futures board about a month away from Selection Sunday are the fourth-ranked San Diego State Aztecs (+1400) and the sixth-ranked Dayton Flyers (+1600). The unbeaten Aztecs have been dominating the Mountain West Conference, and they are the only team remaining in the country without a loss in Division I. San Diego State has covered the number in its last four games en route to posting a 16-8 mark against the spread.
Much like the Aztecs too, the Flyers were also not ranked in the preseason but have found a lot of success by playing in a weaker conference. Dayton has been perfect in the Atlantic 10 so far and features one of college basketball’s top players in sophomore forward Obi Toppin, who is averaging 19.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
The Michigan State Spartans and the Kentucky Wildcats were the top two ranked teams in the preseason, although both of them have struggled at times throughout the year to live up to those lofty expectations. Regardless, Michigan State and Kentucky still have a shot to improve their odds at betting sites from +2000 and +2200, respectively. The Spartans fell out of the rankings altogether this week before edging the Illinois Fighting Illini 70-69 to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday. The Wildcats have already started their rise back up to No. 12 in the Top 25 thanks to winning three in a row and seven of eight.