Lucky’s Race and Sports Books have established Kentucky and North Carolina as 11-2 co-favorites to win the NCAA basketball title.
Defending national champion Connecticut was rated as just the seventh best team on the board at 13-1. Butler, a national finalist the past two seasons, opened at 25-1.
“College basketball the past 10 years has been wide open with the elite teams often losing players to the NBA after their freshman year,” said legendary handicapper and lines maker Jimmy Vaccaro. “What we try to do is get the odds up as quickly as possible and create a buzz in futures wagering.”
Vaccaro and Lucky’s have done exactly that with the opening prices. San Diego State, which lost just three games last season, opened at a whopping 125-1. BYU, which reached the Elite Eight behind national player of the year Jimmer Fredette, is 175-1.
“San Diego State is losing the core of its team to the NBA and BYU won’t be the same without Fredette and (Brandon) Davies,” Vaccaro said. “I think UNLV (50-1) will win the Mountain West next season.”
Mild surprises were California at a very respectable 20-1 rated ahead of perennial power Kansas (25-1), while Indiana was grouped with Michigan State at 30-1 – well ahead of Wisconsin and Purdue.
ODDS TO WIN TITLE
Kentucky 11-2, N. Carolina 11-2, Ohio St 9-1, Louisville 9-1, Syracuse 10-1, Duke 10-1, Connecticut 13-1, Texas 13-1, Florida 15-1.
Memphis 20-1, Arizona 20-1, Pittsburgh 20-1, California 20-1, Kansas 25-1, Butler 25-1, Michigan St 30-1, UCLA 30-1, Indiana 30-1, Michigan 35-1, Florida St 35-1.
Georgetown 40-1, Gonzaga 45-1, UNLV 50-1. Villanova 60-1, Kansas St 60-1, Texas A&M 60-1, W. Virginia 60-1, Illinois 60-1, Alabama 60-1. Baylor 70-1, Wisconsin, Tennessee 75-1, Washington St 75-1, Purdue 80-1. Missouri 100-1.
Oklahoma 100-1, Oklahoma St 100-1, NC State 100-1, Maryland 100-1, Seton Hall 100-1. USC 125-1, Xavier 125-1, San Diego St 125-1, Va Tech 125-1, Marquette 125-1, Georgia Tech 125-1, Iowa 125-1. LSU 150-1, Miami, Fl 150-1, Ole Miss 150-1, Arizona St 150-1, BYU 175-1, Field 30-1.
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