2022 National Championship Odds

Now that the 2021-22 NCAA basketball season has concluded, there is little left to do other than to look forward to next season for college hoop heads. For those in the wagering community, futures odds were immediately released, so let the fun begin!

When placing futures bets, especially in college basketball, you really should resist the urge to jump right in. Given the current state of college basketball, rosters are rarely finalized until sometime in the summer, and player movement has become the norm. With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind when placing your long-game wagers for the 2022 college basketball championship.

Continuity

In recent seasons, the entire concept of “get old, stay old” has really taken hold in the college basketball universe. In the early days of this offseason, when it seems like every team in the nation is experiencing attrition via “the portal,” the UCLA Bruins have been seemingly ineffective.

As you may recall, UCLA was a game away from making a national championship appearance this season and could potentially return their top eight scorers from the season. The Bruins could be even better next season as it appears that forward Cody Riley is primed for a breakout season in 2021-22.

Mick Cronin’s team is currently paying out at +2500 to win next season’s national title.

Talent

There are programs in the country that tend to just reload instead of rebuilding, and one of those programs is Coach K’s Duke Blue Devils. Duke has experienced some attrition this season, with DJ Steward jumping into the NBA draft as well as the transfer portal as Jaemyn Brakefield left the program.

Despite the losses, Matthew Hurt has yet to declare for the NBA draft, and neither have freshmen, Jeremy Roach and Mark Williams. Williams was a force for the Blue Devils down the stretch last season, averaging 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game along with 1.7 blocks in Duke’s final six games of the season. Coach K also secured the commitment of five-star scoring guard Trevor Keels recently, which will give them an immediate impact on the wing.

The Blue Devils are currently paying out at +2500 for the 2022 title.

Coaching

While we all know the usual suspects when talking about quality coaching on the college basketball level, Chris Holtmann never seems to receive his due. Though the Buckeyes’ head coach experienced an early exit in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Ohio State is primed for a great season in 2021-22. Ohio State exceeded many people's expectations in the 2020-21 season.

As of this publication, EJ Liddell is still with the program and could be one of the favorites for Big Ten player of the year, while Duane Washington, Justice Sueing, and Zed Key are all able to return as well. Look for former top 100 recruit Eugene Brown III to be more of a contributor next season as well.

The Buckeyes are currently one of the favorites at +1600 but are still a nice value for a team that will be within the top five to begin the season.