The Duke Blue Devils are the early favorites in 2016 NCAA Basketball Championship odds to repeat as national champions in 2015. The Blue Devils are listed with odds of 7-1 while last year’s favorites, the Kentucky Wildcats are listed at 9-1 along with the Maryland Terrapins. Duke has to replace a lot of talent that went to the NBA but they have another great recruiting class which includes five-star prospects Brandon Ingram and Derryck Thornton.
Top Contenders for 2016
There are seven teams that are listed with odds between 7-1 and 18-1. Duke is the top choice in the betting but there is not much separating the top six teams. Duke is the defending champion but they begin the 2015-2016 with a lot of unknowns. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski does have another great recruiting class but the schedule is not easy for the team as they play 14 games against teams that made the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
The Kentucky Wildcats are listed at 9-1 and they have just as many unknowns as all five of their starters from last season are gone. But we all know that head coach John Calipari just reloads and his recruiting class is once again one of the top ones in the country led by Isaiah Briscoe and Skal Labissiere. Maryland is also listed with odds of 9-1 with Kansas and North Carolina at 12-1. The Tar Heels reached the Sweet 16 last season and they return all of their rotation except for J.P. Tokoto. Michigan State is listed with odds of 16-1 while California is 18-1.
Maryland Getting Early Action
The Maryland Terrapins are getting some early love from bettors as their odds are down to 9-1 to win the title. They got a big break when Melo Trimble announced he was coming back to school instead of going to the NBA. His decision had an impact on other players as top prospect Diamond Stone chose to go to Maryland while Jake Layman announced he would return for his senior season. Rasheed Sulaimon who used to play for Duke also chose Maryland for his final season.
Odds to Win 2015-2016 NCAA Basketball Championship
- Duke 7-1
- Kentucky 9-1
- Maryland 9-1
- Kansas 12-1
- North Carolina 12-1
- Michigan State 16-1
- California 18-1
- Virginia 22-1
- Arizona 25-1
- Gonzaga 25-1
- Iowa State 25-1
- Wichita State 25-1
- Indiana 25-1
- Michigan 30-1
- Oklahoma 30-1
- Purdue 30-1
- Louisville 40-1
- Texas 40-1
- LSU 50-1
- Syracuse 50-1
- Connecticut 50-1
- Notre Dame 50-1
- Wisconsin 50-1
- Texas A&M 65-1
- Utah 65-1
- Baylor 75-1
- Butler 75-1
- NC State 75-1
- Ohio State 75-1
All of the other teams are listed with odds of 100-1 or more or they are part of the field.
