Biggest March Madness Odds Movers Heading Into The Tourney

• Following the release of the brackets Sunday, betting odds to win the tournament have moved for teams like the Michigan Wolverines, dropping from +650 to +1000.
• Other big movers include the Texas Longhorns going from +2000 to +2800, the Kansas Jayhawks jumping from +4000 up to +3000, and the Florida State Seminoles dropping from +2800 to +4000.

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Tournament officially begins Thursday night, but bettors are already placing their futures bets for who will be the final team remaining at the conclusion of March Madness.

Aside from filling brackets, betting on the tournament winner is one of the most popular ways to wager on the tournament. Odds for all 68 teams are available and can be found for extremely high-value thanks to the general chaotic nature of the tournament.

However, some teams have experienced some major shifts in the value this week. After the brackets were announced Sunday, there have been some big movers on the college basketball betting board.

Taking a look at the current odds to win the NCAA championship available via the legal online sportsbooks and comparing them to the opening lines can yield some interesting knowledge into the mind of March Madness bookies.

Odds To Win 2021 NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Tournament

• Gonzaga (#1) +210
• Illinois (#1) +500
• Baylor (#1) +750
• Michigan (#1) +1000
• Houston (#2) +1500
• Alabama (#2) +2000
• Iowa (#2) +2000
• Oklahoma State (#4) +2200
• Ohio State (#2) +2800
• Texas (#3) +2800
• Kansas (#3) +3000
• Florida State (#4) +4000
• Connecticut (#7) +5500
• Virginia (#4) +5500
• Arkansas (#3) +6000
• Purdue (#4) +6000
• West Virginia (#3) +6000
• Texas Tech (#6) +6600
• San Diego State (#6) +7000
• Tennessee (#5) +7000
• Creighton (#5) +8000
• LSU (#8) +8000
• Loyola Chicago (#8) +8000
• North Carolina (#8) +8000
• Oregon (#7) +8000
• Georgia Tech (#9) +8800
• BYU (#6) +10000
• Colorado (#5) +10000
• USC (#6) +10000
• Villanova (#5) +10000
• Georgetown (#12) +12500
• Michigan State (#11) +12500
• Oklahoma (#8) +12500
• Oregon State (#12) +12500
• Wisconsin (#9) +12500
• Florida (#7) +15000
• Missouri (#9) +15000
• Syracuse (#11) +20000
• UCLA (#11) +20000
• Virginia Tech (#10) +20000
• Clemson (#7) +25000
• Maryland (#10) +25000

Naturally, the top-seeded teams like the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs find themselves atop the odds. Gonzaga opened as a +210 favorite to win the tourney on Sunday, and has remained at that price. The same is true for most of the #1 seeds, except for the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan opened at +650 odds to win the tourney but has since dropped to +1000.

This is likely due to media criticism over the Wolverine’s chances without senior forward Isaiah Livers, who will be out with a right foot injury.

Another big mover is the Texas Longhorns, who dropped from +2000 to +2800 since Sunday.

The Longhorns are the three seed in the East division, which is being hyped up as the toughest quadrant of the bracket.

One of the biggest movers of the top teams is the Florida State Seminoles, who dropped from +2800 at first release to +4000 currently.

FSU is one of the most talented teams in the country and led the ACC in offense this season. A loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the ACC Championship could be the reason bookies are losing faith in the ‘Noles, as well as their placement in the East region.

The UConn Huskies opened as an extremely short +3000 to win the tournament thanks to the talents of star James Bouknight. That is a very short number for a seven seed, which could have led to the Huskies dropping to +5500, where they currently stand.

The No. 3 seeded Arkansas Razorbacks opened at +3500 but have since ballooned to +6000 on the college basketball sportsbooks.

The Villanova Wildcats opened as a +6600 value bet but are now available for +10000 as a five seed. They are also dealing with injury concerns in addition to a tough first-round matchup with the Winthrop Eagles.

In general, those looking to bet on March Madness can find more valuable odds on the mid-range teams in this tournament.

The NCAA Tournament officially begins Thursday night with the First Four play-in games, with the First Round beginning Friday, March 19 at 12:15 p.m.

News tags: Baylor Bears | College Basketball | Gonzaga Bulldogs | Houston Cougars | Illinois Fighting Illini | March Madness | Michigan Wolverines | NCAA Tournament