With most of the high school class of 2019 signed and the NBA Draft early withdrawal period in the books, the college basketball picture for the 2019-2020 just became more clear.
Michigan State now has the best odds of claiming the 2020 title due in large part to the return of Big Ten Player of the Year Cassius Winston along with Xavier Tillman and a healthy Joshua Langford. The Spartans also added four-star recruit Rocket Watts while sophomore Marcus Bingham Jr. looks poised for a breakthrough season.
Despite losing three dynamic freshmen from last year (with all three likely to be taken early in the first round), Duke knows how to rebuild in a hurry and has 8/1 title odds which is tied for second-best with Kentucky. The Blue Devils added Vernon Carey Jr. (yep, the son of former Dolphins right tackle Vernon Carey), Matthew Hurt, Wendell Moore and Cassius Stanley to a squad that retains point guard Tre Jones.
Memphis is the biggest riser thanks to the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, led by the No. 1 overall recruit James Wiseman. Other top Memphis signings include Precious Achiuwa, DJ Jeffries and Boogie Ellis. Even with the news that Rayjon Tucker would stay in the NBA Draft despite previously commiting to Memphis as a graduate transfer, the Tigers have improved their odds from 80/1 in April to 12/1.
The biggest fallers? The Spartans' in-state rivals the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines lose their three leading scorers from last year in Ignas Brazdeikis, Jordan Poole and Charles Matthews while failing to add a top recruit in the upcoming class. Most importantly, they will miss head coach John Beilein who will ply his trade in the NBA after 12 years at Ann Arbor. The Wolverines had 12/1 championship odds in April but have dropped to 50/1.
Here are the 21 schools with the best odds to win the 2019-2020 National Championship, with odds courtesy of the Superbook at Westgate in Las Vegas:
| Team | Current Odds (as of May 27, 2019) | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan State Spartans | 6/1 | 8/1 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | 10/1 | 7/1 |
| Duke Blue Devils | 10/1 | 8/1 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | 12/1 | 20/1 |
| Memphis Tigers | 12/1 | 80/1 |
| Villanova Wildcats | 16/1 | 14/1 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | 16/1 | 14/1 |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | 20/1 | 14/1 |
| Virginia Cavaliers | 20/1 | 7/1 |
| Louisville Cardinals | 20/1 | 20/1 |
| Oregon Ducks | 20/1 | 20/1 |
| Tech Red Raiders | 25/1 | 30/1 |
| Maryland Terrapins | 25/1 | 30/1 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | 25/1 | 30/1 |
| Arizona Wildcats | 30/1 | 80/1 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | 40/1 | 80/1 |
| Auburn Tigers | 40/1 | 20/1 |
| Seton Hall Pirates | 40/1 | 80/1 |
| Florida Gators | 40/1 | |
| Baylor Bears | 50/1 | 100/1 |
| Michigan Wolverine | 50/1 | 12/1 |
21+. NJ only. Odds may vary. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
