We’re months away from the start of the 2023-24 NCAA basketball season. However, it’s this exact downtown — the soon-to-be “dog days of Summer” — when you can plot your betting strategy for the coming year. That’s exactly where we’re at right now, and out of this, we’ve selected our March Madness futures bets. The payoff is a long time away, but the payoff could be even longer!
But before we go any further, let’s take a hard look at the current NCAAB odds. These are consistent across the best betting sites for basketball too. While every single tram in the country has a line to win the championship, the following teams have the best odds among the group:
| School |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Kentucky | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Kansas | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| UConn | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Marquette | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Purdue | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| North Carolina | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Alabama | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Michigan State | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
Best Bets To Win 2024 NCAAB Championship
You’d have to be absolutely crazy to not spread the wealth when betting on the 2024 NCAAB Championship. Clinically crazy, most likely. We mean, no top-3 seeds made last season’s Final Four, which speaks to the unpredictable nature of this sport. Plus, it’s too early right now to put “all your eggs in one basket.” With that in mind, we have three teams in mind at this stage. The schools are as follows:
Duke
The tried-and-true bluebloods had a bit of a rebuild year in 2023 (and still won the ACC Tournament), its first with new head coach Jon Scheyer leading the way in the post-Coach K world. However, that’s exactly why they’re bet-worthy in 2024. For the first time in a long time, Duke will have some continuity with its roster.
Four of its projected five starters are returnees, none bigger than seven-footer Kyle Filipowski (literally!). He averaged 15 points a game last year as a freshman and likely would’ve been an NBA first-round pick had he left. The college game is increasingly favoring big men like Flipowski, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he is a conference player of the year type player in 2024.
Though, that’s not to say the Blue Devils won’t have their usual standout freshman. The school has four coming in. The biggest name of the group — and likely starter — is guard Jared McCain. He’s ranked No. 13 in the 2023 class as a frame of reference. Add up all these factors and Duke is a safe betting pick here.
Michigan State
The Spartans check every box out of what you want in a preseason championship contender. The first, and perhaps most important, the program has one of the best coaches in the entire game in Tom Izzo. With Jim Boeheim now retired, Izzo is the third-most tenured coach in the country.
Michigan State will share the experience with its roster. Both Tyson Walker and Malik Hall will take advantage of the extra COVID-year eligibility and earn starting minutes most likely. The team’s second-leading scorer last year, AJ Hoggard, will also be in the mix. So returning players are checked box No. 2.
To complete the trifecta, the Spartans also have a one-and-done caliber player. The No. 7-ranked freshman in the nation, Xavier Booker, is on his way to East Lansing. The freshmen class includes another five-star in Jeremy Fears too. Combine all these ingredients and it’s tough to argue with a Michigan State pick.
Tennessee
Instant transfers have changed the landscape of college recruiting. Luring five-star freshmen isn’t the only way to compete anymore. No, picking up ready-to-play transfers means programs can transform in a single offseason. Following that playbook, the Vols might be on to something. They’re our sneaky pick to make here at +2500 odds.
Tennessee came out big from the transfer portal window. New additions include the likes of Jordan Gainey (15.2 points per game at South Carolina Upstate), Dalton Knecht (20.2 PPG at Northern Colorado), and Chris Ledlum (18.8 PPG at Harvard). Plus, the team returns two of its own key pieces in elite defender Zakai Zeigler and all-SEC guard Santiago Vescovi.
The Vols stormed into the Sweet 16 a year ago. But we’d argue this team is much more loaded. If there’s a team to watch out for in the SEC, it’s them.
How To Bet On 2023 NCAA Basketball Futures?
There are other NCAAB futures bets available at bookmakers right now, beyond just who wins March Madness. You can also wager on conference-title winners and the Wooden Award recipient. Options are plenty, but we also advise to not overbet. A lot can happen from now until March 2024 when these bets settle so it’s best to be cautious. The upside of betting now is the longshot odds across the board, but still, you don’t need massive-sized bets to profit off such odds either.
If you want a complete list of these NCAAB wagers, hit one of the underneath betting sites. Per our unbiased sportsbook reviews, the listed sites lead the way when it comes to college hoops betting. They even offer big-money sportsbook bonuses worth hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play — money that could bankroll these bets for free!
