Updated 2021 College Basketball Title Odds: USC, Loyola-Chicago Make Big Jumps to Win NCAA Tournament
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images. Pictured: Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr, UCLA Bruins
- Updated college basketball national title odds are out, and USC, UCLA and Loyola-Chicago have made big jumps after reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
- Gonzaga remains a heavy favorite compared to the rest of the field, with Baylor, Michigan and Houston the only other teams at DraftKings under 10-1.
2021 National Title Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Gonzaga | +155 |
| Baylor | +350 |
| Michigan | +750 |
| Houston | +900 |
| Alabama | +1100 |
| Loyola-Chicago | +1300 |
| Florida State | +1500 |
| Arkansas | +2000 |
| USC | +2500 |
| Oregon | +3300 |
| Villanova | +3300 |
| Creighton | +4000 |
| UCLA | +4000 |
| Oregon State | +5000 |
| Syracuse | +6000 |
| Oral Roberts | +10000 |
Odds via DraftKings as of March 23
While the top of the oddsboard to win the 2021 national championship hasn't changed much since before the start of the NCAA Tournament, there are a few teams to make a big leap heading into the Sweet 16.
UCLA and USC saw their odds cut in half from pre-tournament totals while Loyola-Chicago is now the sixth-favorite to win it all.
UCLA was 80-1 at DraftKings prior to the tournament but after wins over Michigan State, BYU and Abilene Christian, the Bruins are 40-1. UCLA is matched up against the No. 2 seed in the East region, Alabama. The Crimson Tide are fifth on the board at 11-1.
Coming off a 34-point win over Kansas, USC is down to 25-1 to win it all from its opening number of 50-1. USC meets fellow Pac-12 opponent Oregon with a date against the winner of Gonzaga vs. Creighton on the line.
Loyola-Chicago has had some respect from sportsbooks since the start of the tournament, at least relative to most 8-seeds. The Ramblers were 40-1 heading into the tournament but after upsetting Illinois in the second round jumped all the way to 13-1. Oregon State (50-1) and the winner of Houston (9-1) and Syracuse (60-1) stand in the way of a Final Four appearance for Porter Moser's team.
Gonzaga remains the favorite at +155, ahead of fellow No. 1 seeds Baylor (+350) and Michigan (+750).
Teams still need to win four more games to cut down the nets, so anyone who is an underdog in the Sweet 16 still has the odds stacked against it.
Oral Roberts, about a 10-point underdog to Arkansas this weekend, sits at 100-1. Syracuse, UCLA, Oregon State and Creighton are all 40-1 or worse, as well.
If you were to convert the probabilities of Oral Roberts winning four straight games as a 10-point underdog, which they likely would be the remainder of the way, their true probability is more like 400-1 or 500-1.
There's also a case to be made that simply betting longshots on the moneyline in individual games and rolling it over to the next game is the way to go.
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