March Madness National Championship Odds: Houston, not Alabama, Favored to cut Down the Nets

Despite earning the tournament's No. 1 seed, the Crimson Tide are not the favorites to win the National Championship. Instead, the future odds say the Cougars are the top team. March Madness is upon us! Across the next three weeks, 68 teams will compete for the title of National Champion. If you want to get in on the action, there are plenty of ways to bet on the tournament, but the best odds often come before the tournament even starts. Let’s check in on the market for this year’s National Champion. Kansas, Alabama, Houston, and Purdue are the No. 1 seeds for the 2023 men's NCAA tournament. Place your bets on the Men's NCAA Tournament on SI Sportsbook No. 1-seeds have won 65% of the past 37 tournaments and eight of the last ten. A No. 1 seed has lost only once in the first round in the entire history of the tournament. That historic upset came in 2018 when No. 16 UMBC beat Virginia. However, 2008 is the only year all four No. 1-seeds reached the Final Four (North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, and Kansas). Since 2012 the only true Cinderella team to win the National Championship was the University of Connecticut in 2014. They won the title as a No. 7 seed. The lowest seed to ever win the National Championship was Villanova in 1985 which was seeded No. 8. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports March Madness National Champion Futures OddsHouston Cougars +500 Alabama Crimson Tide +700 Kansas Jayhawks +900 Purdue Boilermakers+1000 UCLA Bruins +1200 Gonzaga Bulldogs +1300 Arizona Wildcats +1400 Texas Longhorns +1600 UConn Huskies +1600 Marquette Golden Eagles +1800 Baylor Bears+1800 Tennessee Volunteers +2000 Duke Blue Devils +2500 Creighton Bluejays +3000 Saint Mary's Gaels +3000 TCU Horned Frogs +3000 Kentucky Wildcats +3000 Texas A&M Aggies +4000 Indiana Hoosiers +4500 Virginia Cavaliers +4500 Kansas State Wildcats +4500 Xavier Musketeers +5000 Iowa Hawkeyes +5500 Michigan State Spartans +6000 Maryland Terrapins +6600 Iowa State Cyclones +7500 Texas A&M Aggies +7500 Arkansas Razorbacks +8000 Memphis Tigers +8000 San Diego State Aztecs +8000 Illinois Fighting Illini +10000 West Virginia Mountaineers +10000 Auburn Tigers +10000 Providence Friars +12500 USC Trojans +20000 Penn State Nittany Lions +22000 North Carolina State Wolfpack +25000 Northwestern Wildcats +25000 Utah State Aggies +25000 Arizona State Sun Devils +30000 Odds of +35000: Florida Gators, Missouri Tigers, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Drake Odds of +50000: Kent State, Furman, Charleston Cougars, Boise State, Iona Gaels, Massachusetts Minutemen, Mississippi State, Howard Bison NOTE: Odds subject to change Bet $10 on the Men's NCAA Tournament and get a FREE $5 from SI Sportsbook If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the National Council for Problem Gambling 1-800-522-4700.