March Madness 2018 Championship Betting Odds For Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, Kansas And Others

With the college basketball regular season coming to a close, and Championship Week about to get underway, many are turning their focus to Selection Sunday and teams' odds of winning the NCAA Tournament. Sixty-eight schools will compete for the title, but only five have been given strong odds by Las Vegas casinos.

Michigan State and Villanova share the best odds at 9/2, according to betting site Vegas Insider. Both schools have won the NCAA Championship twice, with Villanova's most recent title coming in 2016.

Oddsmakers have placed less emphasis on rankings, as eight teams have better odds of winning the title than No. 3 Xavier. The Musketeers, who are listed at 20/1, have never won an NCAA title, and have been an underdog story this season. Xavier entered the season ranked No. 17 by the Associated Press but climbed the rankings with a 25-4 record.

Top-ranked Virginia has the third-best odds at 13/2. The Cavaliers have just two losses this season and have wins against several elite programs.

The notable names are also in the championship mix. Five-time champion Duke has the fourth-best odds at 7/1. The Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 in preseason and are currently ranked No.5.

Duke's crosstown rival, North Carolina, has the seventh-best odds at 14/1. The defending champions entered the season as the No. 9 team in the nation and finished the regular season at No. 9. Roy Williams' squad had won six consecutive games before recently losing back-to-back games to Miami and Duke.

Kansas has the sixth-best odds at 12/1. The No. 6 Jayhawks haven't won a title since 2008. Bill Self's squad is coming off a blowout loss to Oklahoma State.

Other traditional powers have low odds of winning the title. No. 23 Kentucky and unranked UCLA, who have won a combined 19 titles, are listed at 50/1 and 66/1 odds, respectively. Both programs have been disappointing in 2017-18, particularly the Wildcats, who entered the season at No. 5.

The tournament begins on March 13. The Final Four will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

The National Championship will be played on April 2.

College Basketball Betting Odds (VegasInsider.com)

Michigan State, 9/2

Villanova, 9/2

Virginia, 13/2

Duke, 7/1

Purdue, 8/1

Kansas, 12/1

North Carolina, 14/1

Wichita State, 14/1

Cincinnati, 20/1

Ohio State, 20/1

Tennessee, 20/1

Texas Tech, 20/1

Xavier, 20/1

Arizona, 25/1

Florida, 25/1

Gonzaga, 25/1

West Virginia, 25/1

Michigan, 28/1

Auburn, 33/1

Alabama, 40/1

Missouri, 40/1

Oklahoma, 40/1

Texas A&M, 40/1

Clemson, 50/1

Kentucky, 50/1

Rhode Island, 50/1

Saint Mary's (CA), 50/1

Arizona State, 66/1

Baylor, 66/1

Seton Hall, 66/1

UCLA, 66/1

Arkansas, 80/1

Creighton, 80/1

Florida State, 80/1

NC State, 80/1

USC, 80/1

Virginia Tech, 80/1

Houston, 100/1

Louisville, 100/1

Loyola-Chicago, 100/1

Miami, Fl., 100/1

Nevada, 100/1

Texas, 100/1

Washington, 100/1

Butler, 125/1

Middle Tennessee, 125/1

Mississippi State, 125/1

Penn State, 125/1

Notre Dame, 150/1

St. John's, 150/1

Syracuse, 150/1

TCU, 150/1

Georgia, 200/1

Indiana, 200/1

Kansas State, 200/1

Memphis, 200/1

Providence, 200/1

East Tennessee State, 250/1

Louisiana, 250/1

New Mexico State, 250/1

Oklahoma State, 250/1

Vermont, 250/1

Boise State, 500/1

Buffalo, 500/1

Charleston, 500/1

Florida Gulf Coast, 500/1

Harvard, 500/1

Iowa State, 500/1

Rider, 500/1

St. Bonaventure, 500/1

South Dakota State, 500/1

Belmont, 1000/1

Montana, 1000/1

Nicholls, 1000/1

Pennsylvania, 1000/1

Savannah State, 1000/1

Toledo, 1000/1

UC Santa Barbara, 1000/1

UNC Asheville, 1000/1

Winthrop, 1000/1