Just like wagering on any sports market, for fans looking to bet on college basketball futures, it’s important to know how to get the best value. Smart bettors will compare NCAAB future odds, time their bets to perfection and, of course, seek out the best bonuses and free bets.
Just like the NBA, any good sportsbook will offer fans a wealth of betting options, whether it’s the moneyline, points spread, parlays or prop bets. But here, we’re going to focus specifically on NCAAB futures betting.
Futures - also known as “outrights” - challenges the sports bettor to think long-term by picking the winner of an overall tournament, event or part of an event.
NCAAB Future Odds: What Are The Betting Markets?
NCAAB futures odds betting markets include:
- NCAA March Madness – picking the winner of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
- Naismith College Player of the Year – predicting the winner of the Naismith College Player of the Year, which is awarded to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players
- John R. Wooden Award – predicting the winner of the John R. Wooden Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding men's and women's collegiate basketball players
- Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year – predicting the winner of the AP Award, which is awarded to the best men's college basketball player of the year as voted by the Associated Press (AP)
- Win totals – predicting the total number of games a college will win during the regular season
- D1 Conference Champions – predicting the conference football champion of 32 D1 conferences.
Picking NCAAB Futures
When betting on futures, there are fewer options available because there’s only a certain number of things to win. Unlike betting on an individual match, the number of outcomes is much more limited.
So, why is NCAA futures betting popular? You know that guy in the bar who says “Kentucky’s got a good team this year”? Well, futures betting is his chance to put his money where his mouth is.
If he thinks Kentucky will win the national championship, he can head to his favourite sportsbook and bet on exactly that.
Futures betting is particularly popular because it rewards long-term punts with juicy odds. The downside is that you have to wait until the end of the season or at least the resolution of the given tournament to get your money.
Or do you? Many online sportsbooks will offer you a cashout price so you can get your hands on your money early. And, of course, you don’t have to make your prediction at the start of the season - it’s possible to bet on college basketball futures deep into the season, even if the outcome looks nailed on.
Picking the overall champion isn’t the only option available either. You can pick the winners of conferences and divisions or go for options such as ‘to reach the final’, ‘to be in the final four’ or ‘champions without X’ where your selection wins if they are beaten by the stated team in the final.
Which US Sportsbook Has the Best NCAAB Odds?
It’s common for US sportsbooks to set competitive odds on NCAA futures picks, as there is plenty of interest in college basketball, which is where the NBA's stars of tomorrow serve their apprenticeships. The bookies are all competing with each other to secure you as a sports betting customer for the season, so will offer higher pre-season NCAA futures odds in the hope that you sign-up and keep coming back to make wagers for the season.
These sportsbooks are all competing and take different approaches to setting odds, so check-out our odds comparison tool to quickly compare and convert odds!
You might already have a preferred betting site, but we recommend checking out new US sportsbooks that offer sports betting sign-up offers and free bets to find the best value futures NCAAB odds.
The USLB team has done most of the hard work for you when it comes to shortlisting reputable US sportsbooks with high odds, so check-out our featured sportsbook bonus offers and odds conversion tool!.
NCAAB D1 Championship Winners
These are the NCAA D1 Championship winners since the turn of the millennium:
2021 Baylor
2020 Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Virginia
2018 Villanova
2017 North Carolina
2016 Villanova
2015 Duke
2014 Connecticut
2013 Louisville
2012 Kentucky
2011 Connecticut
2010 Duke
2009 North Carolina
2008 Kansas
2007 Florida
2006 Florida
2005 North Carolina
2004 Connecticut
2003 Syracuse
2002 Maryland
2001 Duke
2000 Michigan State
