The 2022-23 men’s college basketball season tips off Monday, and the goal for every team is to cut down the net at NRG Stadium in Houston next April. Realistically, there aren’t too many teams that have a great shot, but two of the top candidates are the two that faced off in the title game last year. Kansas won the title and enters the season ranked fifth in the nation. That’s four spots behind the team the Jayhawks beat, with North Carolina sitting atop the preseason poll. Gonzaga, Houston and Kentucky are in between, with teams like Baylor (T-5), Duke (seventh) and UCLA (No. 8) among those also expected to contend. Fourth-ranked Kentucky and UNC sit atop the college basketball futures odds as the 9-1 co-favorites at Caesars Sportsbook.
Houston (10-1), Gonzaga (10-1) and UCLA (12-1) aren’t far behind, followed by 10th-ranked Arkansas (15-1), Baylor (16-1), Duke (18-1) and Kansas (20-1). So, which favorite can you count on, or should you look at a longer shot like No. 13 Indiana (30-1) or 16th-ranked Villanova (50-1)? The men’s college basketball season always has its share of surprises — madness, if you will — so betting on college basketball futures can be tricky business. Before locking in any 2022 college basketball futures picks, you need to see what SportsLine college basketball expert Matt Severance has to say.
A well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005, Severance is on a stunning run: He is a blistering 106-73-4 on his last 183 against-the-spread college basketball picks, returning more than $2,400 for $100 bettors during that span. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Severance has revealed his top futures bets, including his pick to win it all and the team that offers the best value. He’s sharing his best bets only at SportsLine.
Top 2022 college basketball futures bets
One thing Severance is confident in is that that the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks (20-1) “won’t win the Big 12 or sniff the Final Four.” The Jayhawks just have too many losses to be true contenders. Two players were NBA first-round picks and big man David McCormack and key reserve Remy Martin also departed. That’s 52 points and almost 22 rebounds per game that needs to be replaced. Jalen Wilson (11.1) is the only returning player who averaged more than 5.5 points.
Losses like that are the reason no team has repeated as champion since Florida in 2006-07. Bill Self has the recruiting ability to reload quickly, and Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar Jr. brings a ton of versatility and experience. The Jayhawks “won’t fall off the map,” Severance says. But the expert knows that Big 12 Player of the Year Ochai Agbaji (18.8 points per game), Christian Braun (14.1) and McCormack were the heart of the team, so he is fading the Jayhawks. Head to SportsLine now to see the rest of Severance’s picks.
How to place 2022 college basketball futures wagers
Severance has locked in his winner of the NCAA Tournament 2023 and also has found great value on a squad that he says “may well be the best team in school history.” He also has a couple of other value plays you might want to consider, including a massive 100-1 longshot. You really need to check out his men’s college basketball predictions before locking in any of your own.
So, which team will be crowned the men’s college basketball champion in April? And which squad offers incredible value on their odds of winning it all? Visit SportsLine right now to see all of Matt Severance’s 2022-23 men’s college basketball futures picks, all from the expert who is 106-73-4 on his last 183 college basketball spread picks.
2022-23 college basketball title odds (Caesars Sportsbook)
See Severance’s college basketball futures picks at SportsLine
Kentucky +900
North Carolina +900
Houston +1000
Gonzaga +1000
UCLA +1200
Arkansas +1500
Baylor +1600
Duke +1800
Kansas +2000
Arizona +2200
Tennessee +2500
Creighton +2500
Indiana +3000
Texas +3000
Michigan +3500
Texas Tech +4000
Illinois +5000
Alabama +5000
Villanova +5000
TCU +5000
