The Kansas Jayhawks are favorites to win the NCAA title. Flickr
The Kansas Jayhawks are favorites to win the NCAA title. Flickr

Is there any better value pick in sports than picking the college basketball national champion?

It’s not like college football or pro sports, where even before the regular season is finished, there are only a handful of teams that could actually win the championship.

In college basketball, all a bettor needs is some luck and for their team to get hot at the right time.

That’s why now’s the time to start finding the best value picks for teams that have the opportunity to possibly have a less-than-stellar regular season, only to get hot in the postseason.

Kentucky, Maryland and North Carolina began the season with the best odds to win the title at +800. None of those three teams are still the favorite, as Oklahoma, Michigan State and Kansas now own the top spots at +800.

The Tar Heels are still close, at +900, while Kentucky moved to +1200 and Maryland is at +1600.

There have been some teams to use the early part of the season to improve their odds tremendously. Xavier opened at +20000 and is now at +1200, which is the biggest jump of any team in college basketball.

An undefeated start also has helped South Carolina, going from +30000 to +10000, while Iowa’s resurgence has moved it from +10000 to +6600.

Teams that have gone the other way include SMU, from +6600 to +15000, and North Carolina State saw the biggest downward spiral, going from +8000 to +50000.

The odds will continue to fluctuate throughout the season, especially with conference play beginning across the country. For now, though, it’s time for bettors to pick the best value teams going forward.

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