2024 College Basketball championship odds: UConn sets pace, Houston moves up

College Basketball

Updated Feb. 26, 2024 11:22 a.m. ET

The defending champion UConn Huskies (25-3) continue to be the favorite to win the men’s college basketball national title, but there’s a new team right behind them.

Dan Hurley’s top-ranked Huskies have won 15 of their past 16 games, but dropped to +550 from +450 on the oddsboard. UConn lost at No. 15 Creighton 85-66 on Tuesday.

FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst John Fanta said he is impressed by the relentless Huskies.

“If you take one play, one sequence in a game off, this team will make you pay 99 percent of the time,” Fanta said.

The 24-3 Houston Cougars, on a six-game winning streak, moved up one spot into second place on the oddsboard at +700. They also claimed the top spot in Fanta’s most recent rankings.

“Houston’s reputation should be even stronger than it is,” Fanta noted. “Not only is this team as tough as any team in college basketball, but they’ve got an impressive track record to prove it. Over the last four years, this program has 117 wins — to just 17 losses.”

Third-ranked Purdue (25-3) fell to third, though the Boilermakers’ odds improved to +750 from +800.

Let’s look at the latest odds to cut down the nets after March Madness, with insight from Fanta.

2023-24 NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TITLE ODDS: *

UConn Huskies +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)

Houston Cougars +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)

Purdue Boilermakers +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)

Arizona Wildcats +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)

Tennessee Volunteers +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)

North Carolina Tar Heels: +2000 (bet $10 to win $170 total)

Marquette Golden Eagles: +2000 (bet $10 to win $170 total)

Auburn Tigers: +2000 (bet $10 to win $170 total)

Duke Blue Devils +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)

Iowa State Cyclones: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)

Alabama Crimson Tide: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)

Creighton Bluejays: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)

Kentucky Wildcats +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)

Kansas Jayhawks +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)

Illinois Fighting Illini: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)

Baylor Bears: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)

Florida Gators: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)

Wisconsin Badgers: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)

Michigan State Spartans: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)

San Diego State Aztecs: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)

Saint Mary’s Gaels: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)

* odds as of 2/26/2024

Fanta said guard Tristen Newton is the player who makes the Huskies go.

“Think about the legends that have played at UConn: Richard Hamilton, Donyell Marshall, Emeka Okafor, Kemba Walker, Ray Allen, to name a few,” Fanta said. “There have been 15 triple-doubles in UConn men’s basketball history, and Newton owns four of them. Nobody else for the Huskies owns more than two.”

Marquette, which has won 10 of its past 11, moved to +2000 from +2500. The lone loss in that span for the Golden Eagles was at UConn 81-53 on Feb. 17.

After beating the Huskies, Creighton’s odds surged to +3000 from +4500.

Follow along with FOX Sports for the latest in college basketball. March Madness will be here before we know it!