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CBB national championship odds: Ohio State, Baylor offer best value

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The college basketball season is only a couple of weeks old, but national championship odds are already on the move. Kentucky became the 9-2 favorite after beating Michigan State but was then upset by 25-point underdog Evansville. The Wildcats are now the second favorites at 6-1. Memphis moved from 20-1 to 30-1 with the uncertain status of star freshman James Wiseman. The Tigers were as short as 15-1 two months ago.

Below are odds to win the college basketball national championship, along with four teams that still offer bettors the best value.

Team Odds
Michigan State 5-1
Kentucky 6-1
Duke 10-1
Kansas 12-1
Louisville 12-1
North Carolina 12-1
Oregon 18-1
Florida 20-1
Virginia 20-1
Arizona 20-1
Gonzaga 25-1
Villanova 25-1
Texas Tech 25-1
Memphis 30-1
Maryland 30-1
Washington 40-1
Xavier 40-1
Ohio State 50-1
Baylor 50-1
Florida State 50-1
Seton Hall 80-1

Washington Huskies (40-1)

Washington already has an impressive comeback win over Baylor on its resume and will only get better throughout the season. Mike Hopkins brought in one of the top recruiting classes in the country, led by center Isaiah Stewart and forward Jaden McDaniels. The Huskies are young but loaded with talent, and Hopkins' 2-3 zone will cause headaches for opponents come March.

Expect some inconsistency from Washington early in the year given its inexperience, but no one will want to play this team by the time the NCAA Tournament rolls around. I bet Washington at 80-1 to win it all, but there is still value if you can get 40-1 or higher. The Huskies will likely be 20-1 or shorter in March, so grab them now.

Ohio State Buckeyes (50-1)

The best value left on the board is Ohio State at 50-1. Don't expect those odds to last much longer, as the Buckeyes already have two quality wins over Cincinnati and Villanova early in the season. Some thought Ohio State had a down year in 2018 after finishing 20-15. However, head coach Chris Holtmann actually got the Buckeyes to overachieve by earning an NCAA Tournament berth in what was expected to be a rebuilding year.

This season, Ohio State is stacked. Holtmann brings in the Big Ten's top freshman class, led by point guard DJ Carton and forward Alonzo Gaffney, to go along with holdovers in center Kaleb Wesson and guard Duane Washington Jr. Add transferred guard CJ Walker to the mix, and the Buckeyes feature one of the deepest, most talented backcourts in the country. They will challenge Michigan State and Maryland for the Big Ten title this season.

Baylor Bears (50-1)

Baylor stumbled against Washington but really controlled that game. The Bears missed some easy shots then went cold for the last few minutes, allowing the Huskies to steal the win. Don't put too much stock into early-season losses; Baylor still has the talent to win the Big 12 and earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears have all the ingredients to make a deep tournament run. They are a deep, veteran team with strong guard play, led by Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell. The return of stud forward Tristan Clark from a knee injury gives Baylor arguably the most well-balanced offense in the Big 12. Baylor was the first futures bet I made this season and they are still sitting at 50-1. Like Ohio State, that's a gift for a team with the talent to make a Final Four run in March.

Seton Hall Pirates (80-1)

Seton Hall is flying a little under the radar this year. The Pirates have one of the country's top players in guard Myles Powell, who returned from an ankle injury Thursday against Michigan State. When Powell is healthy, the Pirates can play with any team in the country.

Besides Powell, Seton Hall features a formidable frontcourt with four players 6-foot-10 or taller. Florida State transfer Ike Obiagu can turn the Pirates from an NCAA Tournament team to Final Four contender. The 7-1 center is a defensive force who will help Seton Hall improve on the 72 points per game it allowed last season.

Powell can take the Pirates a long way in the tournament on his own, and now he's blessed with a strong supporting cast. At 80-1, Seton Hall is still being undervalued in the futures market.

Thomas Casale is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. He's been following the sports betting industry for almost 30 years. A devoted fan of the wishbone offense, Thomas bets on all sports but specializes in college football, NFL, and college basketball. Find him on Twitter @TheTomCasale.

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