The college basketball betting season officially tips off tonight with a pair of marquee games in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden – No. 3 Kansas plays Michigan State in the opener with No. 10 Kentucky taking on No. 9 Duke in the top slot at 9:30 p.m. ET

Thus begins four months of twists and turns on the hardwood. It’s always an unforgettable journey, one that ends up where very few could have predicted at the start. Teams evolve, circumstances change and superstars are born throughout the course of the year. As far as college basketball futures betting goes, now is the time to take a stand and try to find hidden value at top sportsbooks before things really get going in the coming weeks.

Gonzaga is the college basketball odds favorite at +650 to win it all after the Bulldogs came up short in the 2021 National Championship. UCLA and Michigan are next at +1200 on the best betting sites in the US, while Villanova rounds out the top four at +1500.

5 2021-22 College Basketball Futures Bets to Make

Odds via DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM and subject to change. For a comparison of DraftKings vs. FanDuel, check out our guide.

Villanova To Make the Final Four

Odds: +380 at DraftKings

The Wildcats were poised for a deep March Madness run before disaster struck in early March. Senior Collin Gillespie went down with a season-ending MCL tear and Villanova was left without the Big East Player of the Year entering the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova eventually fell to the future national champs in a 62-51 loss to Baylor in the Sweet 16. Now Gillespie is back for a fifth year and the Wildcats are looking to take care of unfinished business in the Big East and beyond.

Forward Jermaine Samuels is also back for a fifth year, making this an extremely talented and experienced team – exactly what you’re looking for come one-and-done time. We’re taking Villanova to make the Final Four at +380 at DraftKings.

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Duke to Win the ACC

Odds: +230 at FanDuel

Last season was a trying one for Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils. Duke came up short in the ACC and failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 26 years. Now the Blue Devils are hoping for a much better send-off in what will be Krzyzewski’s final season in Durham.

Forward Paolo Banchero is widely considered the top freshman in the country as he begins what will likely be a brief college career with the Blue Devils. Duke only finished one game behind Florida State in the regular season and Banchero should send the Blue Devils back to the top of the conference. We like Duke to win the ACC behind Banchero at +230 odds at FanDuel.

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RELATED: Duke vs. Kentucky Predictions & Betting Odds For Champions Classic 2021

Ohio State to Win the Big Ten

Odds: +500 at DraftKings

The Buckeyes have one of the best forwards in the nation in E.J. Liddell and return three of the top five scorers from last season. While guard Duane Washington is a big loss, coach Chris Holtman addressed it with a big-time pickup in the transfer portal.

Senior guard Cedric Russell is coming to Columbus and should make up at least a significant chunk of production the Buckeyes lost in the offseason. Russell averaged 17.2 points per game and shot 40% from 3-point range with Louisville a year ago. Now the Buckeyes have their big three in Russell, Liddell and Kyle Young, and Ohio State very well might have enough to challenge the Wolverines for a Big Ten title. We like their odds to win the conference at +500 at DraftKings.

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Oregon to Win the National Championship

Odds: +3500 at BetMGM

You know the Ducks will at least be in the mix year in and year out. Coach Dana Altman has gotten the Ducks through the first round of the NCAA Tournament in seven of the past nine years, including a Final Four appearance in 2017.

The Pac-12 was the story of the 2021 NCAA Tournament with UCLA and Oregon State making deep runs. Oregon is hoping it’s their turn after the Ducks took out No. 2 Iowa in the second round, only to fall to conference foe USC in the Sweet 16.

UCLA is the team with the highest expectations in conference, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see Oregon make another deep run in March. We’re on Oregon to win the national championship at +3500 odds at BetMGM.

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RELATED: Kansas vs. Michigan State Predictions & Betting Odds For Champions Classic 2021

Tennessee to Win the SEC

Odds: +500 at FanDuel

It doesn’t get much better than Tennessee’s 2021 recruiting class. The Vols landed a pair of five-star prospects in Kennedy Chandler – the No. 1-ranked point guard in the country – and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Scotland, Pennsylvania.

Those two guys alone should have Tennessee near the top of the conference, with the Vols hoping to win their first SEC title since 2018. Five different teams have won at least a share of the conference title since then in what has become one of the most parity-filled conferences in the country.

With a monster recruiting class and little separation among the projected top teams, we like Tennessee to win the SEC with +500 odds on betting apps.

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