The field for the 2019 NCAA Tournament has finally been set and Duke is widely considered to be the last team standing at the end of March Madness. According to VegasInsider and Sportsbook.ag, the Blue Devils are 11/5 favorite to clinch a first national title in 2015.
Duke won a second Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in three years after beating Florida State 73-63 on Saturday, and enters the NCAA Tournament as the number one overall seed, but has not made it past the Elite Eight stage since its last title.
However, with Zion Williamson back in the fold, Mike Krzyzewski's men are rightly considered the favorites to triumph this month.
Fellow number one seeds Gonzaga and North Carolina follow with odds of 5/1 and 6/1, respectively. The Bulldogs finished the season as the top ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll after finishing with a 30-3 record, which included a perfect 16-0 run against conference opponents.
The Tar Heels, meanwhile, were ranked number three in the AP poll after going 26-5. North Carolina lost to Duke in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament but beat the Blue Devils in both regular season meetings.
THE BRACKET!#SelectionSunday | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/JCpvetRGN1
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 17, 2019
Virginia, the last number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, is fourth-favorite with odds of 8/1. Like fellow ACC heavyweights North Carolina, the Cavaliers went 16-2 against conference opponents in the regular season.
Like the Tar Heels, the Cavaliers were also eliminated in the semifinals of the conference tournament, after losing 69-59 to Florida State.
While Virginia might be fractionally below ACC rivals Duke and North Carolina, it is by far the favorite to be the South region's representative in the Final Four. Following a disastrous appearance at the NCAA Tournament last year when they became the first number one seed to be eliminated by a number 16 seed, expect the Cavaliers to be hungry for revenge.
Beyond the four number one seeds, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Tennessee are the next main favorites with odds of 12/1, 15/1 and 16/1, respectively.
The Wildcats finished with the third-best record in the SEC but lost to Tennessee in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, before the Volunteers then fell to Auburn 84-64 in the final on Sunday.
Despite the loss, Tennessee recorded an impressive campaign. They claimed the scalps of Louisville and Gonzaga during the regular season and beat Kentucky twice, boasting the SEC's best offense and the conference's second-best defense.
Michigan, the final number two seed, is 18/1 with VegasInsider and 20/1 with Sportsbook. The Wolverines were the losing finalists last season and will hope to go one better this year, after going 28-6 and finishing with the third-best record in the Big Ten.
Texas Tech follows with odds of 20/1, while Florida State and Purdue are both 30/1 and Houston is 30/1 with VegasInsider and 35/1 with Sportsbook.
Defending champion Villanova is a 50/1 shot to retain the title.
Completed odds for 2019 NCAA Tournament
11/5 — Duke
5/1 — Gonzaga
6/1 — North Carolina
8/1 — Virginia
12/1 — Kentucky
15/1 — Michigan State
16/1 —Tennessee
18/1—Michigan
20/1 —Texas Tech
30/1—Florida State, Houston, Purdue
40/1—Iowa State
50/1—Auburn, LSU, Villanova,
60/1—Kansas
70/1—Kansas State, Marquette
80/ 1 —Virginia Tech
85/1—Buffalo, Syracuse
100/1—Cincinnati, Louisville, Nevada, Wisconsin
150/1—Oregon
200/1—Florida, Mississippi State, Wofford
250/1—Iowa, Maryland
300/1—Central Florida, Murray State, New Mexico State
500/1—Seton Hall, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Utah State, VCU, Washington
1000/1—Arizona State, Baylor, Belmont, Georgia State, Liberty, Montana, Northeastern, Northern Kentucky, Ohio State, Old Dominion, St John's, Saint Louis, St. Mary's (CA), Temple, UC Irvine, Yale
2000/1—Colgate, Iona, Vermont
5000/1—Abilene Christian, Bradley, Fairleigh Dickinson, Gardner-Webb, North Dakota State, Prairie View A&M
9999/1—North Carolina Central
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more
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