The Complete NCAAB Futures Odds Picture January 2022

By Sidelines   January 25, 2022 

The Complete NCAAB Futures Odds Picture January 2022

One thing that’s been constant in the first few weeks of conference play is that there seem to be nightly battles between ranked teams in the SEC and Big 12. And the latest Associated Press top 25 poll out on Monday reflects that, as three of the top five teams are from those two leagues. 

After winning at home over the weekend against Kentucky, Auburn leapt past Gonzaga to claim the top spot in the rankings for the first time in school history. After losing twice two weeks ago, Baylor rebounded with a perfect week to jump up a spot to fourth, and Kansas moved up to fifth.

With us wrapping up the first month of conference play, it’s time to take a look at the complete picture come late January and early February to see whose stock is up and down when it comes to betting on NCAAB futures odds.

Stock Up – Auburn and Houston

Auburn Tigers Futures Odds
(Current Odds to win NCAA Championship: +1600, Bovada)

Tip-off as Auburn Tigers men’s basketball takes on Kentucky Wildcats at Auburn Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. Photo by: Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

After reaching as high as No. 2 in 1959, 1999, and 2000, the Auburn Tigers have finally reached the peak of regular-season college basketball by being voted No. 1 in the AP top 25 poll. The Tigers weren’t ranked highly to start the season, but they did reach the Final Four in 2019 under veteran head coach Bruce Pearl, and he has the Tigers reloaded for another run again. Freshman Jabari Smith has been a big reason for that, as he’s averaging 16 points per game and six rebounds per contest as a potential No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft. 

The college basketball futures odds for the Tigers to start the season was at +5000. Now, they can still be had at Bovada for +1600, which is a good number considering that they are one of two one-loss teams in the power conferences and are also in one of the best leagues in the nation. 

The Tigers handled No. 12 Kentucky 80-71 on Saturday, as fans lined up outside Auburn Arena for nearly 24 hours to get in for the big game, showing that the fans have bought in on the program. Auburn hasn’t had many tests on the road this year, but they do have a four-point win at rival Alabama, who was ranked No. 24 at the time of the win. 

Auburn’s only loss was at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, when they lost to then-No. 22 Connecticut 115-109 in double overtime. Despite that defeat, the Tigers beat Loyola Chicago the next day (who was ranked in the top-25 until today). 

Due to the luck of the Tigers’ schedule, they only have one road game left against a top-25 team–at Tennessee on Feb. 26. There’s two tough teams on the home slate coming up in the next couple of weeks with Oklahoma and Alabama visiting, but after that, it’s largely smooth sailing for Auburn. That means they will likely rack up wins and see their odds of becoming college basketball national champions in 2022 go lower and lower, so now is the time to jump on the Tigers.

Houston Cougars Futures Odds
(Current Odds to Win NCAA Championship: +3500, Bet MGM)

Houston Cougars forward Fabian White Jr. (35) reacts after scoring during the first half against the South Florida Bulls at Fertitta Center | Sidelines
Houston Cougars forward Fabian White Jr. (35) reacts after scoring during the first half against the South Florida Bulls at Fertitta Center. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

After making a run to the Final Four last year as a 2-seed under head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars are up to No. 7 in this week’s poll, as they lead the American Athletic Conference on a nine-game winning streak and a 17-2 overall record. 

Houston’s only two losses were to the best two teams it played, but in losses to Wisconsin and at Alabama, those defeats were by a total of three points. The resume isn’t as strong as say an Auburn or Arizona, but advanced metrics for offensive and defensive efficiency show that Houston is right there with Gonzaga, Baylor, Auburn, and Arizona in those statistics despite the lack of competition in their league. 

Despite losing leading scorer Marcus Sasser for the season due to injury, Houston has thrived with Kyler Edwards leading the way with just under 15 points per game after he transferred from Texas Tech in the offseason, and Josh Carlton is just behind him after joining the Cougars from UConn last year. Without too much in the way of resistance for Houston in the AAC, look for them to maintain their strong record, perhaps bringing their odds down a bit, so like Auburn, now is probably the best time to take a flier on Houston if you’ve had your eye on them. 

Stock Down – Purdue and Villanova

Purdue Boilermakers Futures Odds
(Current Odds to Win NCAA Championship: +1000, Draft Kings)

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trevion Williams (50) shoots a fire throw during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats at Mackey Arena. Boilermakers won 80-60 | Sidelines
Purdue Boilermakers forward Trevion Williams (50) shoots a fire throw during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats at Mackey Arena. Boilermakers won 80-60. Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue has been a mainstay in the top-10 of the polls all season, reaching No. 1 in early December before a shocking loss at Rutgers. But including that loss in New Jersey, the Boilermakers are 8-3 since, with a loss last week at Indiana dropping them from No. 4 to No. 6 in the poll. 

That’s not to say the Boilermakers aren’t one of the best teams in college basketball this year, as they have proven that they can beat top teams–having done so with quality wins over Villanova, North Carolina, Florida State, Iowa, and at Illinois. But a tough stretch in the schedule could bring with it a few more losses, and that will see their odds drop from the +1000 where it currently stands in NBAAB Futures betting odds. Ohio State and Illinois are coming up, as are visits at Michigan State and Wisconsin. If you’re liking the Boilermakers, you may want to wait to see where they are at the start of the Big Ten tournament, as the odds are likely to be better than the +1000 where it is now. 

Villanova Wildcats Futures Odds
(Current Odds to Win NCAA Championship: +1800, Draft Kings)

Villanova Wildcats guard Justin Moore (5) shoots over Georgetown Hoyas guard Tyler Beard (3) during the first half at Capital One Arena | Sidelines
Villanova Wildcats guard Justin Moore (5) shoots over Georgetown Hoyas guard Tyler Beard (3) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Villanova seemed to have put a rough patch in December behind them, as they had won six-straight after dropping three in a row and were looking good against decent competition in Big East play. Then the Wildcats lost to Marquette and struggled against lowly Georgetown over the weekend before pulling out a win. 

Even if Nova rebounds to finish as the class of the Big East, they mostly struggled against top competition in the non-conference portion of their schedule. They did score a nice win over Tennessee but fell to UCLA, Purdue, and Baylor (where they only scored 36 points and lost by 21). 

Villanova’s problem is that they go cold on offense. They haven’t scored more than 54 points in their last three losses, and a team that can go that cold from the floor is always in danger of losing in a one-in-done environment like the NCAA Tournament. 

If you’re dead-set on taking Villanova come March, wait to see how things unfold in their next seven games. After DePaul and St. John’s, Nova plays the four best teams in the league in the next five games–vs. Seton Hall, at Providence, vs. UConn, and against Providence again. That stretch should give you a clearer picture before jumping on them for an NCAAB Futures Bet in 2022.

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