College Basketball National Championship Betting Trends: Gonzaga Still the Favorite

Neil Parker

Last updated: March 11, 2022 7:44 AM EST • 2 min read

BetMGM released their betting trends for the College Basketball National Championship on Monday.

The NCAAB season is winding down with Selection Sunday taking place March 13, and the NCAA Men’s Championship Tournament beginning Tuesday, March 15.

Here’s a peek at the numbers.

BetMGM Sportsbook Insights: College Basketball National Championship

Line Movement

Gonzaga opened +600, now +400Kentucky opened +1600, now +800Arizona opened +5000, now +800Auburn opened +5000, now +1000Purdue opened +1600, now +1000Duke opened +1400, now +1200

Favorites

Gonzaga +400Arizona +800Kentucky +800Auburn +1000Purdue +1000Marquette +1000Duke +1200Kansas +1400Baylor +1800UCLA +2000

Highest Ticket Percentage

Gonzaga 8.9%Arizona 8.8%Kentucky 8.4%Auburn 7.8%Purdue 7.5%Duke 7.3%Baylor 4.2%Kansas 4.1%Michigan 3.8%Michigan State 3.7%

Highest Handle Percentage

Gonzaga 11.5%Arizona 10.9%Kentucky 9.5%Auburn 8.8%Purdue 8.5%Duke 7.2%Providence 4.0%Kansas 3.9%Michigan 3.3%Baylor 3.3%

Most Popular Longshots

Michigan +10000Michigan State +8000Memphis +12500LSU +8000Indiana +15000USC +8000Oregon +12500Colorado State +20000

Biggest Liabilities

ArizonaAuburnKentucky

There haven’t been significant changes from the BetMGM’s previous release two weeks ago. Gonzaga, Arizona and Kentucky are all at a shorter number, whereas there is a little more current value on Auburn, Duke and Purdue.

Marquette definitely appears a little out of place considering the Golden Eagles are likely to be a middling seed in the tournament. Obviously, playing in the loaded Big East carries weight, but Marquette is currently fifth in the Conference Standings. Furthermore, there have hardly been any wagers on the Golden Eagles with just 0.3 percent of tickets and 0.2 percent of the handle.

It certainly was an interesting and historic weekend in college basketball, as seven top-10 teams lost, including each of the top-six ranked teams. With upsets synonymous with March Madness, perhaps more longshot tickets will come in leading up to the tournament.

Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.

Written By:
Neil Parker

A lifelong Cowboys, Cubs, Maple Leafs and Gators supporter, Neil has been covering sports in print and online since 2011. His past stops include USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook and RotoWire among others. He's a graduate of St. Thomas University and Acadia University and spends ample time at KenWo Golf Club.