The Kansas men’s basketball team was the favorite to cut down the nets before the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the threat of COVID-19. With the 2020-21 season a week away from getting underway, it is safe to say that KU is not the favorite to win a national title this time around.
But don’t count out the Jayhawks just yet.
Jeff Goodman, a basketball analyst at Stadium, provided his reasoning to back Kansas to win it all during the first episode of the Field of 68 Best Bets podcast on Wednesday. It is a podcast hosted by college basketball reporter Rob Dauster, with a focus on gambling.
And, if you are a degenerate like me, feel free to [subscribe to that show][1].
On Wednesday’s show, Dauster and Goodman discussed college basketball futures and provided their own thoughts on who were the best and worst values entering the year.
As expected, it led to a conversation about the blue-blood basketball programs around the seven-minute mark of a 22-minute podcast.
You want to back a blueblood to win the title this season? Don’t bet Duke. Don’t bet Kentucky.
It’s all about Kansas, per @GoodmanHoops. Oh, the narratives.
SUBSCRIBE to the Field of 68 Best Bets pod.
Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/WTOtNdryoj
Spotify: https://t.co/YqDyOoOAQ4 pic.twitter.com/4TBA3qiwYH— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 18, 2020
They didn’t specify which sportsbook they were using, but Dauster mentioned that Kentucky and Kansas both had 11/1 odds to win the national championship. Duke, meanwhile, was listed at 13/1 on the podcast. Goodman admitted that he preferred KU of those options.
“This is an easy pick for me out of those three,” Goodman said. “So easy, and it’s all about experience. It’s Kansas.”
Goodman mentioned that Kentucky has just one returner from last year’s team, which would seem important because of the pandemic-adjusted offseason. It is also significant because No. 6 Kansas will square off with No. 9 Kentucky on Dec. 1 in Indianapolis in the 2020 Champions Classic.
Duke is also a young team, per Goodman. And that is ultimately why he has more faith in Bill Self’s squad in Lawrence.
“They are older,” Goodman said. “Marcus Garrett is a veteran. (Ochai) Agbaji has been there for awhile. I think David McCormack is going to have a monster year.”
Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike, who expect to hear their name called in the NBA Draft on Wednesday, are gone and it certainly won’t be easy to replace either player. Goodman is right, though, there is a lot to still like about this year’s squad.
Is that enough to bet on the Jayhawks to cut down the nets? Well, that’s up to you and your bank account.
Regardless, Kansas will get to see how it stacks up with this year’s preseason favorite right away. KU will open the 2020-21 season on Nov. 26 against top-ranked Gonzaga in Fort Myers, Fla.
According to [FanDuel’s Sportsbook][2], Gonzaga is a co-favorite along with Villanova at +950 to win the 2021 national championship.
**Odds to win national title in 2021** — via FanDuel’s Sportsbook
Gonzaga +950
Villanova +950
Iowa +1000
Baylor +1100
Virginia +1100
Kentucky +1200
Illinois +1500
Duke +1600
Kansas +1800
Michigan State +1800
Wisconsin +1800
Arizona State +2300
Creighton +2300
West Virginia +2300
Florida State +2500
Houston +2500
[1]: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/field-of-68-best-bets/id1540628867
[2]: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/11086.3/11549.3
