Sports
Men’s college basketball betting: Three teams stand out as best values to win it all
The calendar has flipped to 2026, conference play is here and sights of an NCAA champion are on the rise.
Every week continues to provide more insight into which teams are trustworthy and which aren’t, as tougher nonconference schedules and early conference action can tell us a lot about whose bubble may burst before the nets are cut down in Indianapolis in April.
The criteria of what makes a team worthy enough to bet on are consistent, and the numbers can tell us all we need to know about that team’s ability to put together the six consecutive wins necessary to win the NCAA tournament.
Every national champion since 2002 has ranked in the top 40 in adjusted offensive efficiency and top 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency in KenPom, so that makes for an easy starting point.
Below are three teams whose odds to hoist the trophy provide the best value.
Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
I was high on the Wildcats last season and felt they were a real threat, but they ran into Duke and Cooper Flagg and were sent home in the Sweet 16. They are even better this season.
Arizona is an elite shooting team and highly efficient. The Cats aren’t a prisoner to shooting from beyond the arc — only 22.4% of their points come from the 3-ball (near the bottom of Division I) — but they are capable of beating teams both inside (shooting 57.9% on 2-pointers) and out (37.8% on 3s).
Add in the fact this team is third in the nation in offensive rebound percentage and the Wildcats can punish opponents on the glass.
Defensively, their size, length and athleticism are a matchup nightmare for anyone. Their ability to force turnovers and limit second-chance points results in their being fourth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Arizona’s price is only going to get smaller as we get deeper into the season. With only three other real threats to win the Big 12, the Wildcats will continue to be heavy favorites throughout the season, especially if they win the conference and grab a No. 1 seed.
Is this the year Mark Few and the Bulldogs finally get it done? Few has amassed 758 wins and an .832 winning percentage since taking over in Spokane in 1999, but has yet to win it all. So, what’s so different this season? Depth. Gonzaga is arguably the deepest team in the country, as nine players average at least 17 minutes per game.
The Zags’ offensive efficiency is off the charts. The Bulldogs are shooting 52.4% from the field this season, including 36.9% from 3. Like Arizona, they aren’t beholden to the 3-point shot, but they are tough to stop inside (59.2% on 2-point FGs) and are 45th in offensive rebound rate and 10th in defensive rebound rate.
Gonzaga creates turnovers and uses transition to beat you down the floor. What sells me on this team is not only depth but its experience. The Zags are second in Division I experience according to KenPom, including eight upperclassmen in the rotation. Much of this team has been through the rigors of March already and that experience could be enough to push them through this season.
No one should doubt the pedigree and consistency of the Spartans as a program, but their last championship was over a quarter-century ago and their last Final Four appearance was pre-pandemic, so some may start to wonder if Tom Izzo still has what it takes to get over the top. Well, this year’s Michigan State roster certainly does.
The Spartans are ferocious on defense and dominate on the glass, allowing the second-lowest offensive rebound rate in the country. Michigan State will force you to pick your poison, as they are seventh in the nation in block percentage, meaning they won’t let you inside while also guarding the 3-point line (opponents shoot just 30.8%).
The Spartans’ pace is designed to force teams into mistakes and poor shooting decisions. Offensively, they are much more complete this season. After finishing last season 316th in the nation in 3-point shooting, they are hitting a respectable 36.3% from deep this season.
Michigan State will certainly be battle-tested when it gets to March playing in a Big Ten Conference that has a dozen teams sitting in the top 50 in KenPom right now and could get at least eight teams into the tournament. The Spartans are complete enough to beat you on both ends of the floor and if you still believe in “Izzo in March” as something to push them over the top, they are worth a look for the price.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a burglary that took place at the home of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in November, the Medina County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
The three individuals who allegedly broke into Sanders’ home Nov. 16, as well as the driver of the vehicle involved, have been identified, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. The fourth suspect is at large with an active warrant for his arrest, according to the release, which also stated that the investigation has been completed.
The sheriff’s office said approximately $200,000 in property was stolen from Sanders’ home in Granger Township, a Cleveland suburb, during the break-in, which occurred while he was making his NFL debut in a Week 11 game against the visiting Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders, the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, just completed his first season in the NFL. A son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur started the final seven games of the season for the Browns and completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
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President Donald Trump‘s granddaughter, Kai Trump, revealed on social media Wednesday she underwent surgery to repair a wrist injury.
Kai is an active golfer and made her LPGA debut in November at The Annika in Belleair, Florida.
“Today, I underwent left wrist surgery to address injuries to the stabilizing tissues of my ECU tendon and damage to my fibrocartilage complex. The surgery was successfully performed at the Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute by Dr. Thomas Graham, Chief of Jefferson Orthopedics. I look forward to my rehab in the coming months, I am excited for the ability to play golf pain free,” she wrote.
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Donald Trump, center, walks with granddaughter Kai Trump during the ProAm ahead of the LIV Golf Team Championship Oct. 27, 2022, at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Doral, Fla. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The teen wore a bandage on her wrist during a recent interview on Logan Paul’s podcast, “Impaulsive.”
Trump finished in last place at The Annika but made a notable improvement in her second day of competition compared to her first day, improving by eight strokes.
She finished with a two-round score of 18-over 158, putting her 27 shots behind leader Grace Kim (65-66) and 17 away from the projected cut line at one over par.
KAI TRUMP, GRANDDAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP, REVEALS SHE ‘100%’ WANTS TO BE A PRO GOLFER
Kai Trump making her LPGA debut as an amateur at The Annika at Pelican Golf Club. (Accelerator)
“For the first day, I was definitely really nervous. I think the nerves just got to me,” she said. “When I went out there today, I felt very calm and peaceful, to be honest with you. That’s why I played better.
“I did everything I could possibly have done for this tournament. So, I think if you prepare right, the nerves can … they’re always going to be there, right? They can be a little softened. So, I would just say that.”
Trump’s performance earned the praise of women’s golf star Charley Hull, a supporter of the president.
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Kai Trump hits a shot on the 18th hole during the second round of The Annika golf tournament at Pelican Golf Club. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
“That’s really good considering this is not just an easy LPGA event. This is probably one of the harder courses that we play on,” Hull said of Trump, per Golf Channel.
“So, for her to come out, she had to be so nervous. It was her first LPGA event. I remember my first event. I was really nervous, and she’s got a lot of pressure on her and a lot of eyes on her.”
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PGA America CEO Derek Sprague, is stepping away from his role after one year to help support his mother and mother-in-law.
Sprague said he realized he needed to spend more time at home after his daughter’s wedding.
“At my daughter’s wedding last month in upstate New York, it became clear that my family needs me nearby to assist with the care of my mother and mother-in-law,” Sprague said in a statement. “Focusing on family has become my priority, and the best decision for me is to step away from my role as CEO and return home to be with them.”
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Derek Sprague announces on the first hole during the a.m. foursome matches for the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis., Sept. 24, 2021. (Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
Sprague took over in January 2025, becoming the first club professional in 20 years and the first PGA president appointed to the role. He informed the PGA of America board in early December he needed to go home to Malone, New York, and said he would stay on in an advisory role until his successor is found.
Sprague, who served as PGA president from 2014-16, was selected as CEO to replace Seth Waugh, the former Deutsche Bank Americas CEO who had been lured out of retirement in 2018.
PRO GOLFER JHONATTAN VEGAS WEIGHS IN AFTER TRUMP ORDERS ‘LARGE SCALE STRIKE’ IN VENEZUELA
Derek Sprague, CEO of the PGA of America, speaks to the media prior to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., May 13, 2025. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Waugh had been grooming Craig Kessler, the PGA’s chief operating officer, as a potential replacement, but the PGA board opted for one of its members. Kessler was appointed LPGA commissioner last summer.
Sprague stepping down extends the turnover in golf’s executive leadership. Brian Rolapp took over in August as CEO of the PGA Tour Enterprises, Kessler joined the LPGA in July and Mark Darbon is just over a year into his role as CEO of the R&A.
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Derek Sprague, PGA of America CEO, attends a press conference beside the Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course Sept. 17, 2025 in Farmingdale, N.Y. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Sprague was the PGA of America executive who reached out to Rory McIlroy to apologize for the verbal abuse that he and his wife endured at Bethpage Black during the Ryder Cup. McIlroy’s wife, Erica, previously worked at the PGA of America, and McIlroy said Sprague “couldn’t have been more gracious” in what he described as a “lovely letter.”
He was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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