Betting on a 2023 March Insanity champion a day after final season ended appears futile.
The switch portal has modified lots of issues. It is very laborious, lower than 24 hours after Kansas gained this season’s title, to get an thought of who’s coming or going, whether or not it is by way of switch or the NBA draft. Nearly each workforce has roster questions because the offseason formally begins.
But, it is also OK to venture and gamble a bit. You will not get the identical odds on that workforce you want in the event that they land a key switch or a key NBA draft choice goes their manner. That brings us to the Kentucky Wildcats.
Kentucky is not favored, but
After we have a look at the initial odds for the 2023 men’s college basketball champion, Duke leads the way in which at +800 at BetMGM. Kentucky is tied for second-best odds at +1000.
It will not take an excessive amount of for Kentucky to chop these odds in half. First, the Wildcats have an important NBA draft choice within the sport looming.
Oscar Tshiebwe was a consensus nationwide participant of the 12 months however nearly each NBA mock draft has him as an early second-round choose. Possibly that is sufficient for Tshiebwe to go professional, and it will be nice if he needs to begin his NBA profession now. However he additionally might select to return and attempt to enhance his draft inventory (and make loads of cash resulting from NIL). Tshiebwe hasn’t stated what his future plans are.
“It would be great to be in the blue again because I love the place, I love the fans, I love everything about Kentucky,” Tshiebwe said on CBS Sports Network final weekend. “Whatever decision God has told me to do that’s what I’m going to do.”
Tshiebwe will probably end up going pro, but if he stays that means Kentucky becomes the clear betting favorite. The Wildcats wouldn’t be +1000 or anything close if they get back a national player of the year. And even if Tshiebwe leaves, Kentucky is a fine bet at +1000.
Kentucky will have talent again
There’s also the unusual case of Shaedon Sharpe, a shooting guard who was a top-five recruit and graduated early to join Kentucky in January. He redshirted all college season and is considered an NBA lottery pick. Still, there’s a chance he plays for Kentucky in the fall. We’ll see.
Without him, Kentucky will be fine. It’s Kentucky, after all.
Five-star guard Cason Wallace and five-star forward Chris Livingston are coming in. Keion Brooks, Sahvir Wheeler and Jacob Toppin could leave but most reports expect them to stay. C.J. Frederick, a sharp-shooting guard who transferred in from Iowa but missed all last season due to a hamstring injury, should be available in the fall too. That’s a good group to build around. Kentucky coach John Calipari has had recent success landing transfers, and it wouldn’t be hard selling a top-end player in the portal on playing for the Wildcats. It’s pretty easy to envision Calipari landing an impact transfer or two if Tshiebwe or Sharpe leave for the NBA, and maybe even if they both stay.
One key transfer, or Tshiebwe or Sharpe deciding to stick around, would dramatically change Kentucky’s title odds. Even if nothing changes, Kentucky will be a contender again and the current 10-to-1 odds aren’t too bad.
It’s going to be a wild offseason in college basketball, and the transfer portal ensures that will be the case most years going forward. For most teams it might be best for bettors to wait and see what the rosters look like. With Kentucky, it might be best to grab a future now.
