CBB championship odds: Auburn, Duke lead pack, plus 4 sleepers to watch

Selection Sunday is less than a month away. Football season is over, and the NBA is on break, so it's the perfect time to catch up on college basketball's happenings. Certain preseason favorites like Duke and Alabama have remained atop the oddsboard, while others like Kansas and UConn have taken a tumble.

Below, we dive into the contenders with the best odds and some sleepers to look out for when March rolls around.

National title odds

Contenders

Auburn (+350)

Auburn's dominance in a historically difficult conference has solidified the team as the nation's best. It opened at +2500 to win the national title but is now down to +350.

Bruce Pearl's squad has been No. 1 in the AP Poll for over a month and No. 1 on KenPom for most of the season. The Tigers have 14 Quad 1 wins, six more than the next best team. They're 11-1 in the SEC, a conference expected to earn at least 12 NCAA Tournament bids.

Auburn leads the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Naismith College Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome headlines Auburn's unstoppable inside-out offensive approach. Six Tigers players are averaging double figures. Auburn reloaded after last year's disappointing first-round upset loss to Yale in the tourney and could steamroll its way to a Final Four (-120) and championship.

Duke (+400)

Duke was the favorite (+900) entering the season and has lived up to expectations. Although behind Auburn, the Blue Devils' odds have shortened dramatically since the preseason. Their freshman class, particularly Cooper Flagg, is as advertised and has carried Duke to a 23-3 overall record and a 15-1 ACC mark.

Flagg is averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and four assists while leaving no doubt he'll be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. He's the favorite (-150) to win Player of the Year, but Duke isn't a one-man show. Fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach have blossomed in their respective roles. It's hard to win primarily with freshmen, but Duke's first-year players have the maturity of upperclassmen. Plus, the group is filled with veteran contributors like Tyrese Proctor and Sion James.

The ACC is a remarkably weak conference, so Duke isn't consistently tested like contenders in the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12. However, the Blue Devils played a difficult nonconference schedule and proved they have the talent to compete with anyone.

Florida (+900)

Florida's offense operates like a symphony. Co-conductors Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin orchestrate a connected group that feeds off spacing and ball movement. The Gators have the perfect blend of scoring guards and physical bigs. They're eighth in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, creating extra possessions because of their relentlessness on the glass.

Florida has a top-10 offense and defense, and it's won four straight - including a win at Auburn - and seven of its last eight.

Alabama (+1000)

Despite falling to Auburn over the weekend, Alabama is still 21-4 overall and 10-2 in the SEC. The Crimson Tide won seven straight before losing to the Tigers.

Alabama has the nation's third-most efficient offense, according to KenPom. The Tide's identity is playing fast and shooting threes early and often, attempting the most 3-pointers in the SEC by a wide margin. Alabama has a reliable and deep bench with seven active players averaging at least seven points. Alabama depends on many offensive weapons, but Grant Nelson and Mark Sears are the engines.

The defense remains a concern but has improved since Alabama's Final Four run last year.

Alabama's biggest problem: It has the SEC's worst turnover margin. Turnovers result from playing at a high pace, but Alabama must take better care of the ball. However, of all the contenders, I'm most confident in Alabama cutting down the nets.

Houston (+1000)

It's no secret that a Kelvin Sampson-coached squad will always be one of the country's best defensive teams - third in KenPom's defensive rating this season - but Houston is also top 10 in offensive rating.

The Cougars have just one loss in the Big 12 and are primed to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. They lost to Duke in last year's Sweet 16 but are better equipped offensively to make a run next month. Houston has a balanced scoring attack with four guys averaging double figures, including L.J. Cryer contributing 14.3 points per game.

Houston has a difficult schedule to close the season with four of its final six games against Iowa State, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Baylor. We'll learn more about this group over the next few weeks.

Sleepers

St. John's (+3000)

It's probably unfair to list a team atop the Big East standings as a sleeper, but St. John's is still something of a long shot at 30-1.

Rick Pitino revitalized a dying program and made it nationally relevant. St. John's is 13-2 in the Big East with wins over UConn, Creighton, and Marquette and is on its way to a first tournament appearance in six years.

The Red Storm are a physical, gritty group with the nation's second-best defensive rating, according to KenPom. They're a nightmare for opposing offenses who can't handle ball pressure and physicality on the glass.

St. John's main issue is that it's shooting 29% from three, the 13th-worst mark among 364 Division I schools. The Red Storm often dominate inside and have enough reliable late-game scorers, starting with RJ Luis Jr.

Their defense and toughness earn them a spot on the list, but it'll be challenging to go on a deep tournament run with serious shooting woes.

Michigan (+5000)

Michigan sits atop the Big Ten in Dusty May's first season in Ann Arbor. Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin form an unstoppable pairing in the pick-and-roll. Wolf is a towering presence with tremendous ball-handling and driving skills, while Goldin is a traditional big who perfectly complements his fellow 7-footer. Tre Donaldson is also one of the better scoring guards in the conference.

The Wolverines lost four of their first six games that were decided by four points or fewer, but they've turned those late-game struggles around. Michigan has won its last six games by four points or fewer. That might be unsustainable, but Michigan is hitting its stride in late February and has the veteran-heavy roster to do damage in March.

Creighton (+6600)

Creighton is on a two-game skid after losses to UConn and St. John's but remains one of the nation's most underrated teams.

This isn't a typical high-powered Creighton offense. However, when Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth - who both average at least 16 points - are playing well, the unit dominates. It's propelled the team to a second-place standing in the Big East.

The Bluejays' 3-point shooting numbers are down from the last two seasons, hurting their offensive efficiency. However, they still have nights where they're hot from deep. All it takes is a solid three-week stretch to make a run.

Maryland (+8000)

Maryland is one of six teams with a top-20 offensive and defensive rating on KenPom. Kevin Willard consistently produces elite defenses, but this Maryland offense is even more efficient. The Terps have won nine of their last 11 games and deserve more recognition as a legitimate Final Four threat.

Projected lottery pick Derik Queen and veteran big Julian Reese form one of the country's best frontcourt duos. Ja'Kobi Gillespie is a dynamic scoring guard, and Maryland has the perfect complementary pieces in the opening unit. Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel complete the best starting five in the Big Ten. The Terps' biggest issue is non-existent bench production, but rotations are always shortened in March.

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.