Final Four odds: Duke remains the favorite after dominant regional run
For the first time since 2008, the Final Four features all No. 1 seeds. But they're more than just the best squads this year: Based on net rating, four of KenPom's 10 best teams in college basketball history will descend on San Antonio to fight for the championship.
Duke has the second-best net rating ever behind the program's 1998-99 squad, which lost to UConn in the national championship. The Blue Devils, KenPom's No. 1 team by a decent margin, entered the tournament as the favorite and still hold that title as the championship game looms.
National title odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Duke | +105 |
| Florida | +275 |
| Houston | +405 |
| Auburn | +500 |
Duke annihilated its competition en route to the Final Four, proving that its 19-1 ACC record wasn't a result of playing in a weak conference. The Blue Devils won their four tourney games by an average margin of 23.5, including a 20-point win over Alabama, the sixth-best team in the country.
While it relies on freshmen, Duke's roster is the most talented in the nation: Three Blue Devils are projected to be top 10 picks in the upcoming NBA draft.
Houston is a 4.5-point underdog against Duke in a clash between the Cougars' No. 1 defense and the Blue Devils' No. 1 offense. The total is set at 136.5.
The Cougars had a difficult path to San Antonio, becoming the first 1-seed since North Carolina in 2017 to defeat the 16,8,4, and 2-seed on the way to the Final Four. And Houston didn't play a typical 8-seed; Gonzaga is a top-10 team.
Duke has won 31 of its past 32 games while Houston has won 30 of its past 31. This is a heavyweight showdown for the ages.
In the other matchup, Florida is a 2.5-point favorite over Auburn, explaining why the former has the second-best odds to win the title. Auburn is the No. 1 overall seed and was the SEC regular-season champion, but Florida won the SEC conference tournament. The Gators also beat the Tigers 90-81 in early February.
Florida has the most impressive resume over the last month, but the Gators were tested in the Elite Eight against Texas Tech. They trailed by nine with less than four minutes remaining, but Walter Clayton Jr.'s heroics lifted Florida to the Final Four.
Both groups have guard depth and versatile bigs, which should create a thrilling Final Four contest.
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.