If the 2023 Final Four is any reference for future developments in the NCAA, any team can make it to the concluding chapter of March Madness. Miami, Florida Atlantic, and San Diego State all reached the Final Four for the first time in their history last year, so no team is to write off just yet.
However, sportsbook operators see this as a fluke and believe the usual suspects will reach the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2024. March Madness is several months away, but the best bets college basketball have arrived.
Duke Blue Devils (+380)
Legendary Coach K left the helm of the Blue Devils in 2023, and his absence was evident, with new head coach Jon Scheyer not justifying expectations. However, a year later, Scheyer will be more confident at the bench, and the freshman-heavy team from 2023 is moving into their sophomore year.
With five five-star recruits on the roster, this young crop of talented players can be a force to be reckoned with in the ACC Conference and NCAA Tournament. The odds are +380, making the Blue Devils' top favorites to reach the Final Four.
Purdue Boilermakers (+400)
The Boilermakers have not made it to a Final Four since 1980, and for a team that was eliminated in the opening round of March Madness last season, it's surprising they are receiving +400 odds to reach the Final Four in 2024. But a closer look shows why sportsbooks have confidence in Perdue.
The team was the first seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament in 2023, and Zach Edey is returning for another year. The center was the National Player of the Year and at 7 feet 4 inches is the tallest player in the history of the Big Ten Conference. On paper, Perdue has the players for a deep run in 2024.
Kentucky Wildcats (+475)
Kentucky has produced many NBA players, and that track record encourages young prospects to join the Wildcats. In turn, creating a perpetual cycle of a quality roster, making Kentucky a contender for the title in the NCAA Tournament. The NBA Draft will ‘steal’ several seniors from the team. Yet, coach John Calipari has DaJuan Wagner Jr, Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards, and Robert Dillingham - all top 10 ranked recruits in the country and committed for next season's campaign.
The Wildcats have 14 Final Four appearances in their history, the last in 2015. In the past two decades, they were an eighth-ranked team in the NCAA 11 times. Not surprisingly, sportsbooks are not willing to ignore Kentucky and grant them +475 odds to make the Final Four.
Michigan State Spartans (+550)
The Spartans have two national championships from the NCAA tournaments in the 1979 and 2000 seasons. Their last visit to the Final Four was in 2019, yet, they are emerging as a dark horse to win the tournament in the 2024 season. Sportsbooks give them +550 odds to reach the semifinals of March Madness.
Fifth-year seniors Tyson Walker and Malik Hall will be on the team, together with starters AJ Hoggard and Jaden Akins, who are coming back for one more year. That makes Michigan State the deepest team in the Big Ten and the NCAA.
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