New NCAA title odds still have Kentucky among favorites

Despite struggling in the first week of regular-season play, Kentucky is still one of the top favorites to win the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

Of course, Kentucky is no longer ‘the’ favorite, as Duke now holds that distinction following their dominant win over the Wildcats. The latest odds from Bovada have Duke getting an astounding 2-1 odds to win it all this season. That’s a very high mark, especially for a team just two weeks into the regular season. You typically don’t see teams with odds like that going into the NCAA Tournament, let alone almost five months until the Big Dance begins.

The good news for the Wildcats is they didn’t fall far, going from 5-1 odds to 7-1, which is still the second-best of any team. While Kentucky may not be in the same class as Duke right now, they’re still a strong Final Four contender that could still have a very special season.

Elsewhere in the SEC, Tennessee has 30-1 odds, while Auburn is at 50-1. I’m really not sure why Auburn is so low, especially after their destruction of a top-25 Washington team last week, and that’s without Danjel Purifoy, who is serving a nine-game suspension. There’s no doubt I’d put them ahead of UCLA, Indiana, Syracuse (all 3 at 45-1) and Oregon (35-1).

2019 NCAA Tournament Odds

• Duke Blue Devils 2/1
• Kentucky Wildcats 7/1
• Kansas Jayhawks 8/1
• Gonzaga Bulldogs 12/1
• Nevada Wolf Pack 12/1
• North Carolina Tar Heels 12/1
• Virginia Cavaliers 12/1
• Villanova Wildcats 18/1
• Tennessee Volunteers 30/1
• Oregon Ducks 35/1
• Michigan State Spartans 40/1
• Indiana Hoosiers 45/1
• Syracuse Orange 45/1
• UCLA Bruins 45/1
• Auburn Tigers 50/1