/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67979871/IMG_1697.0.jpg)
It’s far from uncommon for preseason oddsmakers have John Calipari’s Kentucky teams as top contenders to win the national championship.
Despite annual early season struggles, Coach Cal usually has the Cats in position for deep postseason run with incredible consistency.
Now, with the season about to begin, where do the Cats stand in the odds to make the Final Four and even win the national title?
Bovada, arguably the largest online sportsbook experience, believe the Cats are once again one of the nation’s top title contenders. Their latest odds have Kentucky (+150) tied with Virginia with the fifth-best odds to make the Final Four.
Villanova was listed with the best odds at EVEN, while Baylor, Gonzaga and Iowa all tied for second place at +125.
Bovada Odds to Make Final Four
- Villanova EVEN
- Baylor +125
- Gonzaga +125
- Iowa +125
- Kentucky +150
- Virginia +150
- Kansas +200
- Wisconsin +225
- Duke +250
- Illinois +250
- Florida State +300
- Michigan State +300
- West Virginia +400
- Creighton +500
- San Diego State +525
- North Carolina +550
- Florida +650
- Louisville +650
- Ohio State +650
- Oregon +650
- Seton Hall +650
- Texas Tech +650
- UCLA +650
As for the odds to win the natty, Kentucky (+900) is again is tied with Virginia for the fifth-best odds, trailing Gonzaga, Iowa, Baylor and Villanova.
Bovada Odds to Win 2021 NCAA Tournament
- Villanova +750
- Baylor +800
- Gonzaga +800
- Iowa +850
- Kentucky +900
- Virginia +900
- Kansas +1100
- Duke +1300
- Illinois +1300
- Wisconsin +1300
- Florida State +1500
- Michigan State +1500
- West Virginia +2200
- Creighton +2500
- North Carolina +2500
- Seton Hall +3000
- Florida +2800
- Louisville +3300
- Ohio State +3300
- Oregon +3300
- San Diego State +3300
- Texas Tech +2500
- UCLA +3000
Even with all of the uncertainty surrounding this revamped roster, Kentucky still finds themselves right in then thick of things to cut down the nets.
However, while they’ve made four trips to the Final Four since 2011, the Cats only have one title to show for all of their NCAA Tournament success. It’s also tough to have too much confidence in any team to win it all with the current parody in college basketball.
This 2020-2021 team has all the makings for a team that can cut down the nets in March (or whenever it may be.) But as the Big Blue Nation knows all too well, sometimes you need a little bit of luck to finish the deal.
With the star power of phenoms freshman BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke coupled with the experience of Olivier Sarr, maybe this is the year that John Calipari adds that second national championship to his resume.