The 2021-22 men’s college basketball season is about to begin, and there are two West Coast teams with a legitimate shot to win the national title. Both UCLA and Gonzaga were in the Final Four a season ago,
and the odds favor them to get there again this year.
Gonzaga is the clear betting favorite to cut down the nets in New Orleans, with odds set as low as +650 at most sportsbooks. The Bulldogs should have no trouble winning the West Coast Conference and earning a top seed when the brackets are revealed.
UCLA was one of the last teams into the field of 68 a season ago, but then they looked unstoppable in the month of March. The Bruins are on the shortlist of betting favorites this season, with odds set as low as +1500.
There are a number of “blue-blood” programs in between Gonzaga and UCLA, including Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, and Villanova. Winning the NCAA Tournament is one of the hardest feats in sports, but the Bulldogs and Bruins should have a great shot to get it done.
Pac-12 Will Be Competitive
Even though UCLA is clearly considered a Final Four contender this season, navigating through the Pac-12 Conference won’t be easy for the Bruins. UCLA has odds set at +115 to win the Pac-12 this season, but this always seems to be a league that produces some interesting results.
The Oregon Ducks were another team that made a deep run a season ago, and they have odds set at +300 to win the league. Arizona (+600) and USC (+750) are next on the list in what should be a very interesting four-team race.
The 2022 Pac-12 Conference Tournament will once again be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mountain West Up For Grabs
The Mountain West Conference might not produce a Final Four team this season, but the action should still be fun to follow throughout the year. This has been a league that continues to send multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament, and that should be the case again this season.
The San Diego State Aztecs are the betting favorites this season, with odds set as low at +180. The Nevada Wolf Pack appear to be the biggest challenger to the Aztecs as they have odds being offered at +350.
This will be a fun league to follow during the 2021-22 season, and several teams will have the ability to upset some national powers during the year.
Coach K’s Final Season
The Atlantic Coast Conference is on the other side of the country from the West Coast, but this is still a league that draws plenty of national attention. In case you hadn’t heard, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will be retiring at the end of the 2021-22 college basketball season.
Coach K has another loaded team this season, and his Blue Devils are going to play a factor in the national championship discussion. Duke is the betting favorite to win the ACC this season at +230, but that entire league is loaded with great teams.
