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It’s that time of year again.

March Madness is officially back, and we’re here to help you make a few extra bucks on the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Instead of looking at the individual matchups in the first round, though, let’s target a few teams that could cut down the nets and win the national championship this year.

Kansas Jayhawks +850

Kansas is no fluke as a No. 1 seed this year. The Jayhawks won a stacked Big-12 conference with Baylor, Texas Tech, and Texas, and they have one of the best players in college basketball in senior guard Ochai Agbaji.

Agbaji averages 19.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, and he’s an elite closer on both ends of the floor. Center David McCormack is an unstoppable force in the paint, and Arizona State transfer Remy Martin has embraced his role as the offensive spark off the bench.

Kansas has arguably the easiest path to the Final Four of any No. 1 seed in the tournament. Auburn struggled playing on the road, Wisconsin is a one-man show behind Johnny Davis, and Providence might be the most overrated team in the country. Iowa might be the Jayhawks’ toughest opponent in the Midwest region, but I see Bill Self’s squad cruising to the Final Four.

From there, +850 will be a great price to have in your pocket.

Villanova Wildcats +1400

Collin Gillespie reacts during the Big East Championship.
Collin Gillespie of the Villanova Wildcats reacts during the Big East Championship against the Creighton Bluejays | Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

March is all about guard play, and Collin Gillespie might be the most important guard in the country.

The fifth-year senior averages 15.9 points and 3.3 assists per game to pace the Wildcats. He has the skill, experience, and drive to lead Villanova to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova also has six players who average more than nine points per game, and Jay Wright has two national championships on his impressive resume. In a year with no dominant favorite, I’ll take a shot on a veteran team with a fantastic head coach.

UCLA Bruins +1800

UCLA made a surprise run to the Final Four last year, and they’re back with a vengeance as a No. 4 seed this season. The Bruins still have Johnny Juzang, Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Jules Bernard on the roster, and they added Rutgers transfer Myles Johnson at the center position over the offseason.

This is essentially the same team that was two wins away from a title last year, and now they have the experience under their belt to finish the job. Baylor is a weak No. 1 seed in the East region, so UCLA’s path to the Elite Eight might not be too stressful at all. And a potential Final Four rematch against Gonzaga? Yes, please.

3 teams to fade in the 2022 NCAA Tournament

Baylor +1200

Baylor proved in an emphatic fashion that it was the best team in college basketball last season, but I don’t see this team winning it all for the second year in a row. The Bears have dealt with injuries all season, and a second-round matchup with either North Carolina or Marquette is more dangerous than you might think.

With UCLA, Kentucky, and Purdue in the same East region, Baylor is in serious trouble of missing out on the Final Four.

Duke Blue Devils +1600

Duke can fill it up on offense, and they have a pair of lottery picks on the roster in Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, but this team can’t stop a nosebleed. The Blue Devils rank 119th in the country in points allowed per game, and they might be going home in the second round.

Wisconsin Badgers +10000

Wisconsin had a terrific regular season and deserves a No. 3 seed, but it won’t be winning more than two games in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers rely on Johnny Davis to carry the offense every game. Considering he’s dealing with an ankle injury and hasn’t looked 100% healthy in his last two games, don’t be surprised if Wisconsin loses in the first or second round.

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Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.