The Loop

Virginia, Gonzaga made the favorites to win March Madness (Next year's March Madness. Sigh.)

March 13, 2020
NCAA Basketball Final Four Championship Game

The Washington Post

March Madness—along with just about everything else in the world—has been canceled due to Coronavirus, but you can still bet on who will win the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. You're just going to have to wait a long time to be paid off if you're right.

On Friday, SportsBetting.ag installed Virginia and Gonzaga as the co-favorites to win the title in 2021. Now that's a futures bet.

According to SportsBetting.ag, the Cavaliers and the Zags are listed at +900 (risk $100 to win $900), followed by Kansas (+1000), and Baylor and Kentucky at (+1200). Michigan State, Creighton, and Duke are next at +1400. So in case you were wondering if you still have to worry about potentially seeing Coach K & Co. winning another national title after the worry of a global pandemic dissipates, unfortunately, you do.

Of course, UVA is already the defending national champs. So a win next April would make them . . . back-to-back champs?

Another question to raise is whether the NCAA will grant current seniors any extra eligibility being that their careers got cut short before they were able to cut down the nets. We're guessing no given the NCAA's spotty track record with decisions regarding amateur status, but hey, you never know.

And it's never too early to place a wager if you think you're getting value. Just be careful. You know, both with the gambling and the Coronavirus.