Betting Insights: Maryland’s National Championship Odds

In the first month of the 2022-23 college basketball season, there are few bigger surprises than the Maryland Terrapins. Head coach Kevin Willard has his team soaring past program expectations in his first year in College Park.

At 8-0 to start the year, Maryland is one of just 12 undefeated programs remaining in the country, and it hasn’t come strictly through buy games. The Terps have wins over Saint Louis, Miami, and Illinois, all of which rank within KenPom’s top 50.

How have the odds reacted to Maryland’s undefeated start? Let’s look at the college basketball futures betting market at the BetMGM Sportsbook to gain some insight.

Men’s Basketball National Championship Insights

• Line movement (Last Week, Current)
  • Texas +1200 to +1100
  • Indiana +2500 to +2000
  • Maryland +10000 to +6600

The books seem to be still adjusting to Maryland’s early-season success, mainly because almost nobody saw it coming! The Terrapins received less than 0.1 percent of the market’s tickets and handle during the preseason.

Even following the shift from +10000 to +6600, Maryland still boasts an enticing price to win this year’s national championship. With their next three games coming up against Wisconsin (tonight), Tennessee, and UCLA, you may never see this price again if they can take two of three in that span.

The Big Ten has its documented struggles in the NCAA Tournament, but the non-conference success from Maryland is encouraging. Look towards those games against Tennessee and UCLA as potential barometers for how they may stack up with non-Big Ten competition come March Madness.

When conference play does roll around, the Terrapins will have a plethora of chances to build a strong resumé.

With a team average of 3.08 years of experience – good for 13th in the country – Willard has the know-how and maturity to make a deep run with this team. Transfers are meshing together much faster than expected, and it may still be time to grab a hefty price on the Terrapins before it’s too late.