Best Bets: College Basketball Conference Winners

The college basketball season gets underway in grand style on November 5th. The top four teams in the country will be in the same building at Madison Square Garden as part of the Champions Classic. Before long, early-season tournaments like the Maui Invitational and Battle 4 Atlantis will pit some of the best teams from each conference against each other.

In a new twist, the Atlantic Coast Conference will begin conference play on opening night, as all teams need to cram in 20 conference games before March. Among the first set of conference games on November 5th is Louisville-Miami, Virginia Tech-Clemson, and Georgia Tech-NC State.

While many conferences won’t begin conference play until December, it is never too early to take a look at each league’s top contenders.

Here are the best bets to win each major conference this year in college basketball (odds according to DraftKings).

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Best Bets

Atlantic Coast Conference: Louisville (+375)

With all due respect to the “bluebloods” like Duke and UNC, or the defending champion Virginia Cavaliers, Louisville will make the jump and win the ACC in 2019-2020. The Cardinals boast the conference’s best frontcourt, led by NPOY candidate Jordan Nwora. The backcourt is anchored by senior grad transfer Lamarr Kimble, who averaged 15.6 PPG for St. Joseph’s last year. Louisville is deep and experienced, as they return six of their top seven scorers. Head coach Chris Mack has one of his most talented rosters ever. Look for him to break through for his first Final Four appearance this year.

While Duke, UNC, and UVA are all also ranked in the top 11 in the country, they all have their question marks. Duke brings in yet another talented recruiting class, but none of the prospects are the caliber of Zion Williamson or RJ Barrett. UNC must replace four starters and are relying on true freshman Cole Anthony to run their up-tempo attack. Virginia will always be solid while coach Tony Bennett is roaming the sidelines, but replacing Kyle Guy, De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and Jack Salt from last year’s championship team is too much to ask.  

Other contenders: Duke (+225), North Carolina (+250), Virginia (+400)

Big 12 Conference: Kansas (+125)

For the first time in the last 14 years, Kansas did not win the Big 12 regular-season championship. Their unprecedented run was ended in part because of injuries, suspensions, and off-court issues. Center Udoka Azubuike played in only nine games due to a wrist injury, Silvio De Sousa was suspended by the NCAA, Lagerald Vick left the team in February and Marcus Garrett missed five games and was bothered by an ankle injury the rest of the season.

Garrett, De Sousa, and Azubuike are all back to help the Jayhawks reclaim the Big 12 crown. They are joined in the starting lineup by NPOY candidate point guard Devon Dotson. Kansas started four freshmen and one junior last year and still went on to win 26 games. Bill Self is one of the best coaches in the country, and perhaps the talk of “The Streak” no longer hanging over them will me much-needed relief. Look for the Jayhawks to reclaim their dominance over the Big 12 this year.  

Other contenders: Baylor (+250), Texas Tech (+400), Texas (+900)

Big East Conference: Seton Hall (+250)

Villanova has won five of the last six regular-season Big East championships, yet the league’s coaches voted Seton Hall as the favorite to win the conference this year. Jay Wright is in unfamiliar territory at Villanova, as he does not have a senior on the roster to rely on. He vowed all offseason that the Wildcats are going to be a work in progress and are going to take their lumps early on, until they get their younger players up to speed. Wright will spend much of the non-conference schedule figuring out his rotation and looking for a consistent go-to-scorer.

Meanwhile, the Seton Hall Pirates are one of the most experienced teams in the country. They return four starters from a 20-win team, with Michael Nzei as the only key contributor gone. Seton Hall is led by NPOY candidate Myles Powell. Powell is a dynamic scorer who led the team with 23.1 ppg last year. The Pirates are an excellent defensive team, as they allowed opponents to shoot better than 50% just three times all season. While usual conference-favorite Villanova is going through some growing pains, look for Seton Hall to rise to the top of the Big East standings on the backs of Myles Powell and the rest of their experienced group.

Other contenders: Villanova (+150), Xavier (+350), Creighton (+450)

Big Ten Conference: Michigan State (+100)

Getting the preseason No. 1 ranked team in the country at even odds to win their conference is a steal. Michigan State brings back a deep and talented roster from a Final Four team a year ago. NPOY candidate Cassius Winston is coach Tom Izzo’s floor general, and is one of the smartest players in the country. While the Spartans do lose three starters from last year’s team, they replace them with guys like Aaron Henry and Xavier Tillman who were key contributors last year. Izzo also brings in a top-50 freshman in Mark “Rocket” Watts who will look to make an immediate impact in the backcourt. 

Maryland is a team that could push Michigan State for the conference crown. The Terrapins return four starters from last year’s team that made the round of 32. They beat four ranked teams last year, with a roster composed of mostly freshmen. Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith are one of the best inside-outside duos in the entire country. However, this is a team comprised of too many young players to dethrone a team as good as Michigan State. 

Other contenders: Maryland (+350), Ohio State (+700), Michigan (+1000)

Pac-12 Conference: Washington (+375)

The Huskies are my surprise pick to win the Pac-12 conference. Washington loses its top five scorers from last season, but the league’s coaches remain confident in them. Washington earned six first-place votes and were picked to finish third in the conference in the preseason media poll. The Huskies will be led by two one-and-done prospects Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels. They also welcome in Kentucky transfer Quade Green. Washington is extremely long and athletic, especially on the back end of their vaunted 2-3 zone. While Oregon (#15 in the preseason poll) is the favorite as the only ranked preseason team, look for the “youth movement” in Washington to propel them to the conference title. 

Other contenders: Oregon (+200), Arizona (+250), Arizona State/Colorado (+900)

Southeastern Conference: Florida (+250)

In another bit of a surprise, I am not picking the #2 ranked Kentucky Wildcats to win the SEC. As is typical of Kentucky lately, they return just one starter from last year’s team. Though just one starter returns, this team is arguably one of John Calipari’s most experienced teams. Kentucky returns four players (Ashton Hagans, EJ Montgomery, Immanuel Quickley, Nick Richards) who played significant minutes a year ago. They will be joined in the starting lineup by talented freshman Tyrese Maxey, a 6-3 shooting guard. Head coach John Calipari believes this is one of the longest, and subsequently best defensive teams he has ever coached. 

Despite all the positive things to say about Kentucky, Florida has a great chance to be special. They added one of the best players in the country in Virginia Tech grad transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. Sophomore point guard Andrew Nembhard is back to form one of the most potent inside-outside combinations with Blackshear. Florida may have out-recruited Kentucky last year, as they bring in Mcdonald’s All-Americans Scottie Lewis and Tre Mann, along with 6’10” forward Omar Payne. Florida’s three returning starters (Nembhard, Noah Locke, and Keyontae Johnson) combined with their impact newcomers make this Gators team an interesting blend of youth and experience. Head coach Mike White has not won an SEC title in four years at Florida. This is the year he gets his first.

Other contenders: Kentucky (+125), Auburn (+550), Tennessee (+850)

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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.