For the first time since April, we're going to have some meaningful college basketball. No more exhibitions. No more summer practices.
With rosters locked-and-loaded and the season beginning on Tuesday, November 9, now is the perfect time to dive into the futures market.
Here's the four picks I like from four different conferences.
Louisville to Win ACC (+1000)
The season hasn’t even started yet and I am already annoyed by the Coach K farewell tour.
It's obviously deserved, as he's one of the greatest coaches of all time. I could just be biased because I’m a diehard UNC fan, but I digress.
Speaking of Duke, it has all the makings of one last deep run for Coach K’s final season. At 6-foot-11, freshman Paolo Banchero has the skill of a guard and is dangerous enough to lead Duke to a dominate season.
However, the Blue Devils have a glaring weakness on offense that is keeping me away from their small number to win the ACC: Shooting.
They struggled from deep last season and lost their best 3-point shooters to the draft. With how anemic the offense can look if shots don't fall, the number is too small for my liking to not have a hedge opportunity.
Instead, my focus will be on the Louisville Cardinals.
I will never forgive COVID-19 for taking away my Louisville future ticket when March Madness was canceled in 2020. I was as golden as Willy Wonka’s ticket with how good it looked at that point in the season.
Head coach Chris Mack continues his success, as he has another highly-anticipated season on slate. The frontcourt will be one of the most formidable units this season, with 6-foot-11 Malik Williams and Samuell Williamson anchoring the paint.
I grabbed Louisville to win the ACC at +1000 and you can still grab +900 at BetMGM.
In case the offense takes a bit to get into rhythm, I will also look to add Duke midseason.
Purdue to Win National Championship (+2500)
After Baylor stream-rolled Gonzaga in the National Championship last season, this was the very first future I grabbed when the market opened.
Last season, Purdue overperformed with the talent it had at the time, finishing fourth in the Big Ten and nabbing a No. 4 seed in the tournament.
Flash forward to today, and the Boilermakers return a bulk of their squad, including stud Trevion Williams.
Not only does it retain its starting unit, Purdue also brings in two high-level recruits in Trey Kaufman-Renn (No. 43 nationally) and Caleb Furst (No. 71).
Head coach Matt Painter has shown he can lead his teams to deep runs in the tournament, and this season should be no different. With their starters returning and more depth on the bench, this is a deep roster that can contend with the best of them.
I grabbed the opener of +2500 before this crashed to as low as +1300 at some books. You can still grab Purdue to win it all at +1600 at DraftKings.
St. John's to Win Big East (+1700)
When placing a future, I always start with one of two thoughts.
Will I be able to hedge this for a profit down the road? And is this the best number I can get?
The casual sports bettor fails to realize the value in a juicy dog as a future, especially when they see Villanova as the clear-cut favorite in this conference.
St. John's is that juicy future that has my attention.
Posh Alexander and Julian Champagnie return, sparking one of the peskiest defenses in the nation. Ranking 10th nationally last season, St. John's will look to continue to disrupt and irritate opposing offenses all season.
The Johnnies also added some key transfers to bolster the depth and offense.
Villanova may be a juggernaut this season, but it leads with flaws. The Wildcats return Collin Gillespie, but will rely on a bunch of unproven talent after replacing players lost to the NBA draft.
If St John's can make a run in the Big East Tournament, I will look to hedge some pieces off of the initial +1700.
Kentucky to Win SEC (+400)
I hate taking the favorite when it comes to season-long futures. I really do. But Kentucky is just too tasty for me to avoid taking them.
They had the worst season last year in the John Calipari era. Injuries, little-to-zero shot making and inexperience derailed what was thought to be a promising season.
Kentucky is the small favorite to win the conference going into 2021-22 after adding another impressive recruiting class.
This season will look a little different though. Not only did Kentucky bring in some great recruits, it also dabbled with the transfer portal. The Wildcats bring in West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe, Iowa’s CJ Fredrick, among some others.
This will be one of Calipari’s most experienced teams, one that is capable of making a deep run. They will need to rely on that experience as the SEC gets better as a whole.
Bonus Pick: Kentucky to win the national championship +1600
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